The Year of the Duck

After having watched an especially nauseating episode of Giada at Home one afternoon, I decided I'd try my hand at Cornish hens.  They were cute.  And romantic.  At least in her perfect life.

I had all but forgotten that aspiration when I stumbled upon the frozen poultry case at the grocery store a couple of weeks later.  There they were...tiny adorable hens.  I've never eaten a cornish hen, let alone cooked one.  Do they taste like chicken?  Surely, right?!

Well, apparently, Cornish hens taste like gold because they're about the same price.  However, in exactly the same bin, right next-door was the duck.  Ducks are equally as exotic. At least in my chicken, beef and pork world.  And, equally cute with their fluffy little duck tails.  Plus, they were on sale.  

So, thus began the duck adventure.  There was none a more fitting day to serve duck than on New Year's, being an exotic treat as it was.  Might as well start the year off right, I'd thought.  I decided to supplement this unique dinner with pureed parsnips (also exotic in our broccoli, green bean and potato world).  And I think I partially succeeded, at least in exoticness...after several hours.

The technique wasn't difficult, but for some reason I had an extreme aversion to the smell of the boiling duck.  The skin also turned me off before it was roasted.  After I was finished, the duck itself wasn't bad and I think I'll try it again - and hopefully end up with a crispier duck (and additional dinner-mates).  After a week, I couldn't take the smell of the ducky leftovers anymore and threw out the last tupperware of duck leg.

The parsnips (below) were super yummy and I'd definitely make them again.  I'm surprised every time I eat one.  They smell like licorice, look like a carrot and taste like butternut squash.  Weird.

While the dinner excelled mostly in the "exotic" category, I hope that's foreshadowing of the year to come. I'd take a year full of new, different, unique and surprising.  We'll call it the Year of the Duck.

Recipes: Roasted Duck, Pureed Parsnips