Duck-off reducks

Last week, chef Michael Tuohy of Grange and Hank Shaw of the blog Hunter Angler Gardener Cook faced off for the first ever Duck Off! competition. It was a friendly tête-à-tête, judged by local food personalities Darrell Corti, Rick Kushman and Niesha Lofing, along with California Waterfowl Association president Bob McLandress. Shaw sprinted from the gate with a duck heart tartare puttanesca, while Tuohy kept his stride with fried livers on duck-fat mayo. McLandress commented, “To have that kind of flavor coming from the innards of ducks was unbelievable!” The chefs went on to produce such wonders as duck sugo on barley—duck egg pasta and warm rillettes of duck with pomegranates and persimmons. In the end, it was declared a draw, with Corti noting, “I guess if you live long enough, you get to eat everything.” Grange served a prix-fixe duck menu for the evening to benefit the CWA.