Crispy Roasted Duck Breast with Marquise Potatoes
Disney Cruise Line's Crispy Duck with Marquise Potatoes
Bake it Yourself: Recipe for Disney Cruise Line’s Crispy Roasted Duck Breast with Marquise Potatoes by Jonathan Frontado
Crispy Roasted Duck Breast
Serves 4
Duck
6-8 pound fresh or frozen duck
1 tablespoon olive oil
Marquise Potatoes (Potato Cakes)
4 medium Yukon gold potatoes, peeled
4 strips bacon, finely diced
1/2 cup finely diced yellow onions
1 tablespoon finely chopped parsley
1 egg
1/4 cup plus 1 tablespoon all purpose flour, divided
Coarse salt, freshly ground black pepper
2 tablespoons butter
Pomegranate Jus
1 cup beef stock
1/4 cup pomegranate syrup
For duck:
- Preheat oven to 300° F.
- Roast duck for 25 to 35 minutes, or until medium rare. Rest until cool enough to remove breast, thighs, and legs, keeping the skin intact.
- Heat olive oil in medium skillet over medium heat. Add duck breast, skin side down, and cook for 3 to 5 minutes, or until skin is crispy.
- Place thighs and drumsticks, skin side up, back in oven for 5 to 7 minutes or until skin is crispy.
- Transfer duck to cutting board and let stand 15 minutes before carving.
For marquise potatoes (potato cakes):
- Boil potatoes until tender, drain and cool on a perforated pan. Shred the potatoes with a box grater; set aside.
- Sauté bacon until crisp in a medium skillet. Add onions and cook until translucent.
- Add bacon and onions to the shredded potatoes. Mix in parsley, egg, and 1 tablespoon flour. Season to taste with salt and pepper.
- Form into eight 3-inch cakes. Dredge the cakes lightly in remaining flour, coating both sides.
- Heat the butter in large skillet over high heat. Cook the cakes until golden brown on both sides.
For pomegranate jus:
- Heat beef stock in small saucepan over medium heat. Bring to a boil, reduce to low heat, and let simmer for 15 minutes.
- Pour in pomegranate syrup and simmer for 5 to 7 minutes.
To serve:
- Place 2 potato cakes on 4 entrée plates and serve with duck breast slices, thighs and drumsticks.
- Drizzle 2 tablespoons of pomegranate jus over duck and serve remaining jus on the side.
Water Safety
With most vacation rental homes on the Windsor Palms Resort having private pools, and the two community pools, water safety is of paramount importance to guests and owners alike.
When someone suggested reading a blog post on drowning by Mario Vittone, I did just that. You can find the post in all its glory here: http://mariovittone.com/2010/05/154/ as well as many more on water safety.
Please take a few minutes of your time to read the article. If it helps save just one life, it will be minutes well spent.
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Drowning Doesn’t Look Like Drowning
By Mario Vittone
(http://mariovittone.com/2010/05/154/)
The new captain jumped from the deck, fully dressed, and sprinted through the water. A former lifeguard, he kept his eyes on his victim as he headed straight for the couple swimming between their anchored sportfisher and the beach. “I think he thinks you’re drowning,” the husband said to his wife. They had been splashing each other and she had screamed but now they were just standing, neck-deep on the sand bar. “We’re fine, what is he doing?” she asked, a little annoyed. “We’re fine!” the husband yelled, waving him off, but his captain kept swimming hard. ”Move!” he barked as he sprinted between the stunned owners. Directly behind them, not ten feet away, their nine-year-old daughter was drowning. Safely above the surface in the arms of the captain, she burst into tears, “Daddy!”
How did this captain know – from fifty feet away – what the father couldn’t recognize from just ten? Drowning is not the violent, splashing, call for help that most people expect. The captain was trained to recognize drowning by experts and years of experience. The father, on the other hand, had learned what drowning looks like by watching television. If you spend time on or near the water (hint: that’s all of us) then you should make sure that you and your crew knows what to look for whenever people enter the water. Until she cried a tearful, “Daddy,” she hadn’t made a sound. As a former Coast Guard rescue swimmer, I wasn’t surprised at all by this story. Drowning is almost always a deceptively quiet event. The waving, splashing, and yelling that dramatic conditioning (television) prepares us to look for, is rarely seen in real life.
The Instinctive Drowning Response – so named by Francesco A. Pia, Ph.D., is what people do to avoid actual or perceived suffocation in the water. And it does not look like most people expect. There is very little splashing, no waving, and no yelling or calls for help of any kind. To get an idea of just how quiet and undramatic from the surface drowning can be, consider this: It is the number two cause of accidental death in children, age 15 and under (just behind vehicle accidents) – of the approximately 750 children who will drown next year, about 375 of them will do so within 25 yards of a parent or other adult. In ten percent of those drownings, the adult will actually watch them do it, having no idea it is happening (source: CDC). Drowning does not look like drowning – Dr. Pia, in an article in the Coast Guard’s On Scene Magazine, described the instinctive drowning response like this:
- Except in rare circumstances, drowning people are physiologically unable to call out for help. The respiratory system was designed for breathing. Speech is the secondary or overlaid function. Breathing must be fulfilled, before speech occurs.
