What would you do with

2 quarts of duck stock you just made because buckets-o-duck-wings were on sale at your local Asian market the other day? Not involving molecular gel and centrifuge wizardry, and without any duck meat to hand either....

We'd put it in fridge and use for anything your would use stock for such as rice, soup, or other dishes not requiring flavor from a specific animal. We have a combo chicken and lamb stock in there now, and since the chicken was stuffed with apples and onions, that makes it all the more interesting!

I would chill it and remove the fat then add equal parts red wine (or port!) and reduce the hell out of it until you have a cup of a beautiful rich dark sauce that I'd then serve with grilled duck breast.

We'd put it in fridge and use for anything your would use stock for such as rice, soup, or other dishes not requiring flavor from a specific animal.

Good call. I'm probably going to do that with some of it. This batch, though, has a particularly strong - and identifiable - duck flavor. I really took care to concentrate it. So I want to make a few things that you can taste and go, "Wow, that's fowl!" Yesterday I roasted a cream of roasted butternut squash soup using some of that stock as the liquid, and it was terrific. Now I'm trying to think of other non-traditional roles it can star in.

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"...that's fowl"...I get it!!

I would chill it and remove the fat then add equal parts red wine (or port!) and reduce the hell out of it until you have a cup of a beautiful rich dark sauce that I'd then serve with grilled duck breast.

I did skim off the fat, which is now getting ready for my wife's fave: fingerling potatoes simmered in duck fat and eaten before they have a chance to cool enough not to cause 2nd degree burns. (I did save a little to saute some asparagus spears in, my own little guilty pleasure.)

Yeah, that reduction to a demi-glaze sounds great...but duck breasts are kinda out of my price reach at the moment (the bucket-o-wings was only 3-bucks, god bless those Asians). Still, it's a great idea to use on other grilled items. Thanks!

Risotto!

Fill your own soup dumplings.

Sweeten slightly then use as a glaze over squash or another bird - brush it on, roast a while, brush more on, roast a while....

Use as the base for an onion soup instead of beef.

Save it for the summer and make madrilene (a cold soup of broth, tomato, and gelatin) or gazpacho.

(Of course, there's nothing wrong with the demi-glace ideas.)

Terrific suggestions, Alan and Jeff. Thanks very much!

Good ideas. If it was me, and I didn't have access to more duck, I'd probably do a risotto as Alan suggested (probably mushroom, as duck and mushroom seem to have a natural affinity). Or maybe use the stock as base for cooking some white beans, and adding some sausage- kind of a faux cassoulet. Lots of flavor for about $6.

...kind of a faux cassoulet. Lots of flavor for about $6.

Y'know, that sounds excellent. Thanks for that, I wouldn't have thought of that one.

I know in Japanese cuisine duck is often paired with scallions (thank you, original Iron Chef Japan!), so I was toying with a Jap-anized French onion soup. Duck stock, scallions, and rice crackers with melted tofu? Lol...still working out the details.

Thanks again

I know in Japanese cuisine duck is often paired with scallions (thank you, original Iron Chef Japan!), so I was toying with a Jap-anized French onion soup. Duck stock, scallions, and rice crackers with melted tofu? Lol...still working out the details.

Concept sounds tasty, but I don't think tofu melts! Maybe you could mix something with soft tofu though

Concept sounds tasty, but I don't think tofu melts! Maybe you could mix something with soft tofu though

Heh. The tofu was a bit of a joke, since it looks kinda sorta like Swiss cheese if you squint hard and have just downed a quart of Asahi. I would probably more go with something like a paste of shiro miso and some aromatic. Or maybe I'll use Emmentaler and go full tilt fusion!

[Jenise]

Concept sounds tasty, but I don't think tofu melts! Maybe you could mix something with soft tofu though

Heh. The tofu was a bit of a joke, since it looks kinda sorta like Swiss cheese if you squint hard and have just downed a quart of Asahi. I would probably more go with something like a paste of shiro miso and some aromatic. Or maybe I'll use Emmentaler and go full tilt fusion!

Brush a won ton wrapper with EVOO, then bake at a high temp until crisp with some parm on top. Use that for your crouton.

Brush a won ton wrapper with EVOO, then bake at a high temp until crisp with some parm on top. Use that for your crouton.

I think I'll use that for my snack trays in the future! Thanks, Jenise

I use it blended with beef stock and make French style onion soup. It provides a wonderful complex rich flavor to the soup.

I use it blended with beef stock and make French style onion soup. It provides a wonderful complex rich flavor to the soup.

Thanks - I'll have to remember that next time.