Roasting Duck Breast by the fireplace

[Pete in PG]

I happened across this episode yesterday while looking at cooking duck different ways. The first part is cooking foie gras with poached apples and I'll definitely try this over the holidays with a larger group of family or friends. The second part is Jean-Louis Palladin roasting a couple duck breasts in his fireplace - this I'm definitely going to try! Of course this could be done in the kettle or wsm but very interesting to do as he's doing it. It's a fun and informative video if you've got a half hour.

[video]http://video.pbs.org/video/2256986761/[/video]

 

[Len Dennis]

Video wouldn't play for me so I don't know how he did it in the fireplace. Hope it was in a pan and not a grate. Never get the grease out of the firebricks if it was done on a grate.

 

[Pete in PG]

Hi Len,

Bummer! Too bad since it's this is a pretty unique way of cooking duck breast. Jean-Louis first cleans and trims the duck breast of excess skin, then tied or trussed to create a firmer, rounder piece of meat. He's got a bar horizontally just inside the front part of his fireplace and hangs the tied duck breasts so they are about midway or just lower than that in front of the fire. It would be similar to the hanging chicken and other things Jim Lampe and others are doing in their wsm. He also places a pan under the duck breasts to catch drippings and bastes the duck breasts while they cook..... they look beautifully done at medium rare.

 

[Len Dennis]

Nice. I guess the only concern I would have is greasy smoke going up the flue and giving it a combustible coating.