- Drowning people’s mouths alternately sink below and reappear above the surface of the water. The mouths of drowning people are not above the surface of the water long enough for them to exhale, inhale, and call out for help. When the drowning people’s mouths are above the surface, they exhale and inhale quickly as their mouths start to sink below the surface of the water.
- Drowning people cannot wave for help. Nature instinctively forces them to extend their arms laterally and press down on the water’s surface. Pressing down on the surface of the water, permits drowning people to leverage their bodies so they can lift their mouths out of the water to breathe.
- Throughout the Instinctive Drowning Response, drowning people cannot voluntarily control their arm movements. Physiologically, drowning people who are struggling on the surface of the water cannot stop drowning and perform voluntary movements such as waving for help, moving toward a rescuer, or reaching out for a piece of rescue equipment.
- From beginning to end of the Instinctive Drowning Response people’s bodies remain upright in the water, with no evidence of a supporting kick. Unless rescued by a trained lifeguard, these drowning people can only struggle on the surface of the water from 20 to 60 seconds before submersion occurs.
(Source: On Scene Magazine: Fall 2006 (page 14))
This doesn’t mean that a person that is yelling for help and thrashing isn’t in real trouble – they are experiencing aquatic distress. Not always present before the instinctive drowning response, aquatic distress doesn’t last long – but unlike true drowning, these victims can still assist in their own rescue. They can grab lifelines, throw rings, etc.
Look for these other signs of drowning when persons are in the water:
- Head low in the water, mouth at water level
- Head tilted back with mouth open
- Eyes glassy and empty, unable to focus
- Eyes closed
- Hair over forehead or eyes
- Not using legs – Vertical
- Hyperventilating or gasping
- Trying to swim in a particular direction but not making headway
- Trying to roll over on the back
- Appear to be climbing an invisible ladder.
So if a crew member falls overboard and everything looks OK – don’t be too sure. Sometimes the most common indication that someone is drowning is that they don’t look like they’re drowning. They may just look like they are treading water and looking up at the deck. One way to be sure? Ask them, “Are you alright?” If they can answer at all – they probably are. If they return a blank stare, you may have less than 30 seconds to get to them. And parents – children playing in the water make noise. When they get quiet, you get to them and find out why.
Staying in a Windsor Palms Vacation Rental - urgent care medical treatment options
We all want our vacations to be memorable in a good way, but what if you become ill during your vacation? You are away from your regular physician and its all a bit strange, you don’t know where or who to turn to.
You will be pleased to know that there are plenty of options close by to the Windsor Palms Resort for health care.
Obviously for urgent emergency medical situations, you can and should call 911. But what if its not an emergency? What options do you have?
If you have a minor ailment and just want advice on over the counter items, the Walgreens pharmacy can help. There are plenty around. Also, if you have health insurance, your plan may have a dial a nurse line that you can call for advise.
If you need a doctor, there are now two options in the area.
Paramount Urgent Care
628 Cagan View Rd
Clermont, FL 34714
Telephone: 352-242-1988
Open: Daily 8AM-8PM
Cagans Crossing Shopping Area
Centra Care (Formosa Gardens)
7848 West Irlo Bronson Highway
Kissimmee, Florida 34747
Telephone 407-397-7032
Fax 407-397-7041 & 407-397-7042
Open: Weekdays 8:00am - 8:00pm, Weekends 8:00am - 5:00pm
Formosa Gardens Village
Thankfully we have not had cause to use them yet, but its nice to know they are around.
A fellow owner did, unfortunately, need the services of a health center. The feedback that they reported was that the Paramount Urgent Care office was cheaper and friendlier than the Centra Care office. They also have slightly better hours. An additional plus, they are right next to a Starbucks should you need a coffee!
For more serious needs, there is a well regarded hospital at Celebration, Florida Hospital Celebration Health.
Lets hope that you never need the services of any of these places!
–Kay
- Providing special vacation home rentals and advice for over 5 years to families and friends wanting to make the most of their time and money while visiting Walt Disney World.
- Windsor Palms Resort Vacation Rental http://www.windsorpalmsorlando.com
- Emerald Island Resort Vacation Rental http://www.emeraldislandorlando.com
Happy Valentine’s Day from Disney’s Turf Club
In honor of Valentines Day, the chefs at Disney’s Turf Club at the Saratoga Springs Resort shared the recipe for their Chocolate Espresso Torte on the Disney blog.
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Disney’s Turf Club Chocolate Espresso Torte
Makes one 9-inch torte
1 1/2 sticks butter, softened, plus additional softened butter for greasing pan
3/4 cup sugar, plus additional sugar for dusting pan
12 ounces semisweet chocolate, finely chopped
5 eggs at room temperature, beaten
1/4 teaspoon vanilla extract
1/2 cup prepared espresso
Chocolate Ganache:
4 ounces semisweet chocolate
1 stick softened butter
Vanilla ice cream, optional
For Torte:
Preheat oven to 300º with oven rack in middle position. Wrap a 9-inch springform pan in plastic wrap, then wrap tightly with a layer of heavy-duty foil. Generously butter pan. Dust pan with sugar, tapping out excess. Place prepared pan in a roasting pan; set aside.
