Maiden Voyage

The CFT got a new toy. Straight from OneGrill out of the Nati, a nice little backyard spit. From this point forward, so long as it weighs around 40 lbs or less, no animal is safe.

For the initial run, the victim was an allegedly innocent duck lovingly raised in Valley City by the ever growing Plum Creek family. Weighing in around around 4 lbs, it seemed like a good way to dip a foot into the pool.

Duck tacos. How cliche. But these tacos, made with a mix of crispy skin and meat in each one, are a bit different, but firmly grounded in tradition. Not Mexican tradition.

The tortillas here are Mandarin pancakes (see here for a great pictorial recipe from one of the better food blogs out there). They were super easy to make, way better than flour tortillas, and a nice break from the corn variety. I used peanut oil between the rolled out layers.

That purple stuff under the meat in the first pic? I was trying to keep with the Peking duck theme, but didn't have plum sauce kicking around. However, thanks to a Terra Madre bound friend, there was some Damson plum jam in the back of the fridge. It made the duck pancake, which was pretty good even sans jam, just ridiculous.

That cilantro? Not too far off the reservation here either. I hear some folks call it Chinese parsley.

And there are some action shots below.

I kept adding fresh coals to the hot ones to keep the heat going. It went for just about two hours, and in all honesty could have gone for a third. But it got dark out. It's all a learning experience.

All in all a nice way to unwind after work.