Duck eggs would weigh down even the Easter Bunny’s basket
My oldest sister Carol, whose family farm is near Culver, has recently been sharing a bounty of duck eggs with myself and Mom and Dad.
My third published cookbook, “Further From the Farm,” released in 2010, shared a wonderful “ducky” story about mom’s older sister, my Aunt Ruby, who is now 92, and once faced her own egg-ceptional situation back in May 2008.
While working around some low-growing ground-cover shrubs near the outer wall of her house in Highland, much to her surprise, she discovered a mama duck sitting on a nest with 10 eggs!
And since Aunt Ruby lives right in the middle of a very “house-to-house” cozy neighborhood, her home for more than 60 years, there aren’t any ponds in sight. Even the Calumet River is quite a distance away from her address.
The duck featured in Aunt Ruby’s egg-laying story was a wild duck, while the ducks that have been producing the plentiful eggs collected by my sister Carol are white domestic ducks, from her farming friend neighbors down the road, the Kelsey Family.
Duck eggs have an eggshell tone which is best described as taupe in color. The shells are also far thicker than chicken eggs, and in size, they are nearly double to the size of what is found in the nest of traditional laying hens.
Inside, the yolks are far larger and richer in protein than chicken eggs. My mom fried a couple of the duck eggs for my dad’s breakfast and he describes the cooked results as “more meaty with a fluffy texture.” My other older sister, Pam, also shared in the surprise surplus of duck eggs last weekend, and took a dozen back home with her to Mishawaka.
My dad said while growing up on our family farm in the 1930s, Grandma and Grandpa Potempa never favored raising ducks, and instead, they prized their chickens as their poultry choice.
“When Grandma and Grandpa raised ducks, they never wanted to stay in the hen yard or around the chicken coop,” my dad explained.
“Instead, they were always wandering through the fields to get the ditches that bordered the fields because they preferred to splash around in the water. Grandpa eventually got tired having to walk along the ditches to gather them back up to the house.”
I agree with my dad when he says the ducks eventually ended up on the Sunday dinner menu rather than a life of laying eggs or producing more ducks.
My dad’s oldest brother, my Uncle Joe, despised duck, chicken, turkey and poultry of any type. However, his wife of more than 50 years, my Aunt
Rose, who came from Bohemian family roots, absolutely loved duck. In later years, she would have her Polish housekeeper prepare roasted duck legs and she was especially fond of an outer crispy duck skin.
I too, like Aunt Rose, love roast duck, which is why all of my various published cookbooks include at least a few recipe variations featuring duck.
My most recent duck feast was during the holidays at YOUYU Noodle Bar at the new Hard Rock Casino Northern Indiana in Gary which has both a duck carving station and whole duck rotisserie, the latter promising a skin so crispy and delicious, I can image my Aunt Rose smiling from heaven.
The executive chef at the new Hard Rock Casino is Anuwat Morakotjantachote, known by colleagues in the culinary world as “Chef Nu.” When he was a guest on my WJOB Wednesday afternoon weekly radio show last fall, he casually revealed he once had the honor of cooking for the Queen of Thailand, who at the time was the reigning royalty of the country of his family heritage.
Prior to joining the Hard Rock, Chef Nu worked around the world, including the Ritz Carlton and The New York Athletic Club, as well as his tenure at the Peninsula Hotel for both the Chicago and New York locations. He found his first taste of notoriety and famous patrons when he accepted a position at Tavern on the Green, which at the time of the 1980s and 1990s, was one of the busiest restaurants in New York.
When purchasing duck to prepare at home, I’ve found Maple Leaf Farms is always the best go-to for duck that doesn’t disappoint. They are also generous with sharing their recipes, such as their signature standard preparation for a sumptuous roast duck fit for royalty.
Columnist Philip Potempa has published four cookbooks and is the director of marketing at Theatre at the Center. He can be reached at pmpotempa@comhs. org or mail your questions: From the Farm, P.O. Box 68, San Pierre, IN 46374.
Roast Duckling with Oranges
Makes 6 servings
Maple Leaf Farms Whole Duck (5-6 lbs.), defrosted
1 tablespoon Kosher salt
1 ½ teaspoons freshly ground black pepper 1 teaspoon paprika
1 orange, cut in quarters
1 head garlic, paper removed and top trimmed
2 celery stalks, cut into 2-inch pieces Directions:
1. Make sure duck is thoroughly defrosted, if frozen. (Defrost in refrigerator for 2-3 days.) Start a large pot of water (deep enough to submerge a whole duck) on the stove, bringing to a rolling boil. Heat oven to 425 degrees.
2. Remove duck from bag. Remove orange sauce packet (if included), giblets and neck from interior. Save giblets and neck for making stock. Remove excess fat from body cavity and neck. Rinse duck inside and out under cool running water. Pat duck dry. With a large sharp fork, prick the skin all over (approach at an angle) being careful not to pierce the meat (if meat is pierced, it will dry out). Carefully put the duck in the pot of boiling water; boil for 10 minutes. This will help render out some of the fat. Remove duck and let cool. Pat duck dry.
3. Mix the salt, pepper and paprika. Rub the duck inside and out with the spice mixture. Place the duck on a rack in a roasting pan breast-side up. Stuff the orange quarters, whole head of garlic (top trimmed) and cut celery pieces into the cavity of the duck.
Fold the neck skin under, covering the cavity. Secure with a skewer.
4. Place the roasting pan in the oven. After 15 minutes, lower the oven temperature to 350 degrees. After 45 minutes, remove duck from oven. Remove any fat that may have collected in the bottom of the roasting pan. Carefully turn duck over, place back on rack in roasting pan, and return to oven for 35 minutes. At the end of the 35 minutes, remove duck from oven, remove any fat that may have accumulated, and carefully turn duck back over so breast side faces up. Return to oven. If you have a 5-pound duck, cook for another 15 minutes; for a 6-pound duck, cook for another 20 minutes (total cooking time should add up to about 22 minutes per pound). Be careful not to overcook. The internal temperature should be 180 degrees at the thickest part of the leg and thigh joint. Remove duck from oven.
5. Transfer duck to a cutting board and let stand 15 minutes. Remove oranges and celery from cavity and throw away. Remove head of garlic. Carve duck and serve.