The Duck Finale

Since many of you have been left wondering about The DUCK, I thought I better give an update. (If you have no idea what I'm talking about  read the previous post "The Duck" to get caught up to speed.)

I was so grateful that we did have friends who offered on Saturday morning to take the duck off of our hands. But before we actually had time to drive it their house, our neighbor buzzed again at our door. This time Mark answered it and Jim (our neighbor) asked Mark, "How did you get on with the duck?" Mark tried to stall by saying nothing just yet since I wasn't feeling too great and he was too busy. Both of which were true, but he also didn't want to let on that the duck was soon being transported to a new home.


In the meantime I started feeling better and was about to put some make-up on so I could take a few photos with my duck :) But the buzzer buzzed again - Guess who?! This time I answered. It was Jim now saying he had plucked and gutted a different duck, so if I'd just bring down the first duck we could swap. I told him I'd be right down, asked Mark to grab the camera, took 2 shots (sans make-up!) and hurried downstairs to receive the new duck.

Jim holds out the new duck by its feet. The head and wings are gone, along with the insides and feathers. He starts telling me how to roast it (in a very thick Scottish accent) and then says, "Do you want me to chop the feet off." Yes, please! So he goes back in the house and I hear a chop as the axe falls. He comes back out and proceeds to hand me the fresh duck with drops of blood occasionally falling. Fabulous.

I say thanks for the gift and his hard work and head for our outside door. As I'm opening said door, a nice drop of blood falls on my jeans. I decide I better make a mad dash up the two flights of stairs to our flat. I run into the kitchen exclaiming, "It's dripping blood!" and plop it onto a plastic bag on the counter. Mark is in awe he didn't give me anything to carry it upstairs in.

Shortly thereafter I set to work on preparing it for roasting, but only after contacting Joe and Katrina I was going to have to renege on my offer. I definitely couldn't let Jim down now by not tasting the thing! I roast whole chickens all the time so basically just did the same thing I usually do for those. In the end I think it got a little over cooked, but still edible. When I went to take the meat off the bones, I couldn't believe how little meat there actually was. It was maybe two very small chicken breasts worth (except they looked more like roast beef, than chicken). All that work (which then I was very glad I had not done!) and so little return. Not something worth repeating any time soon.

We didn't even get to eat it for dinner since we were going to a friend's house to eat. But Mark ate some tonight with Mango Chili Chutney on top and said it was rather delish. I had one small bite yesterday after it was done roasting and haven't yet decided if the little bit that is leftover will be my lunch or dinner tomorrow. Somehow, I'm just a little put off of duck at the moment. Can you blame me?!

I am so glad the duck drama is OVER! What a weekend!