Culinary Adventures with Camilla

Another main dish I cooked for Brian's Game of Thrones birthday lunch : honeyed fowl. And I didn't want to just serve chicken, so I opted for duck and Cornish game hens. I considered quail, too, but realized I would need about 50 quail to feed our hungry troops. The duck was easy. I adapted my Maple-Syrup Glazed Duck by simply swapping out local, raw honey for the maple syrup during the last 10 minutes of cooking. Easy peasy. I served it with a Pinot Noir reduction on the side. I haven't made Cornish game hens in about a decade. I don't know why. It just doesn't occur to me to purchase them. However, after the reception they received, I will definitely make them again. 2 Cornish game hens 5 lemons 2 clementines hickory salt - enough to rub the birds inside and out 5 T butter, melted honey - enough to drizzle over the top Preheat the oven to 300 degrees F. Take any innards from the hen cavity. Rinse, dry, and rub with hickory salt.  When your birds...

I'm on Orphan-detail again today for the  Secret Recipe Club  - for a Group B orphan today! - and I am thrilled to be cooking from On the Move-In the Galley . One of the reasons I always volunteer to help out an SRC orphan is to meet new foodie bloggers. But, in this case, I've been reading this blog for awhile now. So, I was doubly happy to help out. There are so many recipes I love on this blog. On my short-list: Bacon-Date Tart , Prosciutto-Wrapped Pork Tenderloin , Vieux Carre , and Avgolemono with Lamb Meatballs . Today, pressed for time and not feeling too good, I opted to do her Basic Balsamic Reduction . I've seen so many recipes that call for a balsamic reduction, but it was nice to have a "recipe." This concentrates the flavor and makes a delicious syrup. 1 C balsamic vinegar Place this in a saucepan and bring it to a simmer. Simmer until reduced by at least one half. The longer you simmer, the thicker it becomes.  That's it! I served it...

Remember how I neglected to take photos of our finished Roasted Duck with Hachiya Persimmon Glaze on Thanksgivukkah? Arrrgh. I never do that, but I was in a rush. So, I decided on a do-over. Sort of. Of course, I had to tweak it a bit. This time I did a simple maple syrup drizzle with hickory sea salt. The basic technique: 4 hours at 300 degrees, glaze, then finish it at 400 degrees for 7-10 minutes. Here's a more detailed how-to...u nwrap the bird and remove all of the giblets from the duck's cavity.  When your duck is empty, rinse it under cold water. Pat it dry with paper towels. Sprinkle the cavity with some salt. I used freshly ground hickory sea salt from the   Monterey Bay Salt Company . With a sharp knife, score a diamond pattern into the duck skin on the breast. Slice very carefully - you want to cut through most of the fat without cutting into the meat. As luck would have it, a duck’s layer of fat is fairly thick. So this process is relatively easy ...