Friday, March 14, 2014

Roast duck on Canal Street


Habit. Reassuring, calming, steadying.

Or myopic and insular.

Fifteen years I have been walking past this place. Fifteen years.

Today I walked in.

But not before an actual confrontation with myself on the sidewalk, on Canal Street, in a freezing wind. I walked past. Stopped. Turned around, looked at the ducks. Thought, I would like a duck, yes I would. Walked on again. Stopped. It's probably a restaurant. They won't sell me a duck. Walked back, anyway, looked in again. Walked on. Braked for a third time, swore at myself, turned around and went in.

And...?

It's fabulous supermarket! 


I bought my duck (it was the one all the way over on the left). I ogled the pig.


I shopped. I bought the black beans I haven't seen anywhere else in ten years: Golden Lion Dried Black Beans. Fermented and salty.$1.75 for a small vat.

Organic sunflower seeds. Bought those for the cardinals. Maybe we'll eat some too.

There was a whole other floor, downstairs, but I was running late and still had to pick up roast pork buns at Mei Li Wah, on Bayard Street.

Then the duck, the warm pork buns and I rode the A train home.


At home, I spread the chopped up duck pieces on a baking sheet and slid them into a very hot oven for a few minutes. Juices ran, and I poured those off into a saucepan and reduced them a little, pouring them into a jug (my great grandmother Mary's). I made a superfluous dipping sauce. We ate the duck with lettuce leaves, and surprisingly appropriate M'Hamsa - Tunisian couscous, into which I stirred some spoonfuls of those powerful little black beans, and a handful of chopped scallions.


5 comments:

  1. I've never been in a place that inspires as much of that should I shouldn't I than NYC. Windows. Walking. Nicely done.

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  2. How delicious it all looked. I would be interested to know what you will do with the leftovers. The crepes were an inspiration, by the way. Thanks.

    Nancy Mc

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  3. On Jury duty……today was the perfect day to be in Chinatown, The wind stopped and the sun came out in the afternoon. On our generous lunch break (1 hour and 45 minutes) i had my hair washed (great massage)) and 'blown dry' for $15.00…..stopped by Dim Sum Go Go , to bring dumplings for supper tonight, and now will go back for the duck…(I stopped in there the other day but it was crowded, so made a note to go back). Thanks for the encouragement! One week to go…. GH

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  4. Nothing finer than a duck roasted Cantonese- or Peking-style... :)

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  5. Viewed from the other side, if I may, to balance: Gulp... Snapshots of the moment of their end. I'm vegetarian, yeah. I cannot see this as food.

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