If you missed my humor with the title of this post, that’s a shame. I was hoping your mind would connect the dots to “deux.” You know, because that’s a french word. And the french love duck? Oh good grief, this is going downhill fast. I’ll just get to it.
Every Saturday night Matt and I try to have a date night. Does it always work out? No. But, usually we can magically pull something out. On this particular night, Matt and I happened to have duck on hand. We usually don’t purchase duck (despite loving the taste) because it’s pretty expensive. But, this whole halved duck we purchased (not pastured, sorry folks) was $13.99. Sure beats the two steaks or the carry out Pho we usually spring for!
I told Matt I’d tackle dinner if he got the kids ready for bed. Hearing squeals and screams from the boys’ bedrooms, I perused Chowstalker for a quick duck recipe without fruit (still on my sugar/lowcarb Paleo detox). Not a one. Then I crawled inside the tubes of the world-wide-web and attempted to find something I could turn Paleo that was quick. Seriously people, I expected to find more duck recipes. But alas, no such luck.
While searching recipes I began to salivate. I was starving. Instead of frothing at the mouth for the next hour, I decided to cook up a few pieces of bacon while searching for recipes. In fetching the bacon from the fridge, an idea just came together and I forewent the idea of finding a recipe. My first attempt at cooking duck was quite successful, outrageously delicious even. It was so simple, quick and easy even I (Stacy) could do it. Meanwhile, Matt put the kids to bed and he got to emerge into the kitchen to find a perfectly prepared plate awaiting his arrival. Poof – date night!
If you’re not anti-alcohol a glass of wine and a square of dark chocolate after this meal would surely seal the deal. But, if you’re not into those sort of things (the alcohol and chocolate, I’m assuming that if you’ve made a family you know how to seal the deal 😉 ) then this one pot meal will surely please your palate just as it did ours.
Guilty Pleasures Bacon fried Duck
Ingredients
1 duck, halved (thigh and breast each)
1/2 cabbage (about 2 1/2 cups), sliced into 1/2″ ribbons
5 slices thick-cut nitrate-free bacon
1 pinch of salt
Instructions
- Preheat oven to 400 degrees Fahrenheit
- Warm cast iron skillet or dutch oven over medium high heat
- Once pan is warmed, turn pan to medium, cook bacon, remove from pan and set-aside
- Place duck pieces, skin side down in the remaining bacon grease and cook over medium heat for 6 minutes
- Gently remove duck, being careful to not let the skin stick to the pan – if skin will not release, let cook for another 30 seconds and try again
- Turn duck and cook underside (skin side up) for another 5 minutes over medium heat, once browned remove from pan and set-aside
- Add cabbage to warm pan, evenly tossing and coating in the pan drippings, cook for about 2 minutes
- Once cabbage is softened slightly, turn off heat
- Return duck to pan, underside down (skin up)
- Place pan with duck and cabbage, uncovered, into the oven for 12-15 minutes
- While waiting, plate the bacon, 2 pieces each plate
- Eat 5th piece of bacon while waiting for duck to finish
- Once cabbage has fully cooked through, remove pan from oven and complete plating
Serves 2 generously. What are you doing. Why are you waiting? Go make this and impress your partner!
