Duck

Because they spend so much time in the water, ducks have a significant layer of insulating fat. That makes them luscious fowl, virtually all dark meat, even the breast. Peking duck, a Chinese restaurant delicacy, is as much about melt-in-mouth skin as it is about the meat below. Prep & Pastry of Tucson takes advantage of duck’s luxe in duck confit hash: shreds of radiantly flavorful meat laced with shallots, spinach, and raisins, crowned with a fried egg and a dab of goat cheese mousse. A restaurant called Duckfat in Portland, Maine, got famous for its crisp, elegant French fries – fried in duck fat, of course. A note about duck sauce: It contains no duck, but likely got its name because its traditional ingredients include plums or apricots, which have long been favorite components in sauce for roasted duck. The duck sauce served today in most Chinese restaurants is syrup that is as sweet as hummingbird nectar, but with little evidence of fruit.