D is for Durian. Not.! D is for Duck.

A friend of mine, OK, it was MARTIE, suggested durian fruit for D.

... its odor is best described as pig-shit, turpentine and onions, garnished with a gym sock. It can be smelled from yards away. Despite its great local popularity, the raw fruit is forbidden from some establishments such as hotels, subways and airports, including public transportation in Southeast Asia."


Unfortunately, my local grocery store was all out of durian fruit.
Rats. Another missed opportunity.
So I opted for duck.

D is for Duck.

So here's my duck.
Thawed out, ready to go.

I washed the bird inside and out.

Then I separated the skin from the meat as far down as I could reach.

Next, I pricked the skin without sticking the meat so that the fat can drain out.

I reserved the neck and organs.
Mr. Hawthorne will have organs.

Next, I poured boiling water over the duck to tighten up the skin.

Chopped celery and onions go in the cavity.

Salt and pepper the bird.

I cooked the duck at 350 for one hour, breast side up.

Then turned the duck over and baked for another 60 minutes.

I chopped the neck into small pieces.

Here are my ingredients for the gravy.
I chopped some onions and carrots, I'll smash the garlic, and I have fresh bay leaf and thyme.

I chopped my organs. Yes, ORGANS!!!!!, Mr. Hawthorne.

I sauteed the neck and giblets, then set aside.

Then I sauteed the carrots and onions.

I added chicken broth and scraped up the goody bits.

Threw in the smashed garlic.

Added the bay leaf.

Added a few tablespoons of tomato paste.

And finally some thyme.

I added the reserved giblets and barely simmered, covered,
for 45 minutes.

And here's the yummy giblet gravy.

Next, I started on my orange glaze.
I peeled and thinly sliced the zest of an orange.

Chopped some shallots.

I sauteed the orange slices and shallots in butter.

Then I added some sugar and red wine vinegar.

Lastly I added the juice and pulp of 2 oranges.

My side dish was green beans. After blanching the beans in boiling water, then plunging them into an ice water bath to stop the cooking and set the color, I fried up some bacon and added the beans to that. Then I added some sugar and balsamic vinegar. Now, in hindsight, I should've thrown in some walnuts.

After my bird had cooked for 2 hours, I poured the orange glaze over top, and turned the oven up to 450 and cooked for 15 to 20 more minutes.

And here's my ducky.

Mr. Hawthorne helped with the mashed potatoes.

The bread is the French baguette from Schwan's.
My children love it.

This is Youngest Hawthorne's first serving.

And here's his second helping.

Apparently this was quite a successful meal.
There were NO leftovers.

Here's little Giada, sound asleep on the kitchen floor.

And here are Dixie and Giada maintaining healthy distances.

Beau was chilling on the deck.

Dixie is becoming a bit more tolerant.
But not much.

It was amazing I actually got dinner on the table at all before midnight since I was babysitting both semi-house-trained puppies all afternoon.
Daughter Hawthorne left for a 1 o'clock dentist appointment and asked me to please look after Giada. And of course I said yes. Something really bad must've been wrong with her teeth since she didn't get home until 6 o'clock. In the meantime, Middle Hawthorne was going out on the boat with friends. He asked me to please look after Beau. And of course I said yes.
So, between cooking and taking the puppies out to pee numerous times and wiping up the accidents, I had a busy afternoon.

Beau and Giada have become fast friends.