Food for Thought and Roasted Duck Legs

Hello!  Happy Wednesday!

First, just for kicks, some blue mozzarella to start off your morning.

And now, this Wednesday's Food for Thought:

Every week, my cousin and I have a phone date to catch each other up on our lives.  We talk about our family, our friends, boys, and we talk about food.  When she called me last Sunday, we both happened to be severely hungover and in desperate need of some remedial binge eating.

Her: "Oh man.  I just want some chicken mcnuggets right now.  I could eat 20 of them."

Me: "Eeewwwwwughhhblechhhhhhh!"

Her: "Oh, yeah.  You don't really eat processed foods, do you?"

It's not that I don't eat processed foods.  I love instant ramen, and I'm obsessed with Tofutti Cuties.  Occasionally I'll have a Boca Burger.  But, as I'm sure I've said here many times, I prefer fresh, local, homemade food.

I'll be the first to admit that I often fall for marketing gimmicks and shiny packaging telling me that what I'm buying is actually healthy and natural and "organic," even though the items are actually highly processed.  Recently, though, I've become wary of such labels.

Rightly so, I should think, considering the strategy of restaurants like Otarian.  As Jennie Yabroff points out in her article about the self-proclaimed eco-friendly restaurant, carbon-efficiency and composting have become fads used to sell "green" food.  At this point, it seems that it's no longer about the food; it's about the packaging.

Obviously, labels and menus and marketing play a huge role in the success of a restaurant or fast-food chain.  And, as this article from the Economist tells us, offering healthier and more diverse items can actually help business.

Of course, much of this labeling also has to do with health risks and regulation.  The ban of trans-fats in New York City is just one of many campaigns around the world to get people to pay attention to what they're eating and to live a healthier life.

For me, these articles simply serve as a reminder to always be conscious of what I am putting into my body.  No Spaghettios for me, thanks.

On to the real food...

Last weekend, at the Tompkins Square greenmarket, I picked up some duck legs from the Hoosic River Poultry farm.  I daydreamed about confit-ing them, glazing them, and braising them all week, but in the end I settled on a simple roast in the oven.  Which, it turns out, pretty much allows them to bathe in their own fat for a short while, kind of like the confit procedure.  The result of this easy, little-prep, throw-it-in-the-oven-and-walk-away-to-watch-a-few-episodes-of-Sex-and-the-City method is perfectly cooked duck legs, with just enough fat left in the pan to whip up some duck fat mashed potatoes.  Which is precisely what I did.

Can you think of anything more indulgent, more decadent, more luxurious than duck fat mashed potatoes?

I certainly can't.

Roasted Duck Legs and Leeks with Duck Fat Mashed Potatoes

2 duck legs
1 leek, trimmed, thoroughly rinsed, and dried
1/2 pound potatoes
salt and pepper
olive oil

Preheat oven to 300 degrees.  Season duck legs with salt and pepper.  Cut leeks in half lengthwise, then into thirds crosswise.  In a large bowl, toss leeks with a little bit of olive oil and salt and pepper.  In a small baking dish (just big enough for the duck legs and the leeks), arrange duck legs and leeks so that everything fits together tightly without overlapping.  Roast in the oven for 2 hours, or until duck meat is tender and falls off the bone.

Meanwhile, bring a large pot of salted water to boil.  Cut potatoes into quarters.  Boil potatoes until fork-tender.  Drain.

When the duck is done, reserve duck fat and transfer duck legs and leeks onto a plate.  Mash potatoes with duck fat and season liberally with salt and pepper.  If potatoes are too dry, add a knob of butter, splash of cream, and/or glug of olive oil.

DEVOUR.