Those things are SO GOOD and the perfect size. I love them.
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Just show up. Benedictine hospitality!
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I planted some mini delicata (edible skin) and mini spaghetti squash (hard shell and easier to scoop out) this year.
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One of our morning shows had a festive themed stuffed squash and they used acorn squash: https://more.ctv.ca/food/recipes/2023/the-good-stuff/wild-rice-stuffing-and-acorn-squash-boats.html (From the tv show “The Good Stuff” with Mary Berg for the Canadians on this board.)
I’m trying a riff on this one for dinner tonight:
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Baker Creek offers seeds for the honeynut:
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Garlic mashed potatoes are on the permanent Thanksgiving menu chez Meekah. I make enough for a battalion. And they disappear. Which is not a testament to my cooking skills as much as it is to the enduring appeal of garlic mashed (well, mine are smashed) potatoes.
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That pumpkin is beautiful!
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Me too! Much prefer some texture in mine… I simply add butter, garlic, kosher salt, and tender cooked chunks of potatoes into the stand mixer with the paddle for a minute or so. YUM!
Hulk SMASH… a potato masher here, wielded like a weapon, then stir stir stir.
Crockpot is my weapon of choice for doing the potatoes (here in progress) and keeping them warm.
Only downside is that the potatoes will darken by the end of the evening. No one cares …
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This morning Sunshine and I did some shopping at Wal-Mart. She spotted a whole duck (frozen) and announced that she wanted Duck instead of Turkey for Thanksgiving this year. So we purchased the duck. It is just under 4 pounds, so it should be more than large enough for 2 people.
I’ve never cooked a duck before, but did pick up one of those disposable foil roasting/basting pans while we were there. I figured I would need it.
I’ve got some time, but I’ll need to start to research “How to cook a duck”. If I ruin this duck I know “my goose is cooked”!! (LOL)
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I’m traveling, and sending a turkey ahead, to arrive when I do.
I just found a picture of my MIL’s old KitchenAid mixer I took (the pic, not the mixer) in '21.
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BEWARE! I learned a big lesson once with those disposable pans, it was even a heavy duty one.
Taking the finished turkey out of the oven, the pan folded in and some of the HOT drippings fell on the hardwood floor and my foot … I was wearing Tevas. Miracle that it didn’t ruin the floor but I was sad to lose a lot of excellent drippings. My foot survived ok.
A duck produces a lot more fat than a turkey. I’ve seen recipes that deal with that. I don’t like dark meat, the only duck I like is the skin slice at dim sum places. So, I’ve never wanted to roast a duck or goose.
It’s good to invest in a good roasting pan, it’ll last forever. I have 2 sizes of SS All-Clad and it cleans up easily, especially if you soak it in the sink overnight.
(I do buy a good quality disposable pan to keep in fridge holding the turkey. Later, after turkey is in the oven, I wash it and use it to put the slices of turkey in.)
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If you decide against a roasting pan for whatever reason (too big and hard to store, would not get regular use…etc.), every kitchen needs jelly roll pans and they are great for roasts, too. Plus they are quite inexpensive and easy to stash because they are so thin. That said, I use and love a regular roasting pan and a good rack.
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Ouch!! Thanks for the “heads up”. I have an old pizza stone that I rarely use, I’ll put that under the foil pan. The stone can support the pan and keep it from folding up (upon removal).
Good to know, thanks.
Yes… Sunshine has told me she wants crispy skin, so I can’t throw this bird into my large slow cooker, as I have done with small turkeys in the past.
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I’ve roasted ducks several times, including steaming it first once to get out some of the fat. I don’t remember the technique because it was decades ago, but I’m sure it’s online.
It is very possible that a jelly roll pan is not deep enough to contain all the fat that will come out roasting a duck and you would not want to spill it inadvertently while pulling it out (a jelly roll pan won’t collapse, of course). I use a LeCreuset cast iron roasting pan for lots of things that are too big to fit in my 45 year old Lodge cast iron skillet beyond roasting duck, like casseroles and gratins, slab pies, stuffing, frittata, etc. It doesn’t take up that much space in the cabinet.
I think duck is a great sub for turkey and I hope you’ll enjoy it!
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I do have a 5.5 quart enamel cast iron dutch oven, I’ll have to measure the duck to see if it will fit in it. I’ve been wanting a larger dutch oven (Amazon Basics 7.3 Quart), maybe “Santa” will bring it to me early, so I can use it for Thanksgiving.
I know the foil roasting pan will hold the fat, but I do need to check my pizza stone. I think its large enough (for the roasting pan), but I’ll have to dig it out of the back of the pantry and check.
Thanks!! Yes on the way home from the store, Sunshine was reminiscing about how her mother cooked Duck when she was a small child. I hope it brings back some fond memories.
If you can pull this recipe up…
missoulian.com/lifestyles/food-and-cooking/greg-patent-duck-done-right
is one recipe I’ve seen mentioned in these parts. On his radio show he sung the praises of that uber crispy skin and how to achieve it.
Some great advice about using foil pans has been brought up.
I’ve slipped the foil pan into my regular roasting pan for security.
When I’ve baked a cake or such in a foil pan at home, I will deliver it with another pan nested below.
Now you have plenty of time to explore the sauces you’ll serve with that duck…sweet, savory, wine infused, herby?
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No… I couldn’t pull up the link.
