Braised Duck

Fannie Farmer's entry is a cross-reference rather than a full method: it assumes you have already read her braised chicken and simply need the adjustment for a tough bird. Here is what the shorthand leaves out.

• The hinge: steam first, brown secondAn hour of steaming starts softening the connective tissue of an old bird before it ever meets dry heat. Skip it and a tough duck will need considerably longer in the braise to come tender.
• What "tough duck" meantA wild bird, or a farmyard duck kept a year or more for eggs. Supermarket Pekin ducks are slaughtered at seven or eight weeks and are already tender; they need no preliminary steaming at all.
• Braising as Farmer meant itHer braised chicken is browned in fat, then cooked covered with aromatic vegetables and a modest amount of stock — not submerged. She gives no thermometer setting; in a modern oven, roughly two hours at around 325F, until a skewer meets no resistance at the thigh.
• Deal with the fatA duck carries far more subcutaneous fat than a chicken. Prick the skin, brown it well to render some out, and pour off the excess before adding vegetables and liquid or the sauce will be greasy.
• Steaming setupA rack in a large covered pot with an inch of water below the bird, at a steady simmer, topped up as needed. Save the water that collects — it is duck stock and can go into the braising liquid.
• The skinSteaming leaves it flabby. Uncover for the last fifteen minutes of braising, or lift the bird out and give it a hot oven or a hot pan to firm the skin before serving.
• YieldA 4-5 lb duck serves three, perhaps four with a substantial side, since the bone-to-meat ratio is much less favourable than in chicken.