Dynamic Duck with Cola – One Of The Fastest Slow Meals Ever!

There are always two problems to be overcome with duck – one is that it is often tough, and the other that it is often dry. This very simple method of cooking duck with cola (it’s not even a recipe really, more of a concept) overcomes both these problems at a stroke.

The acidity of the cola helps break down the fibres while it’s marinating, and the long cooking also helps to reduce the toughness.

Soaking the duck in the marinade overnight, and then effectively poaching it for hours in lots of sauce, it helps to keep it moist.

The best cola to use is Marks & Spencer’s – go here to find out why.

You will need four pieces of duck – get the butcher to joint the duck – do not attempt to do this yourself unless you really know what you are doing otherwise you will end up with scraggy bits, and chips of bone.

The duck is good with orange carrots, pak choi and, if you really need some carbohydrates, basmati rice, maybe with some dried sour cherries… or raisins scattered in it.

For a long time I couldn’t get this dish quite right (some of the cooking had to be done in the morning), and then I was lucky enough to get Frances Jones-Davies (see Frances Jones-Davies, editor of Cambria Magazine, on Welsh food) to help with it. She’s developed it into a real peach of a recipe, and comments:

“In the evening I am geared up for cooking, although quite often too tired to do anything ambitious. This puts all that cooking at a time when you can potter at it, glass in hand, without having to do anything at all demanding. We enjoyed it very much. Henry said it was the best duck he had had in years!”

This is what you have to do if you have four people for dinner.

Ingredients

  • 4 duck joints, Gressingham ideally
  • 2 cans of cola
  • 160 ml/⅔ cups rich soy sauce (follow this link for how to choose the best)

Method

That is all there is to it.

duck with cola
duck in cola recipe
Frances Jones-Davies’ duck in cola.
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