More thoughts on Paper Chef #11

I think I literally dreamt of this half the night, but I have a lot of good ideas. Unfortunately, it doesn't look like a duck is going to be available, although someone mentioned a local farm that raises ducks and geese. However, I don't think I'm up for quite that experience. I need the remove of a nude thing vacuum sealed in plastic between me and that cute thing with feathers running around quacking.

The rules allow substitutions if one of the ingredients isn't available, though. I'll try calling the rest of the markets in town to see if they mightn't have one in their freezers. If not, it will be chicken, I suppose. Anyway, my ideas are for duck, so that's the way I'm writing them.

For the nut butter I'm going to do a spicy Groundnut Soup, a peanut soup which originated in Africa but also seems to be popular in the South, where they grow lots of peanuts. :G: I'm going to use the pear in a salad, probably with frisée and some other baby lettuces, or maybe radicchio. It may be harvest time, but I live in the California Wine Country, so baby lettuces are readily available in markets, if not in my own garden.

I'm thinking of brining the duck in a secret ingredient for a special Fall flavor. I'm smiling, pleased with myself. If it works out, it will be fantastic. I've done something similar with duck before, and it was a smashing success, so we'll see. The duck course will most likely be only the breast - don't feel like fooling with serving issues for the rest of that very bony bird. Although I do have plans for a cook's treat with the legs. We'll see. We'll see.

I'm also going to get a secret ingredient from the duck to use in my salad. Also, I'm not sure whether it will end up on the duck or the salad, but I'm going to do a white balsamic reduction of the pan juices after I've cooked the duck. Of course, white balsamic doesn't have the caramel color and flavor of traditional balsamic, but it has a nice body and sweetness that will make either a lovely light sauce or give some real body to my salad dressing.

I'll get the ginger in there, too. I already have plans for it. :G: Tomorrow I go for the duck. And hope my camera battery is charged enough for the pics. It's got a very weird recharchable battery that takes a special cord, which I've mislaid. Even if I have no pics, I'll have a tummy full of good stuff to remember it by.

{tags duck peanut Groundnut brining white balsamic}