Canard

Only the genuine duckling or caneton-a bird under 6 months old-is good for roasting.  Fortunately that is the only kind of duck you are liable to find in any American market. It generally weighs 4/2 to 5/4 pounds ready to cook, has been beautifully plucked and cleaned, and is usually frozen, a state to which it takes much better than chicken. It needs only to be thawed out in the refrigerator or in a basin of cold, running water, and it is ready for cooking.

A NOTE ON FRENCH DUCKS

While American commercially raised birds are usually of one variety- the White Pekin-French ducks are of various breeds. These are: the nantais, which rarely weighs over 3 pounds and is the most common table duckling; the rouennais, famous as pressed duck; and the canard de barbarie, often older and always larger, which is used for braising.

PREPARING A DUCK FOR ROASTING

Pull out all loose fat from the cavity and from around the neck. To make the carving of the breast meat easier, cut out the wishbone. The lower part of the wing is mostly bone; chop it off at the elbow and add it to the stock pot. Be sure the fat glands on the back at the base of the tail have been removed; dig out any yellow residue that may remain, and rub the area with salt and lemon juice. To help the layer of subcutaneous duck fat to escape during cook­ing, prick the skin at 1/2-inch intervals along the thighs, the back, and die lower part of the breast. After seasoning the cavity, or stuffing it, sew or skewer the legs, wings, and neck skin to the body so the bird will make a neat appearance on the table.

DUCK STOCK

The neck, heart, gizzard, and lower wings may be used for the making of a duck stock.

CARVING NOTE

Duck has far more carcass and far less meat than a chicken of the same weight; a 4 1/2-pound duck will serve only 4 or 5 people. The French method of carving is to make as many thin slices of breast meat as possible, 4 to 6 per side, as follows: After the second joints and drumsticks have been removed, the duck is turned on its side, its tail facing the carver. Thin slices of meat are cut diagonally starting from die lower part of the breast nearest the tail and run­ning toward the breastbone. The same system is used for the other side, cutting in the opposite direction.

ROASTING TIMETABLE

French taste is for ducks roasted to a medium rare-the juices run slightly rosy when the meat is pricked. If the duck is to be served well done, its juices should run clear yellow. Overcooked duck meat is brown, dry, and disappoint­ing.

The following table is for unstuffed, unchilled duck. Add 20 to 30 minutes to the times listed if the duck is stuffed.

ready-to-cook weight	number of people served	medium rare                                                well done Oven at 350 degrees
3 1/2 lbs.	3 or4	65 to 70 min                     1 hour and 15 to 25 m
4 1/2 lbs.	4	1 hour and 15 to 20 min      1 hour and 25 to 35 m
5 1/2 lbs.	5 or 6	1 hour and 25 to 30 min       1 hour and 35 to 40 m

VEGETABLE SUGGESTIONS

Caneton aux petits pois, duckling with green peas, is one of the favorite French combinations, especially in the spring. Other vegetable suggestions are broccoli or Brussels sprouts, or braised lettuce, celery, celeriac, onions, or turnips. Among starchy vegetables, if you wish to serve one, are braised or pureed chest­nuts, potatoes mashed with celery root or turnips, or a puree of lentils or navy beans.

WINE SUGGESTIONS

Serve full red wine, such as Burgundy, Cotes du Rhone, Chateauneuf-du-Pape, or Bordeaux-St. Emilion. Or a chilled Alsatian Traminer.

Here are some delicious recipes for a wonderful French meal:

CANETON ROTI

Ingredients

A    5 1/2-lb.ready-to-cook duckling

1/2 tsp salt

1/ 8 tsp pepper

A pinch of thyme or sage

A small sliced onion

A shallow roasting pan just large enough to hold the duck easily

1 medium sliced carrot

1 medium sliced onion

A bulb baster

1/2 tsp salt

1/2 to 2 cups brown duck stock, beef stock, or canned beef bouillon

Optional: 3 or 4 Tb port

1 to 2 Tb softened butter

How to make it:

Season the inside of the duck with salt, pepper, herbs, and the sliced onion. Secure the legs, wings, and neck skin to the body. Prick the skin around the thighs, back, and lower breast. Dry the duck thoroughly.

Place the duck breast up in the roasting pan, strew the vegetables around it, and set it in the middle level of the oven for 15 minutes to brown lightly.

Reduce oven to 350 degrees, and turn the duck on its side. Regulate heat so duck is always making cooking noises but fat is not burning. Remove accumulated fat occasionally (a bulb baster will suck it up easily). Basting is not necessary.

About 30 minutes later, or about halfway through, turn the duck on its other side.

Fifteen minutes before the end of the estimated roast­ing time, salt the duck and turn it breast up. The duck is done to a medium rare if the juices from the fattest part of the thigh or drumstick run faintly rosy when the meat is pricked, and when the duck is lifted and drained, the last drops of juice from the vent are a pale rose. The duck is well done when the juices run pale yellow

When done, discard trussing strings, and place the duck on a serving platter. Set in turned-off oven and leave the door open while preparing the sauce, which will take 3 to 4 minutes.

Tilt the roasting pan and spoon out all but 1 table­spoon of fat. Add the stock or bouillon and boil rap­idly, scraping up coagulated roasting juices, and crush­ing the vegetables, until liquid is reduced at least by half. Correct seasoning. Add optional wine and sim­mer a minute to evaporate its alcohol.

Off heat and just before serving, swirl the butter into the sauce and strain it into a sauceboat. Pour a bit of sauce over the duck, and serve.

Caneton Montmorency

Cherries or peaches are also good as a garnish for roast duck. Make the caramel-colored and arrowroot-thickened sauce described for the preceding caneton a Vorange, omitting the orange peel and orange liqueur. The fruit is heated in the sauce as follows:

Ingredients

36 to 48 red or black pitted cherries (if frozen, thaw and drain)

A 4-cup enameled saucepan

1 Tb lemon juice

3 Tb port or cognac

2 to 3 Tb granulated sugar

2 Tb softened butter

How to make it:

Toss the cherries in the saucepan with the lemon juice, port or cognac, and sugar. Let them soak for at least 20 to 30 minutes.

After the duck has roasted, and the pan juices have been deglazed with wine and added to the sauce, pour the sauce into the cherries. Heat to below the simmer for 3 to 4 minutes to poach the cherries (if liquid simmers, the fruit may shrivel). Remove the cherries with a slotted spoon and distribute them over and around the duck.

Boil the sauce rapidly to reduce and thicken it slightly. Correct seasoning. Off heat, swirl in the enrichment butter. Pour the sauce into a warmed bowl, spoon a bit over the duck, and serve.