Thanksgiving Duck


I roasted a duck stuffed with apples and red onion, as well as various herbs. There are only three of us for the feast this year, so it seemed like a good time to try a small bird with different flavors. 

Please accept my Thanksgiving wishes for all guests of good will. May it be a good feast and a time to celebrate many things for which you have reason to be thankful. 

30 comments:

E Hines said...

And back at you.

You've been a generous host over the years.

Eric Hines

Mike Guenther said...

Back atcha!

We're having a Standing Rib Roast. It's in the oven right now and will be cooked to rare temperature.

David Foster said...

Happy Thanksgiving, and thanks for all the great writing!

Grim said...

It has been my pleasure to host you, Mr. Hines.

Grim said...

We can't do rare roasts here because my wife doesn't like meat that isn't at least medium well. I can eat a rare steak, but family roasts pretty much have to be well done (and I'd hate to ruin a standing rib roast that way).

Grim said...

You are certainly welcome, Mr. Foster. Thank you for joining us.

james said...

I hope the day was joyful. Sometimes having fewer is sad, but sometimes it's a matter of joy, as youngsters begin to create their own family traditions.

Assistant Village Idiot said...

Ours is tomorrow, because my local son and his wife and daughters are going out with the other parents today. It didn't feel like Thanksgiving, but we made the thankfulness effort, believing that this the most important.

Texan99 said...

We joined a couple across the street in going next door to the home of another couple, two of whose adult children joined us as well. We brought the turkey, as my husband's brined spice-rubbed turkey has won over the neighborhood for years now. It was a lavish spread, nice conversation, and plenty of dogs.

Duck sounds good--domestic or wild? Greg likes wild, but I'm very partial to domestic.

Now we're home, enjoying the re-watching of an Apple series, "Slow Horses."

Tom said...

Happy Thanksgiving!

Dad29 said...

Happy--and belated--Thanksgiving wishes to you and your family!

Anonymous said...

Bleated Thanksgiving. The Northern Reds came down to visit, so we had ham and turkey, plus the traditional trimmings. Then we all cheered or sighed at the various ball games (round and oblate) after dinner. Much fun has been had by all thus far.

LittleRed1

Grim said...

When my father died eight years ago, my mother moved out West to be with my sister and niece. We were just out there to visit in September, so it’s all right.

I really should get over to Tennessee to visit my last aunt and several cousins, but the road to Tennessee has become much harder since Helene.

Grim said...

I hope you have a good feast today, then.

Grim said...

Domestic duck. I have game in the freezer— I considered an apple cider-braised venison shank as another alternative— but this duck came from a farm.

Grim said...

Thank you Tom! You also.

Grim said...

Best to you, D29. I hope it was good.

Grim said...

LR1, today is the Georgia/Georgia Tech game. Growing up that was often considered the most important game of the year.

Elise said...

A belated Happy Thanksgiving to you, Grim, and to everyone at the Hall. Other family members hosted and cooked yesterday. My contribution was cucumbers and onions like my grandmother made for all big feasts. They were even better than usual this year, if I do say so myself - probably due to my husband's expertise in super-thin slicing.

Grim said...

Just sliced cucumbers and onions? Served together, or separately?

Thomas Doubting said...
This comment has been removed by the author.
Tom said...

My grandmother used to make this, if it's the same thing: Sliced cucumbers and onions in vinegar w/ salt and pepper. More cucumbers than onions. Make this in the morning and eat it that evening.

Elise said...

Two cucs, one onion, sliced thin. Liquor of water, sugar, salt, pepper, cider vinegar. Let meld for several hours. Lasts in fridge for up to a week. As you eat the veggies, you can add more.

I can give exact amounts if anyone is interested. My grandmother was Norwegian and supposedly this is a Scandinavian thing.

Grim said...

That sounds like a thing that my wife would like.

Texan99 said...

I often make cukes this way, but don't usually add onions, which sounds nice.

Elise said...

Here's the recipe:

Peel and *thinly* slice 2 cucumbers and 1 white onion; half-slices are better for the onion than whole slices. Mix together in large container with a tight lid. Plastic is fine but may pick up the taste; I have a dedicated large, pink Stanley Flex container for the purpose.

Gently heat 1-1/2 cups of water and 2/3 cup of sugar, stirring pretty much continuously to make a simple syrup. Pour into a non-reactive container (e.g., 4-cup Pyrex) and stir in 1/2 teaspoon salt and 1/2 teaspoon pepper. Let cool completely then stir in 1 cup of cider vinegar.

Pour mixture over cucumbers and onions and put in fridge for at least several hours. Stir it once in a while if you think of it.

This will keep in the fridge for at least a week. As you eat the vegetables, you can add more to the liquor.

We always use a white onion but I keep thinking I’ll try a red onion someday just for the color.
Most of my family eats this as-is but my favorite aunt liked a dollop of mayonnaise on hers.

Assistant Village Idiot said...

We can only have vidalias, so I may reduce the sugar a touch. Would brown sugar work or be overkill? Sounds wonderful.

Elise said...

I think brown sugar would change the taste but might be yummy. If you try it with brown sugar, please post how it turns out.

douglas said...

Oh, cucumber salad- popular with my Hungarian wife's family (also tomato salad- same thing just switch the two). I don't like cucumbers, but the tomato salad is good. More a summer dish to me though.

douglas said...

Ah, not surprisingly I'm late here- Thanksgiving is a big event at our house- Both sides of the family come, and any friends or aquaintances that need somewhere to go or will come. We had 18 in total this year, so a 23 lb bird. Friday is recovery day for me after all that prep of the house and setting up the big table and everything. Totally worth it though. Happy belated Thanksgiving to all at the Hall!