Duck

As Rick's birthday approached, Hiroko wanted to create something she had never prepared before. She went through cookbook after cookbook and found a relatively simple recipe for DUCK. It can be prepared in advance, which is allowed more time for the preparation of the other dinner dishes and dessert.

The aforementioned recipe is for Chilled Duck with Zinfandel Sauce from Food & Wine's 2004 Cookbook. After browning the duck breast in a cast iron pan, she placed it in a ziploc bag containing a Zinfandel, mirin, and soy sauce mixture. The following day, she cooked it in what trendy chefs are currently calling the "sous vide" method by placing the bag in a pot of boiling water for 10 minutes. Once cooked, the bag with the duck and marinade is plunged into a bowl of ice water and chilled for 45 mintues, and then popped it in the refrigerator to marnate overnight.

Just before the dinner, Hiroko warmed up the duck and sauce, and served it by placing the sliced duck breast on each plate and drizzling it with the warmed zinfandel sauce.

It was most and delicious...in a word, fantastic! Somehow, the picture we took does do it justice. You will just have to trust us and try it yourself with a few glasses of Martinelli Jackass Vineyard Zinfandel to simulate Rick's best birthday meal in memory!