Seven Swans a' Swimming

Yesterday I realized just how difficult some of these recipes are. Actually, it’s not that they are difficult to make, just difficult to write. It’s one thing to make it up as I go along, adding this here and that there, tasting it at each step, but it’s another to put it down on paper (or virtual paper) for someone who doesn’t work in a professional kitchen. We have our own lexicon, code, and short-hand way of communicating that makes it simple for us and saves us time, but can be confusing for the amateur hobby chef.

I recently purchased Auguste Escoffier’s French Cookbook. He’s the Johann Sebastian Bach, the Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart, the Ludwig van Beethoven of chefs. He is the Master of Masters. Almost all the techniques and basic recipes we use today can be traced back to him, but you wouldn’t know it if you read his book. There’s no list of ingredients and no list of measurements. Many of the descriptions are vague because a lot of it is implied.

It’s not just Escoffier, either. I’ve read recipes from 100-200 years ago meant for the average housewife and they’re just as vague. Chefs today have nothing on Ma Ingalls.

So, today is the seventh day of Christmas. My neighbors have a little pond with some swans (real swans, Sarah…not Farmville swans!). I don’t think swans were meant to be eaten. I’d say their on the ‘list’ along with dolphins and monkeys. I’m sure her true love gave them to her as lawn ornaments (and no, not like the plastic pink flamingo kind!). So, I’ve used the next obvious choice for a substitute: duck. Some grocery stores sell duck whole in the freezer next to the turkeys. Not as fun to use for turkey bowling, but frozen duck football on the other hand….just kidding! I’m sure my Uncle Bill and his boys could bag me a wild one. Of course, you could just use chicken….of course!

Seven Swans a’ Swimming

Smoked Duck Breast with Chanterelles and Wild Berry Jus


4 boneless duck breasts, skin on (or chicken…of course)
1 tablespoon salt
1 tablespoon coarse black pepper
¼ tablespoon dried granulated garlic
3 tablespoons butter
3 tablespoons brown sugar
½ cup white grape juice
1 orange, squeezed
2 tablespoons cider vinegar
1 ¼ cup frozen raspberry, blackberry, blueberry mix
1 ½ cup beef stock/broth
½ cup chicken stock/broth
1 cup chopped chanterelle mushrooms
1 teaspoon rum extract
1 tablespoon pure maple syrup

Combine the salt, pepper, and garlic and season the duck. Prepare your grill, smoker or oven smoking bag. Your grill or smoker should not be more than 250° with plenty of smoke. Use water soaked wood chips if you have to. Smoke the duck 15-20 minutes or until the internal temperature of the meat reaches at least 140°. For the smoking bag, follow the instructions on the bag.
In a sauté pan, cook the mushrooms in a little olive oil until soft, about 5 minutes. Season with a little salt and pepper. Set aside.
In a sauce pan, melt the butter and brown sugar together and simmer for about 2 minutes. Remove from the heat and add the white grape juice, orange juice and cider vinegar. Return to the heat and bring to a boil, stirring constantly. Add the berries and broths, bring it back to a boil and simmer for about 25 minutes on medium low until the sauce is thick and reduced by about half. Strain through a fine wire-mesh strainer, pressing on the solids. Discard the solids. Stir in the mushrooms, rum and maple syrup and let simmer for 5 more minutes.

I’d serve this with some fresh steamed vegetables, (asparagus maybe?) and roasted red potatoes and plenty of the wild berry juice to make it ‘swimming’. You could try a whole combination of wild mushrooms, like shitake, oyster, morel, woodear, just to name a few. If you can’t find any fresh wild mushrooms at your local grocery store or specialty store, just use a Portobello, cleaned of it’s gills, cut in half and sliced thin. Remember, Duck is game so don’t overcook it! It’s ok to cook duck breasts medium. Especially if it’s wild duck. Mmm buckshot.