Combine 3/4 cup sugar and prepared espresso in a small saucepan over medium heat. Heat, stirring, until sugar is dissolved. Set aside to cool for 10 minutes.
Place chocolate in a large bowl set over a large saucepan of barely simmering water (do not allow bottom of bowl to touch water). Stir occasionally until just melted. Add butter by the tablespoonful, stirring until combined. Stir in espresso syrup and vanilla extract. Set aside to cool slightly, 4 to 5 minutes. Gently stir in eggs until combined.
Pour batter into prepared springform pan. Pour boiling-hot water into roasting pan until it reaches three-quarters of the way up the of springform pan. Bake until center of torte is almost set, but still wobbles just slightly, about 45 to 50 minutes.
Transfer torte to a wire rack to cool completely. Refrigerate, covered, for 8 hours or overnight.
For Ganache:
Place chocolate in a medium bowl set over a medium saucepan of simmering water (do not allow bottom of bowl to touch water). Stir occasionally until melted. Set aside to cool slightly, 3 to 4 minutes. Add butter by the tablespoonful, stirring until combined and glossy. Use immediately.
To Serve:
Run a thin knife along edge of chilled torte, and remove springform pan ring. Set torte on a wire rack set over a sheet pan. Pour ganache over torte, a bit at a time, spreading with a rubber or offset spatula to cover top. Allow excess to drip down sides, if desired. Place torte on a platter or sheet pan lined with parchment paper, and refrigerate until set, approximately 2 hours. Serve with vanilla ice cream, if desired.
For Miniature Heart-Shaped Tortes:
Cut individual tortes from large torte using a heart-shaped cutter. Carefully dip each heart into ganache using two forks, letting excess drip off. Set hearts on a sheet pan lined with parchment paper, and refrigerate until set, approximately 2 hours. Serve with vanilla ice cream, if desired.
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Looks yummy!
–Kay
- Providing special vacation home rentals and advice for over 5 years to families and friends wanting to make the most of their time and money while visiting Walt Disney World.
- Windsor Palms Resort Vacation Rental http://www.windsorpalmsorlando.com
- Emerald Island Resort Vacation Rental http://www.emeraldislandorlando.com
Carnival of Venice
Tutto Italia in EPCOT will be having a Carnival of Venice celebration beginning February 8th 2010 through to February 16th 2010. This special celebration includes an appetizer, entree and desert. Prices are $19 for lunch and $29 for dinner. Servers will be wearing amazing handmade Venetian masks and costumes. Dinner will also feature the strolling musical trio “Viva Venezia”
The chef inspired menu also features Fileto Di Pesce Al Melograno (Halibut with Pomegranate Sauce) at dinner.
http://bit.ly/CarnivalofVenice
Call (407) WDW-DINE (939-3463) for reservations.
FILETO DI PESCE AL MELOGRANO (HALIBUT WITH POMEGRANATE SAUCE)
Serves 4
Halibut
1 3/4 pounds halibut fillet (1 1/2 inches thick), cut into 4 even portions
Salt and pepper
2 tablespoons olive oil
Pomegranate Sauce
1/4 cup dry white wine
2 tablespoons chopped shallots
1/2 cup heavy cream
1/2 cup pure pomegranate juice
1 tablespoon butter
For the halibut:
1. Season the halibut with salt and pepper.
2. Heat olive oil in large frying pan over medium-high heat until just starting to smoke.
3. Carefully place the halibut in the oil and cook for 4minutes each side, turning once, until golden brown on each side.
For the pomegranate sauce:
1. Boil wine and shallots over medium-high heat in heavy small saucepan for approximately 2 minutes or until most of wine has evaporated.
2. Add heavy cream and pomegranate juice and bring to a boil for approximately 5 minutes or until reduced to 3/4 cup.
3. Whisk in butter. Season to taste with salt and pepper.
4. Spoon sauce over halibut before service.
Sounds delicious!
–Kay
- Providing special vacation home rentals and advice for over 5 years to families and friends wanting to make the most of their time and money while visiting Walt Disney World.
- Windsor Palms Resort Vacation Rental http://www.windsorpalmsorlando.com
- Emerald Island Resort Vacation Rental http://www.emeraldislandorlando.com
Who you gonna call?
I just had to share this.
Up for offer on Ebay is an original Ghostbusters car that was used at Universal Studios. One of only 3 official Ghostbuster cars made. Cool. To top it off, the car is autographed by Ernie Hudson from the original movie.
If I had money to burn, I would love this - just for the fun of it. In one day the bidding went from $200 to $45000 - with a few more days to go in the auction, I wonder what the final bid will be.
http://cgi.ebay.com/ebaymotors/ws/eBayISAPI.dll?ViewItem&item=150301618614
Hurry, the auction closes on October 11th 2008
