Pan-Seared Saxony Duck Steak
The Supreme Cast-Iron Cut
Trim any loose edges of skin fat from a boneless, raw breast fillet harvested from a mature 12-week pasture-raised Saxony. Place the fillet uncovered on a wire rack inside a refrigerator or cold larder (34°F to 38°F) for 24 to 48 hours to thoroughly dry the skin and tenderize the dense red muscle fibers.
Bring the breast to room temperature for 30 minutes before cooking. Score the skin in a tight diamond pattern, cutting halfway through the fat layer but never piercing the red meat beneath. Season both sides generously with coarse sea salt and cracked black pepper.
Place the fillet skin-side down into a cold, dry, unheated cast-iron skillet. Do not add oil or butter; the duck will render its own clean cooking fat. Turn the heat to medium-low and cook skin-side down for 12 to 15 minutes without moving the meat. As the clear liquid gold fat pools in the pan, periodically spoon it over the exposed meat or pour excess into a storage crock. Cook until the skin is flat, paper-thin, and a shattering golden-brown.
Flip the breast meat-side down, increase the heat to medium-high, and sear for exactly 2 to 3 minutes to lock in the juices. Remove the steak from the iron skillet and rest it on a warm cutting board for 8 to 10 minutes before carving to ensure a perfectly juicy, medium-rare center that slices and tastes exactly like a premium beef ribeye.
Priory-Style Roast Appleyard
Suffolk Orchard Fruit Stuffing
Ingredients
- 1 whole Silver Appleyard duck (approx. 4 to 4.5 lbs dressed)
- 1 tbsp coarse sea salt
- 1 tsp cracked black pepper
- 1/2 tsp freshly grated nutmeg
- 1 bunch fresh winter sage
The Companion Side-Dish Stuffing:
- 4 large tart green cooking apples (cored and coarsely chopped)
- 1 cup wild plums or Italian prunes (pitted and halved)
- 1 medium yellow onion (minced)
- 1 cup rolled oats
- 2 tbsp fresh garden sage (finely chopped)
- 1/2 cup raw apple cider
Directions
Preheat the oven to 350°F (175°C). Pat the duck completely dry and lightly prick the skin all over with a sharp fork to help the fat render. Rub the entire carcass with the sea salt, black pepper, and freshly grated nutmeg. Place the whole bunch of fresh winter sage loosely inside the empty cavity for aroma only.
Set the duck breast-side up on an elevated wire rack inside a deep roasting pan. Roast for roughly 20 to 22 minutes per pound (about 1.5 hours total) until the internal temperature reaches 165°F (74°C). Periodically carefully pour off or ladle the pooling, clear liquid gold fat from the bottom of the pan into a larder storage crock.
Civil War Era Roast Cayuga Duck
Traditional Mid-19th-Century Roast
Ingredients
- 1 whole Cayuga duck (approx. 4 to 5 lbs dressed)
- 1 tbsp coarse sea salt
- 1 tsp cracked black pepper
- 1 tsp dried wild marjoram
- 2 medium yellow onions (quartered)
- 1 large bunch fresh garden sage
- 4 cloves garlic (smashed)
- 1 cup water or simple poultry bone stock (for the pan bed)
Directions
Preheat the oven to 375°F (190°C). Bring the dressed Cayuga duck to room temperature and pat the entire skin surface thoroughly dry. Mix the coarse sea salt, cracked black pepper, and dried wild marjoram together in a bowl, then rub the seasoning mixture inside the cavity and evenly across the outer skin.
Stuff the inner cavity of the duck loosely with the quartered yellow onions, the whole bunch of fresh garden sage, and the smashed garlic cloves. Secure the skin tags with small poultry skewers or butcher's twine if necessary to trap the aromatic steam inside the frame as it cooks.
Place the bird breast-side up on a rack inside a heavy metal roasting pan, pouring one cup of water or simple stock into the bottom of the pan to prevent smoking. Roast for roughly 20 minutes per pound (approximately 1 hour and 20 minutes) until the juices run entirely clear and the internal temperature reaches 165°F (74°C). Pour the rendered pan fat off through a fine sieve into a stoneware crock for pantry use. Allow the duck to rest for 15 minutes before carving the dense, deeply beef-like meat.
