Chef Mark Muszynski knew his whole life that he wanted to be in the kitchen and own his own restaurant. He would cut out of competitive street hockey games early so he could catch his favorite cooking shows on PBS. (He did so secretly as he wouldn’t dare mention to his Philly friends that he was leaving to watch Julia Child.)
Muszynski is 100 percent Polish and grew up cooking traditional Polish foods. “In my family, both of my parents were good cooks and my earliest cooking memories were an afternoon of rolling out tray after tray of pierogis with my mom, babcia [grandmother] and older sisters,” he says. “My dad was the ‘weekend warrior’ and I have fond memories of watching him and his buddies boil bushels of crabs in the summertime in a secret spice blend.”
At 19 years old, Muszynski became an apprentice at La Truffe restaurant in Philadelphia, which was considered one of the 15 best French restaurants in the country at the time. His hard work, creativity and love of every day being different in a kitchen has led him to owning and operating Curious Goods at the Bake Oven Inn with his wife, Catherine, for the past 14 years.
The two have created an absolute treasure of a farm-to-table restaurant in Germansville. (And if you get the chance to go, make sure to have the pierogis—even Alton Brown from the Food Network can’t get enough of them.)
On a rare day off, Muszynski loves to cook on his charcoal Weber grill. “Roasting a whole duck seems intimidating,” he says, “but it truly isn’t.” The recipe he shares here cooks the duck over indirect heat, so it will actually be smoked and cooked all the way through with a nice mahogany skin.
7705 Bake Oven Rd., Germansville | 610.760.8580 | bakeoveninn.com
Smoked Spatchcock Duck
Ingredients
- 1 whole duck (5–6 pounds)
- 1 Tbsp. kosher salt
- 1 Tbsp. brown sugar
- 1 tsp. ground juniper berries
- 1 tsp. ground star anise
- 2 cups of soaked wood chips (any flavor you like works; Muszynski uses applewood)
Instructions
Remove the duck from the packaging. Remove the giblets from inside the duck if they were included and reserve for future use. Rinse the duck with cold water and pat dry with a paper towel. Place the duck breast-side down on a cutting board. Use kitchen shears to cut closely along one side of the duck’s backbone and through the ribs. Repeat this cut along the opposite side of the backbone to remove it entirely. Flip the duck over and press down on the breast to flatten the bird.
Mix salt, brown sugar, ground juniper berries and star anise together. Season duck all over with spice mix. Place seasoned duck on a tray and allow it to marinate while you prepare the grill.
Once your charcoal is ready, move the hot coals to one side of the grill. Place half of the wood chips on the hot coals, place the grate on the grill, then place the duck, skin side up with the legs facing the coals, on the hot side of the grill. Cover with the air vents over the duck to allow the smoke to penetrate the duck while cooking. The duck will take about two and a half to three hours—or until the internal temperature is 160 degrees. You will need to add more charcoal and wood chips halfway through the cooking process. (One hour before the duck is done, add your prepared roasted carrots package and prepared roasted fingerling potatoes package.) Thirty minutes before the duck is done, rotate the duck so the breast is toward the hot coals to crisp up the skin.
Once cooked, remove it from the grill, place on a plate and tent with foil to keep warm.
Roasted Carrots
Ingredients
- 1 bunch of baby carrots, tops cut off and trimmed
- 1 Tbsp. olive oil
- 1 tsp. fennel seeds
- 1 tsp. dill seed
- Salt and pepper taste
Instructions
Rip a large piece of aluminum foil, big enough to hold the carrots. Place carrots in the middle of the foil and add olive oil, fennel seeds, dill seeds, salt and pepper. Wrap foil around the carrots to make a tight package. Place carrots package alongside the duck, on the cold side, one hour before the duck is done. Pierce with a knife to check the doneness of the carrots—the knife should easily pierce the carrots with little residue.
Roasted Fingerling Potatoes
Ingredients
- 2 pounds fingerling potatoes, washed, cut in half
- 1 Tbsp. of bacon grease or olive oil
- 1 bunch fresh thyme
- 3 garlic cloves
- Salt and pepper to taste
Instructions
Rip a large piece of aluminum foil, big enough to hold the potatoes. Place potatoes in the middle of the foil and add bacon grease or oil, bunch of thyme, garlic cloves, salt and pepper. Wrap foil around the potatoes to make a tight package. Place potato package alongside of the duck, on the cold side, one hour before the duck is done. Pierce the potatoes with a knife—the knife should go in and come out easy. If the potatoes are still hard, cook for another 20 minutes and retest.
Honey Ginger Strawberries
Ingredients
- 1 quart of fresh local strawberries, washed with stems removed and cut into quarters
- 1 tsp. fresh minced ginger
- 1 tsp. olive oil
- 2 Tbsp. local honey
- Salt and pepper to taste
Instructions
Place strawberries, ginger, oil, honey, salt and pepper in a sauce pan and place on the grill over hot coals. Cook until the strawberries release some of their juices and remove from heat. Keep warm.
To Plate
Cut the duck in half right through the breast bone and separate the leg. Separate the duck breast from the bone and slice evenly.
Remove the carrots from foil and place on a serving tray along with the potatoes.
Arrange sliced duck breast and legs on top of the carrots and potatoes. Garnish with fresh thyme and serve strawberry sauce on the side.
Tag @lvstylemag and #livelvstyle when you make it at home!
