Duck is the Bacon of the Bird World

[Buster Highmen]

Countdown...t-minus -1 days....Yrup here I'm here.

A-m@ deeeeluivers choice sweeeeet pow, great hill.

So pumped that it's dumped: report says 10+ cm, more like 12" up high.

[fiddler]

Countdown...t-minus 7 days....Yrup here I come.

I expect you to have a most excellent time.

[Tye 1on]

this thread title has wings

[peds]

It really is, you know.



Enjoy it, the snow's coming again this weekend.

[mtnjam]

So what's the best way to cook up duck then? Every time I've tried to cook duck, it comes out too dry or too gamey. Yes, I've tried the buttermilk soak, etc...

[Buster Highmen]

So what's the best way to cook up duck then? Every time I've tried to cook duck, it comes out too dry or too gamey. Yes, I've tried the buttermilk soak, etc...

With a sharp knife, cross hatch the breast skin through the fat to the meat. In a heavy iron skillet, sear the duck skin side down and render the fat off, pouring off the fat until the skin is crispy. Finish with rosemary cinnamon and honey.

[peds]

You're overcooking it. Duck should never go beyond medium-rare. Except for legs, which benefit from long, slow cooking. For a real treat, get a whole bird, and butcher it into two legs, a crown (two breasts, still on the ribcage, with the first joint of the wings attached), and the backbone. Roast the backbone then boil gently with stock vegetables (celery, onion, carrot) for a few hours, then pass the stock off and braise the legs incredibly gently in it with some aromatics (bay, thyme, parsley stalks, some garlic). When done, roast the legs with the crown (scoring the skin and rubbing with a lot of salt, 220oC for 20mins, then heat down to 140oC until core temperature is as you like it (buy a meat thermometre) whilst you boil the stock to reduce it after skimming the fat from the top. When the meat is done, remove from the roasting pan to rest, deglaze it with the booze of your choice (red wine, cider or port are good for duck, but this is a very forgiving step), add your reduced stock, add a spoon of redcurrant or cranberry jelly (or plum jam, or damson jam, or marmalade, or rhubarb compote...), season, serve.

[Buster Highmen]

You're overcooking it. Duck should never go beyond medium-rare. .

Oh. I guess I don't know what I'm talking about. Carry on.

[peds]

Not you BH, unless you are. The fellow above you.

Your method sounds lovely. It would be textbook, except one usually just scores the surface of the skin, without cutting down to the flesh.

Anyway, enough of this. Where in Yurp are you gracing with your presence?

[Buster Highmen]

I'm culinarily inarticulate then, eh?

This time, the intent is Sedrun and beyond.

[Meadow Skipper]

You're overcooking it. Duck should never go beyond medium-rare. Except for legs, which benefit from long, slow cooking.

Oh gawd, the crispy duck leg at Andiamo in Santa Fe is my favorite date-night dish evah.

I'd rather have that than bacon. Really.

[Hugh Conway]

Not much to contribute on the duck front other than it's damn tasty, but if you are heading into Graubunden there's loads of fun skiing. Disentis-Muster is the new "must not be mentioned" but the upper countries a bit flat without a hike. With the right conditions some of the small Engadin hills - Zuoz, Maloja, closeby Darlux (I think it's still open - not sure if you are with family or not on this trip but the "longest Rodelbahn" there is good fun. drink mulled wine, take the train up, ride a sled down. Repeat.) There's the somewhat obvious Corvatsch and Corviglia, Diavolezza & it's awesome side country in the posh land. Then Lenzerheide can be interesting, or down the back to Arosa (which is flattish, but some drops off the back to "nowheres land"). Davos has fun skiing as well - good trees on the south side, just west to whatever village for Monsteiner beer, if there's coverage walk across the street from the brewery, don skis, ski across the alp and drop down to the rail station.

[dos bolsas]

and don't forget the Rothorn...if in Densntis, stop at the swede bar. Vals can be good when avie danger is high.

[Buster Highmen]

I'm going solo, so thanks for the tips C. And yeah, that whole linkage around A-m@ looks sweet, also looking to do some of the farmers lifts. Been trying to hook up with Birdo, but he's busy. But who knows, I'm going where the powder matches my clothes; where that chilly wind doth blow.

[Buster Highmen]

bump........

[gravitylover]

WIN

What's up Buster!? Solo? Oof...

[Buster Highmen]

Amazing time: great snow, managed to hit a bunch of the sidecountry around Andermatt in 2'+ of lovely fresh pow. Have pics, but limited iaccess. TR forthcoming.

[Hugh Conway]

TR forthcoming.

eggcellent.

[Huckin eh?]

So....what you're telling me with this thread is that pigs don't fly????

[Buster Highmen]

So....what you're telling me with this thread is that pigs don't fly????

If that's what it says to you, good on ya. The Yoneda Lemma says that all image arrows factor through the image of the identity arrow.

Aside from that, the skiing in Yrup is amazing.