Food
July 2008

CONTENTS

Sofrito | Fred Arroyo

Sleeping In | Micah Bateman

On The Road Again | Tyson Blanquart

Kohlrabi | Rebecca Bodicky

Chili-Mac | Michael Castro

Breakfast with the New Madrid | Ian Dorward

Delicious | Hilary Hitchcock

Transmigrated Duck Heart | Thom Fletcher

Improvising | John Garcia

Lines in the Van, Lines in the Sand | Chris King

Hermetic Rice | K. Curtis Lyle

Don't Forget About Your Veggies | s.c. truckey

Mastication | Brett Underwood

Tables | Justin Visnesky

 

 

Transmigrated Duck Heart | by Thom Fletcher

Ingredients:
1 fresh duck
1 pound morels
6 cloves garlic, minced
½ cup parsley, finely chopped
2 tablespoons dried tarragon
1 cup cooking sherry
1 teaspoon ground black pepper
½ cup olive oil
2 cups rice (white or brown)
5 cups strained chicken stock

Preparing the duck:
The transmigration occurs in the dressing, so it is important that this is done in absolute solitude (no pets!). This method of transmigration gives the duck a faint “woody licorice” taste that will fascinate your guests, but I strongly recommend keeping this step a secret. To some gastronomists transmigration makes for a subtle and exotic delicacy, but others find the idea highly repellent. Before you make the first cut along the breastbone, from throat down, know that Sir Francis Bacon died in London of pneumonia while attempting to preserve a chicken by stuffing it with snow. To this day people have reported seeing the ghostly image of the chicken running in the street. Also know that a sharp knife is a safe knife. As the knife travels down the breast, let the fingers of your other hand follow in the cut but do not allow your sympathies to focus on the duck. Focus instead on what an innocent and promising child you were. Now make a curved cut down the side of the duck at the bottom of the rib-cage. Open the carcass and filet the breast from the ribs. Let this remind you of how the world’s cruel ways have abused and robbed that poor child you used to be. Remove the thighs. Save the breast for roasting, the thighs for confit, and the neck for stock. Now, taking great care not to let tears fall into the carcass, remove the thick outer lining of the gizzards, and remove cartilage between halves. Place hand on gizzards and heart, and allow your loss and shame to pass into the meat. Now forgive the duck, and slice the gizzards across the striated muscle into chunks about 1 inch square. The heart needs only be washed of any congealed blood.

Now you’re ready to cook! By this point the duck is transmigrated, but you may find it useful to complete the recipe in silent reflection. Sauté gizzards, heart and mushrooms in olive oil over high heat until the mushrooms begin to brown. Add one cup of sherry and reduce heat. Add garlic, parsley, tarragon and pepper. Cook over medium heat for 20 minutes, occasionally adding more sherry. Serve over rice steamed in chicken/duck stock.

Serves 8.

BIO

Thom Fletcher is a pneumatic fitting salesman from Ferguson, MO. He is no relation to the Great Masticator, Horace Fletcher, who extolled the virtues of thoroughly chewing both solids and liquids in order to properly release their nutrients.