A Duck and An Octopus

This weekend, Mike spent 18 hours painting a 7 foot Octopus on Franklin Avenue in Crow Hill. Other artists painted their scaffold space with everything from graffiti to sunflowers. It was the first time in a long time I've felt that involved in the community... and it was truly wonderful!

Well, to celebrate my man's first piece of public art, I made quite the elaborate dinner last night and I didn't screw it up!

If you didn't know, I tried (really hard) being a vegetarian for quite sometime. I bring this up because it means I haven't cooked animal protein (successfully, at least) in a long, long time. However, last night, 9/19/2010, I broke that dreaded curse and cooked such a savory, juicy, and flavorful duck breast it made Mike cry tears of joy (not really, but close).

Fat side down on a sizzling hot pan, the fat magically rendered slowly away from the meat. Mike and I stood around and watched. I couldn't believe my eyes at the perfection in the pan. I threw in some fresh garlic, a sprig of rosemary and let the duck do its thing.

On the side I prepared some perfectly steamed red potatoes, carrots, and celery with thyme, garlic, and a dab of butter.

The duck was just about finished as I prepared my mis en place for the glaze: fresh orange, shallots, garlic, rosemary, red wine, and balsamic vinegar. I removed the meat and let it rest, reserved the glorious duck fat, and went right in deglazing the pan. The aromas were quite incredible and I could not get the smile off my face.

While plating I decided to line the top of the duck with some thinly sliced fig. In my opinion, the perfect compliment to the delicate drizzle of sweet and sour glaze.

We savored each bite, each sip of wine, and every moment we had together.