Chef Tom Catherdall´s Roast Duck & Grand Marnier

[Margi Cintrano]

CHEF TOM CATHERALL´s ATLANTA RESTAURANT TOM TOM´s ROAST DUCK & GRAND MARNIER ...

Chef Thomas Catherall who hails from the north of England, has always had an interest in the culinary arts. Back in 2009, we found him merging classic techniques with a variety of the world´s best mergers and a touch of Asia, at his Atlanta, Georgia Restaurant Tom Tom.

Here is his sizzling delightful recipe which we prepared at home here in Madrid Capital in 2011 and thought that it is worth sharing with D.C. Members.

Serves 4:

THE GRAND MARNIER CORDIAL CHUTNEY SALSA SAUCE ...

1 cup chopped coarsely Leeks or White Onion
2 Granny Smith or Golden Delicious Apples: peeled, de-cored and seeded and cut into 1/2 Inch slices
1 Red Bosc Ripe Pear sliced thickly
the Juice and the Zest of 2 Triple Skin Israeli Oranges ( without Pith )
1 Star Anise
1 Cinammon Stick
1 half inch slice of fresh Ginger Root
1/8 tblsp of sugar ( to taste )
1 tblsp of white wine vinegar or white cider vinegar
salt and freshly grinded black pepper
3 tblsps of Grand Marnier French Cordial ( put in a bartender´s shot glass )

prepare the chutney salsa sauce ...

1. In a large sauce pan, over medium heat, combine the onions with a little Evoo, apples, pear, orange zest, star anise, cinammon stick, ginger and sugar and sweat for 8 minutes.
2. add the vinegar, salt and freshly grinded pepper and stir well, and then, add the orange juice. Reduce heat and simmer 30 minutes.
3. Remove from heat and discard zest, and spices and let cool.

The Roast Ducklings ...

1. Preheat Oven to 450 degrees farenheit
2. Rinse the ducklings inside and exterior thoroughly ( remove any excess fat )
3. in a large sauce pan, over high heat, bring 1 gallon of water to a boil and add Honey, 12 Saffron threads ( which are soaked in a bowl of water for 15 minutes at a temperature of 115 farenheit degrees ), and Star Anise. Boil the ducklings in this liquid for only 5 minutes.
4. Then, Remove the ducks from the boiled water and pat dry. Set on rack in Oven in baking pans, and cook at 450 farenheit degrees for 1/2 Hour.
5. Then, lower oven temperature to 300 Degrees Farenheit and roast for 50 minutes.
6. Remove from oven, and take breasts off bone, and slice on an angle to give Long Slices. Reserve the pan juices ( need to be put in sieve and strained for a Gravy to be served apart in Sauce Boat ).

The Gravy ( Pan Juices )

Pan Juice of the Ducklings
Beef Stock or Chicken Stock: Home made
1/4 cup Grand Marnier Cordial
1 tsp. fine grain corn flour
Juice of 1 Orange
1/8 cup of sugar ( judge carefully and do tasting )

1. Put the sugar in a heavy sauce pan and cook over medium heat stirring occasionally, and until a light caramel color is created
2. stir in the beef stock and the orange juice and simmer 6 minutes
3. add the Grand Marnier and slowly combine the corn starch stirring until the gravy thickens Slightly. Keep warm ...
4. *** Garnish the Duckling with Orange Zest and Fresh Orange Slices

*** Suggestions for sides ...
Baked Sweet Potato or Baked Potato, and French Style String Beans ...

Written by: Margaux Cintrano.

Have a lovely Weekend.

 

[justplainbill]

Good looking recipe. Sounds delicious.
Can you please add tags for Grand Marnier?

 

[justplainbill]

While on the subject of game, let us know if you have a preferred recipe for fagiano.

 

[Margi Cintrano]

@ Bill,

Thank you. This is quite lovely. We had made it over the Christmas Holidays and it was truly wonderful.

Have nice wkend.
Margi.

 

[Margi Cintrano]

Bill,

Fagiano; Pheasant Recipes !

Wow ... I have several Roast Pheasant dishes ...

May I ask you be a bit more specific and detailed, as to the taste profile you are seeking ? French Country ? A subtle Asian Fusion ? Basque Traditional ? ITALIAN PROVINCIAL ! ?

This Grand Marnier Recipe can be quite lovely with Pheasant, Partridge, Guinea Fowl, Wild Goose or Quail too ...

Thanks for your feedback on my thread.
Grazie, Ciao.

Margi.
Saturday. 14.20 Hours, Madrid Capital Time.

 

[justplainbill]

Pheasant can be quite dry.
I once had delicious roast pheasant prepared by a fellow hunter from Brittany. I recall it took him several hours to prepare. Quite a few Piper Heidsieck splits were consumed (mostly by Henri) while he cooked the pheasant.

 

[taxlady]

Does it matter if it is the red ribbon or yellow ribbon Grand Marnier?

 

[Margi Cintrano]

Tax Lady: Gold Label is Orange, Red Label is Cherry

Good Evening Tax Lady,

Good question.

Firstly, one must use the Classic Original Gold Label ( Orange Flavour ) in this recipe.

The Red Label which is a brand stretched product of Cherry Flavour, would not go with this recipe.

Have nice wkend.
Margi.

 

[Margi Cintrano]

Bill: My Pheasants Are Never Dry

Good Evening Bill,

Firstly, pheasant is quite a popular Autumn specialty in Northern France as well as The Basque Country, Toledo - 50 km from Madrid and some parts of Italia too.

Champagne, certainly can be used in preparing the game birds, in place of white wine !

Dry birds: this is a dilemma of many home cooks, however, this is also the problem uncountable people have, when preparing a roast Turkey.

