Be sure to thaw **inside the fridge **
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And it might take forever. So unpredictable.
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You’ll be fine. Just do what I always tell my students: RTFD (D is directions; you can substitute M for manual).
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We learn from our failures. Just take it nice and easy, one step at a time. Don’t think it has to be done at a certain time. It’ll be ready when it’s ready.
Be sure to rest it before slicing. (That’s something I had to learn)
Take notes in case you want to do it again in the future.
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4 lbs is a small duck. It will be enough for 2, but you won’t have much leftover. I roast duck low and slow (250 ⁰ F or 275 ⁰ F), until it registers around 185⁰ F. You’ll have lots of rendered duck fat for other uses.
You’ll do fine. I roasted my first duck when I was 12!
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YES
Save the duck fat.
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Yes, ducks have a much higher bone-to-flesh ratio than chicken or turkey, and some of the weight is the fat that will render out. And regardless of how you ultimately feel about the roast duck, you’ll have duck fat for sautéing and a carcass to use for stock.
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And for making confit chicken legs, which will take on a lot of duck flavor, to use in a cassoulet or just for eating with salad and blanched haricots vert.
I volunteered to bring the mashed potatoes to my second mom’s house for Thanksgiving. I use my former MIL’s recipe which my family refers to as “heart attack mashed potatoes”. She was thrilled and dropped off TEN POUNDS of potatoes this morning. Peeling 5 pounds of potatoes is my personal hell. I can’t imagine having to do 10.
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Is this the recipe that includes lots of butter, cream cheese and salt? I’ve seen one that also has bacon pieces in it in addition to all the listed above. Definitely on the cardiologist’s and the Food Police’s (CSPI) hazard list!
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No advice to give I’m just here to say that I admire your efforts to make a special Thanksgiving dinner for Sunshine. As others have said, you’ll be fine.
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a stick of butter, sour cream, 2 blocks of cream cheese, and kosher salt for 5 pounds of potatoes. No bacon though.
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I think 1 8 oz block of cream cheese should enough for 5 lbs.
I love my new tamis, not hard to clean, I do right away.
Just take a 15 minute break between the two batches, keep in cold water in the meantime.
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If you hate peeling potatoes, you can cut them up, boil or steam them, and mash them using a press or a tamis. With the press you can flick the peels out with a fork or a knife tip. With the tamis, you can just pluck them off the mesh.
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I just peel the potatoes, don’t want to deal with removing skins from ricer or tamis later.
I bought a 12” tamis because it was a lot cheaper than the 10” but 10” would fit better over my bowls.
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I’m not going to mess with the recipe as everyone loves it. After everything is mashed together it gets whipped in the KitchenAid so it seems deceivingly light.
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Or rice them, and the peels stay in the ricer.
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Have you tried the Serious Eats (Kenji) method? He uses russets, peels, places in cold water. Cubes the potatoes and rinses a few times in cold water. Bring to a boil in fresh cold water, simmer for 15 minutes (mine take about 20) then drain and rinse with hot water for 30 seconds.
