Duck and Pinot Noir
Tuesday, July 21st, 2009Duck is considered a white meat, being in the poultry family, but it is really a darker meat with a rich, gamier flavor. Because of this highly flavored meat, duck requires a wine with a little more body to it to complement it, rather than a light, white wine that typically goes with poultry.
The Pinot Noir complements duck very nicely because it is a lighter variety of red wine. It is rich enough to accentuate the deeper flavoring of the duck meat, but it does not overpower it as a robust red might. As well, the woodsy flavor of a typical Pinot Noir goes well with the gamey taste of the duck.
Pinot Noir comes from a red wine grape variety that is chiefly associated with the Burgundy Region in France. It is a difficult grape to cultivate and transform into wine. It needs rather specific growing conditions, and it is sensitive to light exposure, cropping levels, the type of soil and pruning techniques. The grape has a thin skin that makes it susceptible for rot and fungal diseases. In the winery, it can be sensitive to the fermentation methods used and various strains of yeast. All of this has gained the Pinot Noir grape a reputation as being a difficult one to handle.
The wines created from the Pinot Noir grape tend to be of a light to medium body, with an aroma like that of black cherry, raspberry or currant. The traditional Pinot Noir Burgundy has a little deeper, huskier flavor which has undertones of ‘farmyard’ aromas, or a mushroom or woodsy scent. It is because of that huskiness that this wine goes so well with duck. And, the typical fruitiness hint complements the duck as well.
The following is a recipe for roast duck with a sauce that you may wish to try. Be sure to serve a Pinot Noir to further complement the flavors of the duck dish.
Roast Duck
½ orange, cut into chunks
½ lemon, cut into chunks
1 duck
Salt & pepper
Garlic powder
Basil
Prick duck all over with a kitchen fork. Fill duck cavity with orange and lemon chunks. Season outside of duck with spices.
Place duck on rack in large roasting pan. Cover and bake at 350? for 2 hours, basting twice with pan drippings.
Prepare Glaze:
2 TBSP. orange marmalade
1 TBSP. hot pan drippings
Mix together in small cup.
After duck has been cooking for 2 hours, spread ½ of the glaze over duck. Return to oven for 15 more minutes. Spread remaining glaze over duck and return to oven, uncovered to brown. (About 10 minutes.) Remove duck from oven and let sit (covered) for 10 minutes for juices to reabsorb.
Sauce for Roast Duck
1 small onion, finely diced
½ stalk celery, finely diced
Grated rind of ½ orange
Grated rind of ½ lemon
1 TBSP. butter
½ cup water
2 pkg. chicken OXO
2 TBSP. marmalade
1 TBSP. brown sugar
Sauté onion and celery in butter in small pot. Add all other ingredients above. Bring to a boil, and then simmer for 20 minutes.
Add:
1 TBSP. cornstarch mixed with ½ cup water.
1/3 cup sliced mushrooms
Simmer together for 10 minutes, until mushrooms are cooked.
Just before serving, add 2 TBSP. Grand Marnier.
Serve sauce hot over roast duck.
