Mighty Duck

Recipe courtesy Alton Brown

Show: Good EatsEpisode: What's Up Duck

Rated: 5 stars out of 5Rate itRead users' reviews (91)

RECIPE
COMMENTS & REVIEWS(91)

Cook Time:
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Level:
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Yield:
2 to 4 servings

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Ingredients

Brine:

1/2 cup kosher salt
1 pint pineapple orange juice
15 whole black peppercorns
1 bunch fresh thyme
4 cloves garlic, smashed
1 (5 1/2 to 6 pound) frozen Long Island Duck, thawed
2 handfuls shredded chard
2 shallots, minced
Dash sherry or balsamic vinegar

Directions

Combine all brine ingredients in a plastic container with a lid. Place the lid on the container and shake to dissolve the salt.

Remove the pop-up thermometer, liver, gizzards, and heart. Cut off the wings.

Using kitchen shears, locate the spine at the base of the neck. Cut up the line of the backbone towards the neck cavity. Turn the duck and cut straight towards the rear cavity. Remove the backbone.

Turn the duck over and cut straight down the middle of the breast bone, leaving 2 equal duck halves. To separate the legs from the breast, flip your halves over so the flesh side is facing up at you. Using a knife, make a crescent shape cut between the leg and the breast. Lay your knife flat against the skin and make 3 marks in one direction and then in the other, making an X. Make sure that you are cutting through the skin and not the meat.

Line the inside of a plastic lexan or a pot with a zip-top bag. Place the duck quarters inside the bag, and pour the brine over the duck. Seal the bag, ensuring that all air is removed from the bag. Brine the duck for 2 to 2 1/2 hours in the refrigerator.

Bring 1 1/2 inches to 2 inches of water to a boil in a large pot. Place a colander into the pot and line the sides of the colander with the duck. Do not stack the duck quarters on each other. Cover and turn the heat to medium low. Steam the duck for 45 minutes. Set oven to 475 degrees F. Place a large cast iron skillet into the oven.

Remove duck pieces from steamer and place legs, skin side down, into the hot skillet. Place the skillet into the hot oven immediately and cook the leg quarters for 10 minutes. Add the breasts, skin side down, and cook for 7 more minutes or until the duck takes on a deep mahogany color and the skin is very crisp.

Remove the duck from the skillet and rest under foil. Add the chard and the shallots to the skillet. Toss the chard in the fat until it barely wilts. Season with the sherry or balsamic vinegar.

Serve the duck with the chard.

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Comments & Reviews

recipe Mighty Duck
Jimmy D. Radisson, WI 11-26-2009
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It's My Go to Duck
Rated: 5 stars out of 5

This receipe Is the only one I will use, the family doesn't care for the orange graze that most restraunts serve with duck... but this if far better anyway. Elton has once again hit a home Run in my book. Thanks Again. Jim Clements Radisson, WIRead more
recipe Mighty Duck
Mike Fairfax, VA 11-26-2009
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Great Recipe - Needs Video
Rated: 5 stars out of 5

My wife and I do this recipe for Thanksgiving every year, since it's usually just the two of us. Steaming the duck ensures... that the meat stays moist, but the skin gets crispy in the oven. Super-tasty brine. My only critique is that the written recipe doesn't do justice to the instruction that you get in the Good Eats video. I found the video to be very helpful when it comes to making the crescent shaped cut to separate the legs from the breast. Also, the written instructions don't explain to you what you're supposed to do with the Chard, Shallots, and white wine vinegar. That stuff isn't brine material!!!Read more
recipe Mighty Duck
orlando randolph, MA 11-26-2009
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Follow the directions for a great duck!!
Rated: 5 stars out of 5

I think the folks who had dissapointing results didn't stick to the directions and probably used a different type of duck... than specified or, as I did once, used a duck that was larger than the 5.5 to 6 pounds as directed. When it comes to cooking, Mr. Brown is more scientist than artist, and with science, when you start fudging around, the "ooops" factor tends to produce seriously undesireable things. I've used this recipe seven times now. The only times it wasn't perfect was once when I used a nearly eight pound duck (in that case, more was NOT better!!) and another time when circumstances beyond my control had me leaving the duck in the brine for nearly six hours. Anyway, it's Thanksgiving morning and I gotta start preparing my duck!!!! Read more
recipe Mighty Duck
Janice Warsaw, IN 10-30-2009
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make it easy on yourself
Rated: 5 stars out of 5

Wonderful recipe, very tasty, make it easy on yourself and order duck from Maple Leaf Farms in Indiana. web is... mapleleaffarms.com. Thanks for the great dish, great for the winter weekends.Read more
recipe Mighty Duck
Amy Falls Church, VA 10-08-2009
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Awesome!
Rated: 5 stars out of 5

The skin on the duck comes out crisp and delicious. The whole dish is succulent and savory. Very good with the chard. A... bit labor intensive, but well worth it on special occasions.Read more
recipe Mighty Duck
Pam Edgewater, NJ 03-08-2009
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Excellent!
Rated: 5 stars out of 5

I used the carcass to make a stock which I then used for a duck congee (with the leftover meat). The breasts came out a... little dry but maybe I should have cooked them a little less (I had a 7lb duck). The duck fat should be reserved for other uses and I hope people render the fat and use it because it would be an utter shame to waste it. I didn't think it was so labor intensive as others - in fact was quite easy as long as you were comfortable butchering a duck. Highly recommended is to watch Alton's You Tube companion video to this. He uses much more chard than "a handful". I instead used the potatoes I had in storage that I grew and it was fabullous.Read more