WKOW Chef's Corner: Citrus and Fennel Seed Encrusted Wild Salmon

How To Make Peking Duck

We serve Peking duck at The Madison Club on a one week pre-order basis. We buy ducks from two different local farms in the Madison area. Peking duck is rather straight forward, but the procedure is a time commitment.

The first step for making Peking duck is to separate the skin from the meat. This creates a pocket for the fat to render out of the bird frying the skin while basting the meat. We have found that an air compressor works very well for this. The second step is to baste the bird with a boiling pot of soy sauce, citrus, scallion, garlic, ginger, honey, and sherry wine. The bird should be basted for about 10 minutes. This marinates the duck inside and out. After the duck is nicely basted, it is time for the bird to hang overnight to dry out the skin. A very dry duck results in beautifully crispy skin. The crispy skin is what most people look for and expect out of Peking duck. Finally, roast the duck at 375 to 400 f. on a rack. It is best to roast the duck in a convection oven on high fan. A 4 pound duck will take about 40 minutes. The duck should rest for a brief moment and served immediately.

We serve roast Peking duck traditionally with homemade crepes, orange supreme, sliced scallion, and hoisin sauce.

Farms to Food Video - Click Here

Madison Club Executive Chef Dan Fox prepares a spring vegetable salad with seasonal ingredients from the Dane County Farmers' Market.

WKOW Chef's Corner: Stuffed Poblano Peppers with Walnut Crema

Cocktail & Cooking Class

Good friends and fantastic bartenders Nate Brown and Gabe McNeil joined us for a joint cocktail and cooking class. Guests were treated to a night of explanation and great tips for making several classic cocktails which were paired with tasty bites of food designed to complement each drink.

Chef Dan explains why we chose to serve country pate toast with jackfruit dijon verus the Sazerac cocktail. The balance of fat, floral fruit, and acid from the mustard all contribute to accenting the cocktail experience.

Pimms cups are a perfect summertime cocktail. The Pimms story is quite interesting. The cocktail is even better. A refreshing earthy lemonade laden with the season's fruit, crisp citrus, fragrant mint and cool cucumber flavors, it quenches thirst in style.

Nate explains and gets guests involved with slapping the mint to revive the oils and release the fragrance.

Gabe McNeil and Nate Brown share their excitement for cocktail work.

Scallop and shrimp ceviche worked wonderfully versus the Tom Collins.

Ramos Gin Fizz - worth the work

Hog Harvest @ Jordandal

Sunday April 25 was a cool and damp morning, but that did not stop a group of about 15 from participating in the harvest of a 220 lb Berkshire barrow at Jordandal Farms. Eric and Carrie Johnson were incredibly gracious hosts, assisting us in every way requested. Along with partner Matt Walters, the Johnson's operate in the Argyle area and will be featured this summer at REAP's "Day on the Farm."

We are fortunate to be involved in the event and encourage all to attend on July 18. The farm has a wonderful diversity of stock, some quite friendly.

A dedicated group of Madison Club staff, our good friend Stephanie Izard and new friend Lee Anne Wong, a group from Chicago currently involved with Charlie Trotter's, Eric and family friend, Terry gathered around for the brief explanation of how the process would occur. We were very fortunate to have Paulius Musteikis behind the lens capturing the day with his tremendous talent.

Photos or being involved tell a far better story than words ever will, but here is a quick breakdown of the process: The animal was taken off feed and water the night before to lessen the digestive capacity. Following the dispatch by .22 the animal was stuck in the throat to bleed out and the blood was harvested for later use in charcuterie. The complete carcass was then submerged in hot water to loosen the outer layer of skin and hair.

Knives drawn at a perpendicular angle to the skin then removed the hair and skin. Once the animal was cleanly scraped, the innards were carefully removed and several organs were harvested (heart, liver, kidneys, stomach and secum). The animal was split down the spine into two halves and the process then moved indoors for the fabrication phase.

The cool weather did not stop the interested onlookers. Knowing where your meat comes from and fully understanding the way in which an animal breaks down is invaluable to cooks, whether new or old. Jason is very fortunate to have been involved in animal harvests from an early age and was able to explain the process as we went.

Lee Anne, Eric and Stephanie.

Many thanks to Eric and Carrie for the opportunity.