Normally, I stuff mine, with Autumny items: Wild Mushrooms, Celery, Herbs, Day old bread made into crumbs, Pancetta, Shallot etcetra ... or Chestnut Stuffing. Then, I cover part the birds, for part of the roasting process, and baste with the white wine and the pan juices. I also marinate mine for 1 hour. Furthermore, I rub the Pheasants with either Evoo and Herbs, salt and freshly ground rose, green and black pepper or one tespoon per bird of Manteca de Cerdo, Pork Fat in place of the Evoo.

The last item, I do not have a favourite pheasant dish. I have several depending where I am, if it is for the two of us, or invited guests too or our daughters & family or the Availability of Local Products. I only prepare Pheasant during Season in Spain which is: Mid to Late November through January 7th.

I normally do not prepare this at the Condo in Puglia.

Have a nice weekend.
Margi.

 

[taxlady]

I didn't mean the label colour, though that would be relevant too. I meant "Cordon Rouge" or "Cordon Jaune", which isn't available everywhere. I assume that Cointreau would work?

 

[Margi Cintrano]

Tax Lady,

Cointreau is another type of flavor profile even though it is in orange family too HOWEVER, I would not use it with my roast ducklings ! Too thin, and would not create such a stunner divine sauce as GRAN MARNIER ...

A Cordial is a type of licor, an after dinner type.

However, are you talking about Cordon ? ( a French word, as in Cordon Bleu, a culinary institute ) ---

JAUME = James in Catalan language from Catalonia

Are you referring to CAVA = a white sparkling wine from Sant Sadurní D´ Anoia, Barcelona ?

I am uncertain what you mean. Please clarify.

We shall be off for restaurant to meet friends shortly and it is 21.00 hrs. here already.

Happy 5th May.

Grazie, Ciao.
Margi

 

[taxlady]

Thank you for the clarification on the Cointreau.

Grand Marnier comes in two (or possibly more) qualities. The cordon rouge (red ribbon - there is a red ribbon on the bottle), which is the higher quality, original version and a cheaper, lesser quality version with a yellow ribbon on the bottle. The cordon jaune (yellow ribbon) is only available in some European countries. It is used more for cooking and some cocktails than for sipping.

 

[justplainbill]

Grand Marnier is gosh awful sweet. I'd rather use some Chiver's thinned down with Cointreau; and mix some Lepanto with Cointreau and red wine on the rocks for a beverage while cooking the duck.

 

[taxlady]

Both Grand Marnier and Cointreau are sweeter tasting diluted, even just on the rocks.

 

[justplainbill]

Both Grand Marnier and Cointreau are sweeter tasting diluted, even just on the rocks.

I go by the amount sugary crust that can accumulate near the bottle stopper and prefer the taste of Cointreau to that of Grand Marnier and care not at all for Marie Brizard nor Bols. When in Italy, I once bought a sealed bottle of Bols creme de cacao that had a furry fly in it .

 

[Margi Cintrano]

Tax lady: Yes, Red Ribbon Packaging on Bottle Neck

Good Morning,

Saturday night, while over at our Mexican friend´s Restaurant, I had checked the Grand Marnier Bottles, and yes, red ribbon packaging on bottleneck.

Then, when we had arrived home, we checked the Liquor Cabinet, and yes, again Red Ribbon Packaging on the bottle neck.

Cordon = in French is string
Cordón = in Spanish is ties or rope

So, this is why I had not completely caught your drift !

Bow = Lazo in Spanish and Farfalle in Italian ( think Pasta shapes ! )

Ribbon = in Spanish is Cinta ...

*** I have never seen a Yellow Ribboned Gran Marnier, however, France is our northern neighbor ... maybe that is export outside EU countries only or for cooking ---

Thanks for feedback and input.
Have nice wkend.
Margi.

 

[Margi Cintrano]

Bill,

Considering all the Savoury flavours in this dish, 3 tablespoons of Gran Marnier do not create a sweetness at all. As a matter of fact, there is only a faint hint of the " orange fragrance " which make the dish so lovely.

We would not have cordials of Gran Marnier while preparing duckling ! We would however, have a chilled Prosecco perhaps ...

Thank you for your feedback.
Have nice wkend.
M.C.

 

[justplainbill]

Bill,

Considering all the Savoury flavours in this dish, 3 tablespoons of Gran Marnier do not create a sweetness at all. As a matter of fact, there is only a faint hint of the " orange fragrance " which make the dish so lovely.

We would not have cordials of Gran Marnier while preparing duckling ! We would however, have a chilled Prosecco perhaps ...

Thank you for your feedback.
Have nice wkend.
M.C.

The blend of red wine, Lepanto, and Cointreau that I mentioned hardly qualifies as being a cordial. 1/4 US cup = 4 tablespoons of Grand Marnier.

 

[Margi Cintrano]

Good Afternoon,

I am a bit unclear ... Firstly, you have stated; that the recipe is good looking and sounds delicous ...

Then, on later feedback posts, you have got into pheasant, and then, moved on to Cointreau and that Gran Marnier can be too sweet ...

Considering the 3 tblps. and the cinammon, anise etcetra, all the savoury ingredients, I do not consider it sweet. I do not have much of a sweet tooth, and dislike heavily thick sugary flavors, for example: maple or sugary candied items.

This is what you originally stated, looks fab and tastes even better. It is fragrant and the whole house, has that spiced yet lightly orange hint of perfume.

Lepanto + Cointreau is not a cordial ---

Cointreau alone yes.

Have nice day. You would enjoy I am sure, with duck or even with pheasant or chicken ...

Have nice Sunday too.
M.C.

 

[CharlieD]

@ Margi, sounds like a wonderful recipe, the only question I have is would it work with skinless duck? Thank you.