Caneton Rouennais au Porto

Ingredients

Equipment Needed

• •Snug 5 to 6 quart lidded Dutch oven or flame-safe earthenware casserole
• •1 to 2 quart saucepan
• •Instant-read thermometer
• •Heatproof liquid measure
• •Fine-mesh sieve

Instructions

1. 1

   Cook en casserole

   Prepare the duckling by Poëlings (No. 250), selecting its en casserole form and following that formula intact. Use a snug lidded Dutch oven as the honest equivalent of the seasoned earthenware casserole, and keep the defining rule: butter, gentle oven heat, and no stock, water, or wine while the bird cooks. Take it out when the skin is deeply bronzed and the thickest breast and innermost thigh register at least 165°F (74°C). If the breast colours before the bird is safe, cover that part loosely with foil and continue; do not add liquid.

2. 2

   Rest the duckling

   Transfer the duckling to a warm platter and cover it loosely for 15 minutes. Spoon off the freely pooled fat from the casserole, leaving a thin film of butter, the dark roasting juices, and every browned trace fixed to the bottom. Keep the fat for potatoes. We don't apologize for butter, and we certainly don't throw good duck fat away.

3. 3

   Swill with Port

   Take the casserole off the heat before adding the Port, especially over a gas flame. Return it to medium heat and scrape firmly to release the fond, then boil steadily until the Port has reduced by exactly half, leaving ¼ cup (60 ml) of concentrated swilling liquor. It should smell round and wine-dark, not burnt. If it slips below the mark but has not caught, add enough fresh Port to return it to ¼ cup and warm it briefly.

4. 4

   Bind the gravy

   Stir the arrowroot with the cold water until perfectly smooth. Bring the duckling gravy to a bare simmer in a small saucepan, whisk in the slurry, and cook gently for 20 to 30 seconds, just until the gravy turns glossy and lightly coats a spoon. Do not let it roll at a hard boil, which weakens arrowroot and can make the sauce thin again. If it clumps, strain it; if it becomes too tight, loosen it with a spoonful of water. Ça se rattrape.

5. 5

   Join the sauce

   Whisk the reduced Port and every loosened roasting juice into the arrowroot-thickened duckling gravy. Warm the sauce gently without boiling and skim away any beads of fat that rise. The finished gravy should remain clear, fluid, and glossy, with enough body to cling briefly before running from the spoon.

6. 6

   Return and serve

   Return the rested duckling to the casserole and spoon a little Port gravy around it, keeping the bronzed skin uncovered. Hold it only long enough to bring to the table, without letting the sauce boil beneath the bird. Serve the remaining gravy in a warm sauceboat and carve at once. À table!

Chef Tips

• •A true young Rouen duckling gives the dish its fullest, darkest flesh. If your butcher cannot find one, choose a young whole duck of the same weight; a Pekin duck will be milder, but careful cooking preserves the dish's intent.
• •The duckling gravy must taste complete before the Port joins it. Homemade gravy or diluted unsalted duck demi-glace is the right home equivalent to the brigade stockpot; salty bottled gravy only becomes harsher as the sauce concentrates.
• •Arrowroot belongs here because it binds without turning the gravy opaque. Mix it with cold water, add it to hot gravy, and stop cooking as soon as the sheen appears.
• •Measure the Port after reduction rather than trusting the clock. Pan width and heat alter the timing, but half remains half.
• •The finished bird is best served immediately. Chill leftovers within two hours, keep them for up to three days, and reheat the duck to 165°F (74°C) while warming the sauce gently enough that it never boils.

Advance Preparation

• •Prepare the clear duckling gravy up to three days ahead and keep it cold, or freeze it for up to two months. Leave it unthickened until the duck is resting.
• •The duckling may be dried uncovered in the refrigerator overnight. This helps the final uncovered cooking colour the skin without changing the en casserole method.
• •Measure the Port and mix the arrowroot with its cold water before the duck comes out. Roast the bird close to serving time, because only-just-done duck does not improve by waiting.

Frequently Asked Questions

Nutrition Information

1 serving (about 300g)