How efficient! When it was time to prick my Thanksgiving duck all over before putting it in the oven (stuffed with apple, onion, fennel), I remembered I had this handy tool from a long-ago Pampered Chef home party I’d attended. (My other purchase: a heavy glass measuring/pouring bowl with plastic lid for storage. Very handy!)
I think this “pricker” is really meant to hold an onion or tomato while you slice it, but its super-sharp tines were perfect for this job. In a flash, I’d pricked that duck thoroughly all over, before and during roasting.
As you can see, my slow-roasted bird (about 3 hours at 320°) turned out beautifully, with burnished crackling skin, and a juicy interior.
I served it with a casserole of cornbread dressing, which included some chopped apple, dried cranberries, and pecans. My friend brought delicious peas cooked with pearl onions and mushrooms, and some fabulously thick crème fraîche.
For dessert, Whole Earth Center pecan pie and whipped cream made with Trickling Springs cream, the most delicious heavy cream I’ve tasted. So thick, it almost whips itself!
NJ SPICE 