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2.5 kg duck
4 tsp ground cumin
2 tsp salt
1 tbsp vegetable oil
8 garlic cloves
3 jalapenos, or 1 small hot chili
1 large onion
1 orange
2 cups long-grain white rice
284-mL can undiluted chicken broth
330-mL bottle beer, preferably Corona
1 yellow or orange bell pepper
1 1/2 cups coarsely chopped fresh cilantro, or 5 green onions, thinly sliced
To cut duck into serving-size pieces, remove neck and giblets. Cut off wing tips. Use for stock or discard. Place bird on a cutting board. Trim off and discard excess fat. Cut off legs and wings. Using kitchen shears, cut out and discard backbone. Slice through breastbone, separating into 2 halves. Cut each half into 2 pieces.
Using a knife with a sharp tip and working with one piece of duck at a time, score skin in a diamond pattern. Don¿t score skin on wings. Place in a large bowl and sprinkle with 3 teaspoons (15 mL) cumin and 1 teaspoon (5 mL) salt. Rub evenly over duck.
Heat oil in a large wide saucepan over medium-high heat. Add half of duck pieces, skin-side down. Cook until golden, 3 to 4 minutes per side. Reduce heat if oil splatters. Remove pieces to a plate when browned. Pour off all but 1 tablespoon (15 mL) fat. Repeat with remaining duck pieces, removing when browned. Pour off all but 2 tablespoons (30 mL) fat.
Meanwhile, chop garlic. Cut off stem end of jalapeños. Finely chop jalapeños, including seeds. Coarsely chop onion. Finely grate 2 tablespoons (30 mL) peel from orange. When duck is browned, add garlic, jalapeños and onion to pan. Stir often until onion starts to soften, 3 minutes. Stir in rice until evenly coated. Add chicken broth. Using a wooden spoon, scrape up and stir in brown bits from bottom of pan. Add beer, orange peel and 1 teaspoon (5 mL) each cumin and salt.
Bring to a boil, then reduce heat to medium-low. Return duck to pan. Cover and simmer, stirring occasionally and turning duck pieces, until meat is tender and rice is cooked, 30 to 40 minutes. Meanwhile, core and seed pepper, then finely chop. Stir into cooked rice along with coriander. Spoon onto dinner plates. Drizzle with Fresh Coriander Sauce (also in the Recipe File), if you like. Leftovers will keep well, covered in the refrigerator, up to 2 days. If making ahead, cook and add sweet pepper but not coriander. Refrigerate up to 2 days. Reheat in microwave, stirring often. Stir in coriander.
Calories 1020, Protein 52g, Carbohydrates 86.2g, Fat 49.3g, Sodium 1745mg.
If you've never cooked duck before, this is the way to start. Ask your butcher to cut the bird into serving-size pieces or do it yourself.