Slow Roasted Duck

A 5 to 6 pound duck is ample for two people. Ducks have very large bones and lots of fat so a 4 pounder contains surprisingly little meat.

The day before, remove gizzards and clean duck. Pat dry. 

Put several paper towels on a large plate.

Cut the duck lengthwise in half and set on the plate. Put in refrigerator uncovered. The overall crispiness of the skin is determined by how dry the surface of bird becomes. 16 to 24 hours is about right.

Early the next morning, preheat the oven to 450 degrees.

Spray skin with oil or butter, not margarine. Rub skin with powered garlic and powdered onion. Don’t use any salt! Place on a rack in the oven and cook at 450 degrees for 12 minutes. 

Reduce heat to 180 degrees and cook for more 10 hours. Use a meat thermometer to insure that the internal temperature stays between 160 and 170 degrees. Adjust the temperature slightly if necessary.

After 10 hours remove the duck and place on top of the stove for 10 minutes. Pour off all fat. Set oven to 550 degrees. When the oven reaches that temperature, put the duck back in.

In a large frying pan add 2.5 cups of orange juice, 2 teaspoons orange marmalade and two teaspoon of duck sauce. Turn heat up and reduce liquid by 2/3rds.

Remove duck when meat thermometer reaches 190 degrees and skin is crispy. 
Serve immediately. The meat will fall right off the bone.

Salmon with Chianti Sauce

INGREDIENTS

Spray salmon with canola oil. Dust with a bit of garlic powder and pepper. Broil at 550 degrees until the fish flakes.

While the fish is broiling, pour a cup of Chianti into a large frying pan. Under high heat evaporate the liquid until it develops a slightly syrupy consistency. Don’t let it burn. Place fish on a plate and pour the sauce over the salmon.

Note: Taste the wine first. If it tastes harsh or bitter, don’t use it. You can also substitute Sangiovese wine, which is the major component of Chianti.

Spare Ribs with Sauerkraut and Potato.

Serves  4

INGREDIENTS

8 to 12 Country Style Spare Ribs
2 pounds Sauerkraut
1 Large Onion
4 Stalks Celery
2 Medium Carrots
4 Medium Potatoes
Garlic
Salt
Cayenne Pepper
Ground Pepper

Country ribs are best because they are meatier than other varieties but any cut will work. You can also use pork chops with this recipe.

Begin by draining and rinsing the sauerkraut in a colander. In a non reactive bowl, soak the sauerkraut for 20 minutes changing the water once. Dice the onion and fry in a bit of oil until they begin to soften.  Cut the carrot and celery into bite sized pieces. For some extra flavor chop up and add the celery leaves.

Put the spare ribs on the bottom of a large pot. Mix the onion, carrot and celery with the sauerkraut and place on top of the ribs. Add a cup of water, lots of garlic powder, some cayenne pepper and ground pepper. Cook on low for 1 ½ hours then add the potatoes. Add more water if required. Cook another 30 minutes or so until the meat falls off the bone. Add salt to taste.

If anything is left over just reheat. The flavor improves when reheated, even several times.  Just use new potatoes.

Marinated Lamb Chops

INGREDIENTS

Shoulder Lamb Chops

For the marinade:

½ cup of Canola Oil
¼ cup of Balsamic Vinegar
¼ cup Water
½ Teaspoon Garlic Powder
½ Teaspoon Onion Powder

Mix the canola oil, balsamic vinegar, water, garlic powder and onion powder in a bowl and let the mixture sit for 10 minutes. Place the Lamb Chops in a zip lock freezer bag and then add the marinade. Squeeze out the air from the bag, seal and keep in the refrigerator For 6 to 24 hours turning once.

Set the oven to broil. When the oven reaches 600 degrees, put the chops on top of the broiler pan and cook for two minutes. Then turn and cook for three more minutes or until they are medium done.