Tuesday’s Cupful: Background on Black Tea Roast Duck

Not too shabby or gamey

Why boil a duck before roasting in the oven? Well…the extra step extracts some of the gamey flavor that’s characteristic of duck compared to the other commonly cooked fowls i.e. chicken or turkey.  Meanwhile, the brewed tea also cuts through the duck’s more squalid flavors.  Look for several variations of preparing duck using black tea or black tea leaves in Chinese cuisine.  The Mixed Stew reminds readers that boiling the duck also removes a lot of duck fat from the end product while tenderizing the bird’s meat.