We roasted a duck on Thanksgiving this year. Worked out just fine (besides the fact that we visited two different neighbors’ homes beforehand, and ate at both!), although I finally put it into the oven at 6:30 and did not get to it until well after 8pm. I made a stuffing with Andouille and apples and opened a nice Burgundy. The aroma of the duck had more than a few of my neighbors asking what I was making, so of course they were invited in for a taste.

There are two hidden benefits to roasting duck that I discovered that evening and will be looking forward to for Christmas this year, and probably every chance I have between now and the day I overdose on duck fat. Once the duck was finished, it had rendered over a cup of fat. I suppose most people toss this down the disposal, but if you do, let me tell you what you have been missing! I saved the fat, including the little bits of cooked flavor that comes with it, kept it in the fridge, and have used it just about every night since! I ran out last night. Grilled chicken breast, add a bit of duck fat and the flavors explode!!! Same with grilled pork tenderloin.

I remember ordering pommes frites at La Tupina, in Bordeaux this past April. They touted the fact that the fries were done in duck fat, and they were delicious, so last night, with only a few teaspoons of fat remaining, I julienned a few potatoes and fried them in a tablespoon of canola oil and a tablespoon of duck fat. Just as they were finishing, I took them out and let the fat drain, wiped the pan, added the last teaspoon of the duck fat and tossed the fries in one last time. It is simply delicious!

The second "hidden benefit" after we ate the duck was this: I am not one for making stock, but with an entire duck carcass and nothing else to do, I simmered the remains in water, oil, and garlic for a few hours…enough to yield about four cups of stock. Those went into the freezer, and I am planning on using at least one of those to make risotto with wild mushrooms.

Shayne Hebert, Central Florida Wine Supervisor