…it’s so much more than that, at least in France. In this lovely country of mine, generic terms don’t mean anything when it comes to good food. A duck – might be a well-fed bird from Nantes or a fleshier brother from Rouen or Challans. You will find the noble Canard de Bresse, raised and pampered like a prince (although it’s not part of the world-famous poultry AOC). There’s ducks blanc de l’Allier or de Bourbourg or de Vouillé, ducks from les Landes, from Loué, from Sarthes or from le Sud-Ouest, and this is just a quick and very rough overview. In fact, there’s proud breeders in almost every French valley whose activities can date back to ancient times.
I’ve bought a piece, a magret from southern France, a duck breast displaying a snow-white coat of fat over firm yet tender meat of a colour you only know from old Dutch master paintings. I’m a bit ashamed to say that I just used it as an ingredient of a nice, hot, spicy Japanese-style soup. Needless to say that it turned out delicious.
Thanks for stopping by my blog and commenting on my roasted tomato post. You’ve got me interested completely with the idea of the duck in a spicy Japanese style soup. Oh do share the details. I’m a big fan of all Asian cuisines, especially when they are fused with another. I will subscribe and look forward to reading more!
Hi there! Thanks for answering. I’ll post the duck soup recipe soon. Between us, it’s not a big deal: it’s a dashi stock cooked with mirin and soy sauce, lots of spring onions and duck meat, spiced up with chili or that great Japanese powder you might already know: “shichimi togarashi” – great stuff.