Welcome back to another episode of “At the Teacher’s Table!” I already had a teacher in mind for this issue’s At the Teacher’s Table feature. I was exceedingly curious about what he would ask for; honestly, I feared that he would just ask for a six-pack of Diet Coke with a side of bubblegum. 

I’m sure you all can guess who my next feature is by now. Of course, it’s our favorite Diet Coke-loving AP US History teacher himself: Mr. Foy! 

Upon asking Mr. Foy about his favorite food, he immediately answered that it was duck. His favorite food is an absolutely delicious, sumptuous, and crispy whole roast duck; I was already salivating at the thought.

Alas, me versus a whole roast duck? Unfortunately, it was clear what the outcome would be. So, instead of a whole roast duck, I opted to make a crispy duck breast. On the same day (because I was too excited!), I hopped on over to Costco to buy duck breasts. 

Let’s begin to cook! I started off by marinating my duck with hoisin sauce, Shaoxing cooking wine, garlic, and ginger. The simple marinade serves many jobs: imparting a fragrant aroma to the duck, eliminating the gamey taste of duck, and keeping it tender. The marinade allows the duck to still be juicy. I also scored the duck breast in a crosshatch pattern, which would render more fat and make the skin even more crispy. 

I heated up my pan to medium heat, and placed the duck breast skin-side down. I always love hearing the initial crackling sounds when adding meat to the pan. As the duck skin continued its  sizzling, I turned the heat to medium-low. After the skin turned a beautiful golden brown, I flipped the duck breast and seared it until the duck breast reached a juicy, baby-pink medium rare. The duck breast was perfectly crispy and golden brown, and its aroma was delectable. It was truly a mouthwatering dish. The cooking process is now completed!

Now, my biggest challenge emerged: how do I keep the duck crispy for the tasting? 

To warm the duck up while also keeping it crispy, the microwave was a no-go for sure: while it would have warmed the duck up, the crispy skin I worked so hard for would become soggy. So, I popped the duck in the airfryer at 400 degrees Fahrenheit for five minutes, and I raced to school. 

Upon revealing the finished dish in the APUSH classroom, Mr. Foy and I were greeted with the delicious aroma of roast duck. Without further ado, he dug right in. He was thoroughly impressed with my crispy duck! He said that I “did a good job,” and he loved the taste. Mr. Foy was especially impressed that I kept the duck pink and medium rare.  

When making this dish in the future, he suggested adding a tart and sweet sauce to cut the fattiness of the duck, such as a cherry sauce with lemon juice.

Mr. Foy’s first introduction to home-cooking duck had a story similar to mine: a trip to Costco! Although duck is typically seen as a restaurant delicacy with exceedingly high price points, Mr. Foy and I were both amazed by how easy it is to make. You can make a restaurant-quality duck right in the comfort of your own home. 

Mr. Foy has a special connection with duck. Every month, he has a Sunday family dinner featuring roast duck as the star. Duck is truly a special dish for him and his family, and I was so happy that I could make it for him! I really enjoyed discussing different duck recipes with Mr. Foy. He’s interested in making duck confit, which consists of slow-cooking the duck in its own fat to produce a melt-in-your-mouth tenderness and finishing it off with a quick sear to crisp up the skin. The possibilities of duck are truly endless!

I was curious whether Mr. Foy had ever tried Peking duck (北京烤鸭), which is my personal favorite duck dish and my favorite food of all time! When I go to Beijing, I get it at least three times! He hasn’t tried it before, but he’ll hopefully be doing so in the future. 

He and I certainly shared the same duck-loving palate. I’m glad Mr. Foy and I could bond over our shared love for duck. I’m so grateful for the opportunity to personally connect with my teachers by making them their favorite dishes! This column has given me the chance to get closer with my teachers through my cooking, and I always look forward to trying out new dishes. I hope my column inspires you to make a crispy duck breast or cook a dish for a teacher you love!