Theme Recipe: Dodine de Canard

Although a few "period" horror films are set in non-Victorian times, the vast majority of them actually are, so it makes sense to serve up a theme recipe with a 19th pedigree.  This comes from Vincent Price's own cookbook A Treasury Of Great Recipes, which gives it added weight for showing up on a horror blog, authored by a food fanatic. This is one of those dished that falls roughly under the category "Terrine/Pate'"--and it is time consuming....but then again, most 19th century recipes are.  Price got his recipe directly from the chef at the famed Hostellerie de la Poste in France--so it's seriously authentic!  He notes that it is seriously rich and should be saved for the appetizer table only, as full portion sizes carry as serious calorie tag on them!

Dodine de Canard (Boned Stuffed Duck)

Ingredients You Will Need:

Duck

Salt/Fresh Black Pepper

Allspice

Real Armagnac

Ground Pork

Ground Veal

Chicken Livers
[Duck Liver if available, but optional]

Good Chablis

Eggs

Truffles

Truffle Juice OR Real Madeira

Cooking Oil

Watercress

THE DUCK:

This is the boning part.  In most places with butchers worth their weight in salt, you can pay to have this done.  But it's good to have the instructions just for the hell of it.  In Price's recipe, he just says to bone it--these are my instructions.  I bone a lot of chicken for holidays--duck are actually easier.

Cut the wing tips and first wing joint from the bird.  Turn the bird onto it's breast and take a super sharp boning knife and gently run it down the backbone on each side.  Gently start cutting the meat along the bone gradually on both sides, until you have flaps.  Do the same with the legs and thighs, finally start boning out the breast and save the bones for duck stock!  Since this is a completely rolled affair, it doesn't matter if the duck isn't perfect--in fact, this is a great recipe to practice on.  Finally rub in 3 full ounces of the Armagnac and season with 1 tsp. salt, fresh black pepper, and some allspice.

THE STUFFING:

Make a pork-veal "forcemeat" (fancy word for stuffing) by combing 1 lb. twice ground pork and 1 lb. twice ground veal.  Finely chop the chicken livers, mix this into the meat mixture.  Mash the duck liver, if one come with the bird (otherwise leave it out), add to mixture.  Finally, season the whole thing with 1/3 cup Chablis, 2 eggs beaten, and 8 tbsp. of the Madeira or truffle juice (this is the really nice by-product of being canned truffles and should NEVER be discarded!).  Finely, beat in 3 large truffles, finely diced.

Preheat oven to 350 degrees

Spread duck out, skin side down.  Spread the entire surface with the stuffing, evenly.  Fold skin into the mixture, slightly on all sides.  Roll up and tie with kitchen twine.  Well oil a baking pan, and place the duck roll in it and bake for 2 hours.  

TO SERVE:

Remove the roll to a cutting board and pour out the fat (save this!), place the pan on direct heat and add in (that deglazing)  1/4 cup Armagnac or Madeira. Cook for 3 minutes, stirring.  Pour this over the duck roll and garnish with lots of watercress.  

Variations:

The most common variation is to add pistachios or replace the truffle with pistachios.

Ground chicken can be used in place of increasingly hard to find ground veal.

Other spirits, besides Armagnac, Madeira or Chablis can be used.

French restaurant in Vietnam add pickled green peppercorns.

Serving variations mostly include serving a slice cold with other charcuterie and various garnishes, including the water cress.

Cold versions on platters frequently have cubed duck aspic as a garnish (see above--that version has sage leaves on the roll itself).  

Herbs can likewise be put into the stuffing, just don't go overboard, or they will over-power the meat.

Brandied fruits, candied olives and some savory dried fruits like unsweetened cherries can be added to the stuffing and/or the garnish.