The Dog ate my Blog!

 

                                       

So I seem to have disappeared from the blogger world altogether!  I haven’t posted an entry since April.  What happened?  Well, you can put it down to the giddy joy that comes with the long-awaited warm weather in Maine!  May can be a show-stopper with everything starting to blossom, and days that just demand that you sit on the porch and watch the water.  And then, my boat went in the water before Memorial Day.  Whenever the forecast is favorable for calm seas and gentle breezes I take the boat out for a lunchtime cruise, pack a sandwich and a cold beer!  The bottom line is that spending time in front of a computer is not as appealing these days.  Add to that a much-welcomed extended visit from a family member and the blog fell by the wayside.  I’ll probably post less frequently during the summer, and when I do post, I will be highlighting all the wonderful seasonal farm market bounty and ways to use all the local produce. 

Trivia note: the lovely image at the top is Maine Lupine, an iconic roadside flower here in Maine!

My belated blog entry for May, is about rhubarb, an early seasonal treat, and duck.  My birthday is in May and is part of the story. Ever since I was a little girl, it was only duck that I would order for my birthday!  Matter of fact, my parents took me to the Old Mill in Westminster, MA every year, and the setting is a lovely old mill on a mill pond with lots of ducks and geese swimming merrily by the entrance.  I could walk right by those ducks and go in and order roast duck!  Of course the ducks in the mill pond were not harvested for the kitchen there!  But still!  I’d eat my fill of duck and save a dinner roll to feed the ducks on my way out!  The Old Mill did tiny birthday cakes on a cake stand that played “Happy Birthday to You” while rotating.  My parents always made sure I got a cake!    

I think rhubarb is the ideal accompaniment for roast duck.  It breaks up the fatty texture of the duck and provides a tartness and sweetness that tastes perfect to me!  In years past my husband and I shared many dinners out at the Thistle Inn, a favorite spot of ours because it was cozy and had Guinness on draft.  David, the owner, manned the bar and his companion, Wendy, was in charge of the kitchen.   I almost always ordered the roast duck with rhubarb chutney, and since we got to know David and Wendy pretty well, she graciously shared her recipe with me.  The Thistle Inn has changed hands several times since the 1990’s when they ran the place.  But thankfully, I can now make this combo whenever I wish!

 

Wendy’s Rhubarb Chutney

1/3 cup of raisins, soaked in spiced rum (place raisins in a small bowl and barely cover with rum, you can use just warm water if you don’t like or don’t have rum)

1 cup of chopped rhubarb – about 3 stalks

1/3 cup sugar (I use turbinado sugar)

2 tablespoons of white vinegar

Hot sauce

Pepper

2 chopped garlic cloves

2 inch ginger root, finely chopped

Chopped cilantro leaves

Combine all ingredients, including the rum from the raisins, in a small saucepan.  Simmer for 30 minutes until rhubarb is cooked down to a coarse applesauce texture.

 

Serve warm with roast duck or pan-cooked duck breast.  This also works well with pork which is often served with fruit.

More on cooking your duck…. Duck legs or duck breast: for either, start by seasoning with salt, pepper and your favorite herbs.

This time, I had two duck legs to cook.  I roasted them in a pan at 375 degrees for an hour.  I included a red potato, quartered, in the pan and it works out great as the duck fat cooks into the potato and makes it crispy.

More often, I buy a boneless duck breast.  The best way to cook a duck breast is to score the skin with several knife marks, to allow the fat to render out while cooking.  Then, place the duck breast skin-side down, in a cast iron frying pan before you turn on the burner.  Duck breast should be started in a cold pan to ensure it will be cooking long enough to really render the fat out of the skin.  Use medium heat so that the skin will cook slowly and get crispy without burning.  Medium rare is a good target temperature for duck breast so cook until the internal temperature reaches 140 degrees.  Remove from the heat and let set for 5 minutes, slice and fan out with chutney underneath.