Beer Can Duck, Wild Rice and Caesar Salad

Duck is a very rich tasting meat and was being thawed for Duck à l'orange before my  Birthday weekend and surprise guests.  To me, cooking a whole duck has always felt festive and extravagant.  

With all the many steps in making Duck à l'orange and after a long telephone call with my son and his children in the East, I decided to test out Barbecuing this duck as a Beer Can Duck.  I had found an excellent marinade for Beer Can Chicken on the Maple Leaf Packaging and uses this same marinade on the duck.  Well I winged it as I couldn't find this recipe but did use the following in the marinade: Sesame Seed oil, Lime juice, Five Spice powder, Garlic and hot Chilies.  

Into the can of beer, I had dropped a Garlic clove, Star Anise and the squeezed Lime.

The skin of the duck was crispy and the meat tender and moist.  My son was most anxious to flambé this duck! But I had other plans!

Mushrooms and Mixed Bell Peppers were roasted in a Cast Iron pan on the BBQ.    Garlicky Caesar salad was made as a side dish.

Wild Rice with Raisins and Almonds,  another vintage recipe was made as a side dish to accompany the Crisp Duck. The Wild Rice sweet, savoury and nutty dish is a perfect for Poultry.  In fact this was the recipe I used for stuffing for Cornish Game Hens at my daughter's Celebration Baptism meal.  

What better way to end a birthday weekend filled with family, fun and good food then with a Flambé Pudding!