peaches

I am a Bird Lover I Eat Duck (Breast Satay) and Other Tails (Tales)

03 Aug 2011
duck breast satay with grilled peaches

I am not a vegetarian and that is not a secret.

Still I am not really a carnivore either, though I eat meat (when and if I feel like it). You see it's all the labels people put on themselves that make me crazy... omnivore, pescivore, herbivore... boring-ivor.

Do people know these are labels for creatures that cannot control their biology? Eat what you want and be happy. Humans can control their lives, their environment and what they eat. Take control of your choices or don't, but leave the labels for zoologists.

I felt the need for that little rant because I am sooo bored of the debate. It's kind of like the state of politics. Two extremes swallow up all the discourse and the middle has no recourse. Be it health-nuts or those with the poorest of eating habits– left-wing whores or right-wing whack jobs. The blindly faithful or the arrogantly faithless... they are all just insecure junkies. Convinced that their way is the best way. In other words they have no control over themselves or their environment, because their environment defines them.

Which brings me to duck. You see I love duckies. I'd have a duckie for a pet if I could. But I also eat duckies. I think it fulfills their purpose in life. I made that decision and it doesn't make me a quack-ivore. It makes me a person in control of my choices.

Make the jump and have a look at my recipe for Peach & Ginger Glazed Duck Breast Satay with Grilled Peaches, if I haven't ruined your appetite. There's wine too. My brother brought a Benton-Lane Pinot Noir. It's the perfect pairing for attitude. GREG

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Peach & Ginger Glazed Duck Breast Satay with Grilled Peaches

Peach & Ginger Glazed Duck Breast Satay with Grilled Peaches
By jgreghenry Published August 3, 2011
Prep time: 90
Yield:1 (Servings)

Ingredients:

  • 1 T garlic, peeled and minced
  • 2 T fresh ginger, peeled and minced, divided
  • 1 c soy sauce
  • 4 boneless, skinless duck breast halves
  • 1 c peach preserves
  • 1 T hoisin sauce
  • 2 T rice vinegar
  • 1 red jalapeni pepper, seeded and minced
  • 2 peaches, cut into 16 wedges
  • 2 green onion, thinly sliced
  • 1 bn cilantro, to taste (optional)

Directions

Marinate the duck: Mix garlic, 1 tablespoon fresh minced ginger and the soy sauce in a medium bowl. Cut each duck breast in half lengthwise and then each piece in half lengthwise once again. Giving you 16 pieces about 5 inches by 1-inch. Toss the duck into the marinade and chill at least 1-hour and up to overnight, stirring occasionally.

Make the glaze: Combine preserves, hoisin, vinegar, jalapeno, and remaining 1 tablespoon fresh ginger in a small saucepan. Cook over medium heat, stirring often, until bubbling. Remove from heat and set aside.

Grill the duck and peaches: Remove the duck from the marinade, wiping off excess. Spear each piece lengthwise onto a water-soaked bamboo skewer. Then thread 4 peach slices into each of 4 additional skewers. Prepare grill for medium indirect heat (350 to 450 degrees). Grill duck over the direct heat side, turning once, about 6 minutes. Brush the duck generously with the glaze and cook an additional minute or two per side until the glaze is bubbling and the duck in cooked to your liking (125 degrees interior temperature for a rosy pink). Remove the duck to a plate to rest while you grill the peaches.

Grill the peaches: Brush each peach skewer generously with some of the glaze. Then cook the peaches on the indirect side of the grill until they soften some (about 4 minutes). Brush on more glaze and move the skewers to the direct heat side to caramelize to your liking. Remove to a serving plate.

To serve: Remove the peaches from the skewers and lay a few slices on a small plate with a duck satay on top. Garnish with green onion, and cilantro (optional).

Peach Collins Made with Peach-Flavored Vodka and Fresh Peaches

28 Jul 2011
Peach Collins Made with Peach-Flavored Vodka and Fresh Peaches

Peaches, I buy them whenever I see them. All summer long. It makes no matter how many bushels I already own, or how many fruit flies I have to chase around the kitchen. I always think I need just a few more peaches.

I eat peaches out of hand, over the sink– the juice running everywhere. I know you know that image, you've done it yourself. But I also like to use peaches in both sweet and savory recipes– from tarts to BBQ sauce to cocktails.

Yep, cocktails. In fact I just made a peach of a cocktail that I felt I needed to share. It's a summery riff on the classic Tom Collins. It's easy to make, it's pretty in the glass. It's a little sweet and a little sour. It's a light little sparkler, but still plenty potent enough to work its summer magic.

It starts with fresh peaches, muddled Caiprhina style. In fact if I had made this with light rum or cachaca, we'd be calling this a riff on a Caprihina. But I didn't use either of those liquors. I used vodka, so it seems more like a Collins to me.

I know I often say that I am not really a vodka drinker. But the one thing vodka does really well in my opinion is take on flavors. Vodka is a great choice for infusing with just about anything. It's easy to do and you'll have a mighty tasty flavored liquor for your effort. So you could infuse your own vodka with peaches for this cocktail recipe if you wanted. But both Absolut and Stoli make peach-flavored vodka that tastes great. And that's the route I went.

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Peach Collins

Peach Collins
By jgreghenry Published July 28, 2011
Prep time: 5
Yield:1 (Servings)

Ingredients:

  • 1 c granulated sugar
  • 1 c lemon juice
  • 1 c fresh peach, cut into 1/2-inch dice, divided
  • 1 c peach-flavored vodka
  • 1 c club soda
  • 4 sli peaches, as garnish

Directions

Make the lemon syrup: Add the sugar and lemon juice to a medium sized saucepan set over medium heat. Swirl the pan occasionally until the sugar dissolves completely. Remove from heat and allow to come to room temperature.

Mix the lemon syrup, 1/2 cup diced peach (with skin) in a large pitcher with a heavy bottom. Using a wooden spoon muddle the mixture together until the peaches break up a bit, but don't make a mush of it. Pour in the vodka, and stir to combine. Divide the un-strained mixture between 4 tall Collins style glasses. Add the remaining diced peaches alternating them with ice cubes to fill each glass to the top with ice. Top with club soda, and garnish with a peach slice.

Source: Adapted from Sunset Magazine

Guest Post: Cuisiner Par le Siège de Vos Pantalons! Spatchcock Chicken Salad

02 Aug 2010
Jason The Well Done Chef

Today I am handing over my kitchen tongs to a chef. A real chef. A working chef! His name is Jason, but you may know him as the The Well Done Chef.

Now Jason is a dude with strong opinions. I admire that– and though he may be an actual chef, and though he may have a fancy French name for the method he wants to discuss today. I want you to know that I have a little non-chef secret of my own. What he calls Système Débrouillard, I have always called default. As in the default pasta that makes random appearances here on Sippity Sup.

As proud as I am of my default dishes, I am not sure this qualifies me to the title of chef. Because Jason takes the concept of default to an art.  Still, whatever fancy name this style of cooking goes by– I like to call it "cooking by the seat of your pants!".  And just so you know, if I were indeed a chef I would call default cooking cuisiner par le siège de vos pantalons!

So please read on and welcome Jason as he proves what I have always known, Default Cooking (or should I say Système D?) is what the love of the kitchen is all about! GREG

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