Any excuse for a celebration, right? But as a person of little faith who has a general suspicion of moments of national glory, I don’t find it easy to rally behind the official reasons for a feast.
This is why Thanksgiving works for me. Despite its religious origins and often controversial history, I like the idea of stopping for a night to be thankful for what we have; to acknowledge how lucky some of us are (and by no means everyone). Particularly in these times, where the spirit of generosity and gratitude is such a rare commodity, it seems pertinent to remind ourselves that nothing should be taken for granted. Happy Thanksgiving.
The punchy jerk marinade is the star here, holding its own against the strong-tasting duck. The skin is not the glass-crisp, mahogany skin of Cantonese dreams, but the marinade roasts into a great crust, with plenty more to serve alongside. You’ll need to marinate the ducks for at least three hours, and ideally 24.
Prep 10 min Marinade 3-24hr Cook 95 min Serves 6
2 x 1.75kg ducks, with gizzards and necks, ideally 1 litre vegetable stock (or water) 4 spring onions, roughly sliced on an angle 200ml dry white wine 3 bay leaves 2 garlic cloves, peeled and crushed 350g dried black-eyed beans 1 tsp picked thyme leaves 1 tsp parsley leaves, finely chopped
For the jerk marinade 2 tbsp allspice berries 2 tsp black peppercorns 10g fresh thyme leaves 2 tsp cumin seeds 1 tbsp mild paprika 2 bay leaves 5 small garlic cloves, peeled and roughly chopped (20g net weight) 1 scotch bonnet chilli, deseeded (or ½ chilli, if you prefer less heat) 75ml soy sauce 60ml maple syrup 1 tbsp red-wine vinegar Flaked sea salt
In a spice grinder, blitz the first six marinade ingredients to a coarse powder. Add the garlic, chilli and half the soy sauce, and blitz again until the garlic and scotch bonnet have broken down completely. Transfer to a small bowl and stir in the maple syrup, vinegar, and the remaining soy sauce.
Pat the ducks dry with a clean cloth. Cut away and discard any excess fat around the cavity, then prick the skin lightly about 10 times, especially around the fattiest parts of the breast, being careful just to pierce the fat and not the flesh beneath. Rub a teaspoon and a half of flaked salt on to each duck, then massage one and a half tablespoons of the marinade all over each bird. SetKeep the rest of the marinade for serving. Refrigerate for at least three hours – preferably overnight.
Take the ducks out of the fridge at least two hours before you want to cook them, so they come up to room temperature – they shouldn’t be at all cold when they go in the oven. Heat the oven to 185C (165C fan)/330F/gas 4½ and position an oven rack in the bottom half of the oven (remove any other racks).
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