Duck Civet Recipes

Steps:

• Remove legs from ducks and cut each leg in half. Using poultry shears, remove backbone and neck. Chop backbones and necks into 2 to 3 pieces each; set aside. Split each pair of breasts down the center and then cut each breast in half crosswise. Remove and discard as much fat as possible from all duck pieces.
• Season meat and bones with salt and white pepper; transfer to a deep pot such as a small stockpot or Dutch oven with a lid. Add onions, garlic, carrots, celery, and orange zest. Place peppercorns, thyme, bay leaves, and juniper berries in a piece of cheesecloth and tie with kitchen twine to enclose; add to pot. Add wine and orange juice; cover and transfer to refrigerator. Let marinate overnight, turning duck pieces in marinade once or twice.
• Preheat oven to 350 degrees with a rack fitted in the center of the oven.
• Remove duck meat and bones from marinade and dry well using paper towels; set aside. Place marinade over medium-high heat. Bring to a boil and immediately reduce heat to a low simmer.
• Meanwhile, in a large ovenproof skillet or Dutch oven with a lid, heat butter and oil over medium heat. Add duck meat and bones to skillet in an even layer (working in batches if necessary); brown on all sides (you may need to add more butter and oil if working in batches). Return all duck pieces to skillet (if working in batches) and add flour. Cook, stirring, until flour is browned. Stir in tomato paste and add simmering marinade; bring to a boil and season with salt and pepper.
• Using a sheet of parchment paper, cut out a round that is 2 to 3 inches larger than the diameter of your skillet or Dutch oven. Snip the extra inches of the parchment circle at 2-inch intervals to make a fringe. Place parchment paper circle over ingredients, pressing gently and allowing the fringe to press against the sides of the skillet. Cover with lid and transfer to oven. Cook for 2 hours, skimming and discarding any fat that rises to the surface and gently stirring ingredients every 30 minutes.
• Meanwhile, place bacon in a small skillet over medium heat. Cook, stirring, until fat is rendered and bacon is lightly browned, 8 to 10 minutes; transfer to a paper towel-lined plate to drain.
• Remove civet from oven; remove cheesecloth packet and discard. Season civet with salt and pepper. Garnish with cooked bacon and chives or parsley before serving.

Steps:

• Combine honey, soy sauce, sugar and 1/2 teaspoon five-spice powder in a small saucepan. Stir over low heat until sugar dissolves, about 3 minutes.
• In a large saucepan, bring 4 quarts water to a boil. Meanwhile, remove giblets and neck from duck cavity and discard (or reserve for another use). Cut off excess fat from cavity and neck area, then cut off tail. (This helps balance the duck vertically over the beer can.)
• Using your fingers, carefully separate the skin from the breast meat through the bottom of the breasts and work your fingers upward to separate the skin from the meat (be careful not to tear skin). Next, separate the skin from the backbone through the neck and working your way down until you reach the legs. (Scissors are helpful, but be careful to avoid piercing the skin.) Transfer duck to a rack set in the sink.
• Using a ladle or measuring cup, pour half of the boiling water evenly over top of the duck. Flip duck and pour the remaining water evenly all over second side. Tilt duck to drain all water from the cavity, then pat dry with paper towels.
• In a small bowl, combine the remaining 1/2 teaspoon five-spice powder with 1 teaspoon salt, the black pepper and 1 tablespoon of the glaze. Rub the mixture inside the cavity. Stand duck vertically by inserting beer can into cavity and place in a roasting pan or on a rimmed baking sheet.
• Using a pastry brush, brush the remaining glaze all over the duck and sprinkle evenly with remaining 2 teaspoons salt. Place duck in the refrigerator, uncovered, until the skin feels dry and leathery, 24 hours.
• Heat oven to 450 degrees with rack in bottom third of oven. Remove duck from refrigerator, and add 1 1/2 cups water to the pan. Wrap wing tips and tips of drumsticks with foil to prevent burning, then loosely tent duck with foil. Roast for 15 minutes. Decrease temperature to 350 degrees and roast, tented with foil, until skin is mahogany and an instant-read thermometer inserted into the thickest part of the thigh registers 165 degrees, 1 hour to 1 hour 15 minutes more, adding more water to the pan if needed.
• Leaving duck on the can, transfer duck vertically to a cutting board and let rest for 15 minutes. Carve the crispy skin from the back and legs of the duck, and slice into strips.
• Carefully remove duck from the beer can and return to cutting board. Carve off the breasts and legs; thinly slice the breasts and shred dark meat.
• Carefully strain pan juices into a small bowl and pour off all the fat. In another small bowl, whisk together the hoisin, sesame oil and up to 1/4 cup of the pan juices to form sauce.
• To serve, spread 1 tablespoon prepared sauce on each tortilla. Top each with some scallions, cucumbers, duck meat and crispy skin. Roll up and enjoy warm.