Caneton Rouennais en Chemise

Ingredients

Equipment Needed

• •6- to 8-quart narrow stockpot with lid
• •2 extra-large food-safe cook-in bags rated for simmering
• •30-inch lint-free cotton cloth or muslin square
• •Uncoated cotton kitchen twine
• •2 small poultry skewers
• •Instant-read thermometer
• •Rimmed tray
• •Small saucepan
• •Heated oval serving platter

Instructions

1. 1

   Prepare the duckling

   Pat the duckling dry inside and out, remove any loose fat from the cavity, and tuck the wing tips underneath. Fill the cavity with the prepared forcemeat from Caneton Rouennais (No. 1754), keeping it cool and packing it evenly without compressing it into a solid plug. Close the opening with small skewers and twine, then truss the bird compactly, drawing the legs close against the body. A compact truss cooks evenly and slips into its shirt without tearing it.

2. 2

   Seal the chemise

   Slide the duckling neck-first into a large food-safe cook-in bag explicitly rated for simmering, leaving the open end gathered close to the tail as the source directs. Press out the large pockets of air without crushing the bird, draw the bag close, and secure it with two tight cotton-twine ligatures. Fold the loose end back and tie it once more. Inspect the bag from every side, then wrap it snugly in a clean lint-free cotton cloth or muslin square and tie the cloth securely. The cloth protects the shirt and keeps the bird compact; the bag makes the seal.

   If liquid enters the shirt or juices begin escaping during the poach, lift the bundle out at once. Transfer the duckling and every captured drop into the spare rated bag, double-tie it, rewrap it, and continue. Ça se rattrape. Never use an ordinary storage bag, which is neither heat-safe nor reliable.
3. 3

   Set the poach

   Bring the very strong brown stock to 185°F (85°C) in a narrow, deep stockpot. Lower in the cloth-wrapped duckling, using the cloth ties as handles, and make certain the bundle is covered. If the stock falls short, move everything to a narrower pot rather than weakening it with water. Return the liquid gradually to 180 to 190°F (82 to 88°C), where the surface barely quivers. Never let it boil.

4. 4

   Poach without boiling

   Begin timing when the stock returns to its gentle poaching range, then cook for about forty-five minutes. Keep the bundle submerged and adjust the heat whenever the surface grows restless. If the stock boils, lift the pot from the burner until it calms, then continue over lower heat; the duck is still sound, but a rolling boil can force liquid past the closure and toughen the outer flesh. At forty-five minutes, lift the bundle onto a rimmed tray and remove the cloth. Keep the bag upright, loosen only its gathered mouth, and insert an instant-read thermometer into the centre of the forcemeat without piercing the bag. It must register 165°F (74°C). If it does not, withdraw the thermometer, expel excess air, retie and rewrap the bird, then return it to the poach in five-minute intervals until it does.

5. 5

   Rest and warm sauce

   Once the centre reaches temperature, retie the shirt and leave the duckling enclosed for ten minutes so its juices settle into the meat and forcemeat. Meanwhile, warm the Sauce Rouennaise in a small saucepan over gentle heat without allowing it to boil. If the sauce tightens while it waits, loosen it with a spoonful of the strong brown stock and whisk until it flows from the spoon in a glossy ribbon.

6. 6

   Present and carve

   Remove the cloth but leave the duckling in its sealed shirt, exactly as the dish requires, and place it on a heated oval platter. Carry it to the table before opening. Slit the bag carefully at the top, directing the opening away from hands and faces, then fold the shirt back to reveal the taut-skinned bird and its captured juices. Carve the duckling, give each serving a spoonful of the liver forcemeat, and serve the Sauce Rouennaise separately. À table!

Chef Tips

• •Choose a genuinely small young duckling. A bird much above 4 lb (1.8 kg) needs a longer poach and may not fit safely inside a home stockpot; trust the thermometer, not the clock.
• •The cook-in bag must state that it is suitable for hot-liquid cooking at the poaching temperature. Buy two. The spare is inexpensive insurance for the one failure that matters.
• •If a butcher can provide a cleaned pig's bladder intended for cooking, soak it until supple and follow the same tying and cloth-wrapping method. Never substitute untreated offal. The cook-in bag is the honest home equivalent because it preserves the essential seal.
• •Do not chase bronze skin. This is a poached bird, and its taut ivory-gold surface is correct. Browning it before or after cooking would change both the method and the character of the dish.
• •Serve a supple red Burgundy or Loire Cabernet Franc with enough acidity to meet the liver forcemeat and Sauce Rouennaise. The duck needs structure, not a heavy, sweet wine.
• •Chill leftovers within two hours. Carved duck and forcemeat keep for up to two days in the cold; reheat them covered with a spoonful of stock until the centre reaches 165°F (74°C).

Advance Preparation

• •Prepare the very strong brown stock up to two days ahead and chill it promptly. Remove any hardened surface fat before reheating.
• •The Caneton Rouennais (No. 1754) forcemeat may be prepared a day ahead according to its own entry and kept covered in the cold. Let it soften only until pliable before stuffing the duckling.
• •The duckling may be stuffed, trussed, and sealed up to four hours before cooking. Keep it refrigerated in a rimmed tray and begin the temperature check at forty-five minutes, allowing extra time because the bird starts cold.
• •Prepare the Sauce Rouennaise earlier on the day of service, then reheat it gently while the duckling rests. Hold it below a simmer so its finish remains smooth.

Frequently Asked Questions

Nutrition Information

1 serving (about 395g)