午后时光
日子。心情。人和事
最冷的冬天里那盘让人惊艳的油封鸭腿
2026.1.24
我是喜欢吃鸭肉的，一是它的皮，可以又香又脆，二是鸭肉的质地，跟鸡肉火鸡肉不同， 感觉更修长更滑嫩更有韧劲儿， 想象一下不经常锻炼的人和经常锻炼的人的肌肉， 鸭肉的纹理就像是经常锻炼的人的肌肉，富有弹性和活力， 是又干又柴的鸡肉不能比的。
一说起鸭子，除了北京烤鸭，最有名的是不是就是法式油封鸭了？所以去蒙特利尔魁北克城，去巴黎去欧洲，可以吃到比较正宗的法餐的地方，我总是挡不住点一份油封鸭腿的诱惑，吃了没有十盘也有七盘八盘了吧， 越吃越不满意，越吃越失望。油腻腻的鸭腿，配同样油腻腻的土豆泥，有时候会有一勺酸甜的果酱，蔓越莓或者橘类，果酱的甜味往往大比例地压过了酸味；鸭肉的肥腻，土豆泥的软腻，和果酱的甜腻，三腻合一，让人兴趣全无，垂下眼帘不忍再去回味。
没有想到的是，最让我惊艳的油封鸭腿，竟然出现在安省西南部小伦敦的这家餐馆里。
小伦敦和英国那个名闻遐迩的大伦敦同名，穿过城市的河流也同样被命名为泰晤士河，毫无疑问，安省的伦敦郑重其事地寄托了最早登上美洲大陆的英裔移民的情思，那时的他们应该是梦想着，在年轻的美洲大陆上打造出来一个一模一样的家乡。加拿大华人为了区别英国伦敦，把安省的伦敦叫作小伦敦。
一如既往，餐馆是Allen找的， 去小伦敦前，我告诉Allen，这次Bill打算请他吃一次真正的高级餐厅，找个好一点的啊，我嘱咐Allen，贵一点的。Allen 爱好不多，日常生活节俭，抵制过度消费，唯一算得上奢侈的爱好是在吃食上，注重食材，可以不经常出去吃饭，出去吃的话喜欢精细饮食，所以我们出门，吃什么饭，Allen长大后都是Allen负责。Allen心思细腻，在他的高品质餐饮和我们的北美胃口以及钱包承受程度之间找到了那个微妙的平衡，安排得恰如其分，让以挑剔和难伺候出名的Bill大部分时间都无话可说，只能乐呵呵地表示还行还行了。
今天吃什么？ 我问Allen。逛完商店把买来的东西送回Allen住处，我们出去吃饭。Allen说，主体是西式，但是有创意融合的成分 （fusion style）。 哦，创意融合料理，Allen带我们吃过几次，主打一个新奇，出其不意，就像在巴萨罗那吃到的辣根腌新鲜牛肉片， 日式和西式的结合，让人难以评价，说不上好吃，也说不上不好吃，最大的特点就是跟你吃过的所有东西都不一样 —- 新奇的体验，是不是也是一种不可多得的价值？
Allen跟Bill都点了脆皮三文鱼的午饭套餐，主菜加甜点，我因为在减重期，不想吃太多，就单点了一个主菜。 这家餐厅跟很多高级餐厅一样，重质不重量，量一个体现在饭菜的份量，另一个是菜单上菜品的数量，主菜单子短小精悍，不到十个品种，牛扒猪扒三文鱼海鲜素食，还有这个油封鸭腿 —- 于是我又一次毫无悬念地掉进了油封鸭腿的坑里。我安慰自己，减重期，不管怎样，禽类总是比猪牛类红肉更合适的。
这盘油封鸭腿的开盘是美好的， 鸭肉柔嫩水滑弹性十足，新鲜的粉红色，丝丝脱骨，鲜香不腻。我先把焦脆的鸭皮剥下来，搭在一片柔软的鸭肉上，送到了Allen的盘子里 （Allen喜欢吃鸡皮鸭皮鱼皮， 也喜欢吃鸭肉），然后刀叉并用，把鸭肉轻轻地拨开，先空口尝了尝鸭肉本身的味道，又沾上旁边的酱汁，开始小口小口品尝。切小一点，咀嚼慢一点，一是有利于养生，再有当然是想把鸭肉的鲜美尽可能地扩展到极致，把享受延长一点再延长一点。 我是个吃饭比较快的人，能让我主动放慢速度，联想到养生和享受的食物不多。
食材新鲜，火候恰到好处， 这是个好厨师。Allen和Bill的三文鱼也可以看出厨师的功力， 外面焦香酥脆， 一刀下去，淡橙色的鱼肉翻出一层层花瓣般的纹理，经常自己在家煎制三文鱼的我对这个纹理不陌生， 那是鱼肉刚刚成熟的状态， 鲜嫩多汁。我很少在外面餐馆吃三文鱼， 就是因为做三文鱼重在火候，餐馆里的三文鱼大多煎过了头，煎过了头的三文鱼鱼肉干硬，味同嚼蜡，那个样子的一盘菜，除了蛋白质和不饱和脂肪酸，真就没有什么别的可吃的了。
虽然尽量放慢速度，鸭腿还是让我很快吃完了，最后一口的鸭肉沾足了酱汁，余韵袅袅之中，我竟然在暗褐色的酱汁里品到了一丝甜面酱的味道。难道这道菜参照北京烤鸭的吃法，在西式酱汁里掺加了甜面酱？ 油封鸭腿这盘菜，本来以为鸭肉吃完了，高潮已过，收尾部分就只剩意兴阑珊了，没想到这却只是一个故事的开端 —- 小径曲折，半遮半掩，引着人探向那幽深之处。
我的好奇心陡起，睁大眼睛，重新审视盘中剩余的配菜。 一个圆圆的米白色小饼打底，上面散散地堆上白色半透明的长长的菜丝，点缀两抹绯色的轻薄菜片， 杏白桃红，犹如春光乍现。Allen Bill的三文鱼配菜里有两个酥皮点心一样的厚三角，我看着好奇， 要了一小角过来尝尝， 竟然是千层土豆饼，土豆片轻薄如纸， 层层分明， 酥酥软软。再看我自己盘中的小饼，不规则的锯齿边缘，黄白的颜色，我想当然地把它看成了西式配菜土豆丝饼 （hash brown)，入口的感觉却是软糯的，没有土豆丝饼的酥脆。 我把白色小饼切割成小小的方块，把一个正方形翻过来，饼色素白，有细小青翠的葱花点缀其中，这是改了版的葱油饼 —- 或者说更像我小时候家里经常做的 “摊片儿” ， 英文应该叫它 green onion pancake 吧。
白色的菜丝入口清爽利落，柔和的丝丝缕缕的酸， 轻淡的克制隐忍的甜，我可以十分地肯定，这是泡菜白萝卜。真是让人惊喜连连，搭以油腻著称的鸭肉， 还有什么比泡菜白萝卜素淡的酸和甜更合适的呢，良配啊。
法式的鸭肉，中式的酱汁和软葱饼，韩式泡菜萝卜丝，多么意味深长底蕴十足的一盘菜啊 —- 这会是一个什么样的大厨呢，西裔还是亚裔？
我对Bill和Allen说，这是我这么多年来吃到的最满意的油封鸭腿。我清理掉盘子里最后一片食物残渣，心满意足地放下刀叉，带着意犹未尽的微笑，抬起脸来。窗外阳光灿烂，天空湛蓝，大地美丽而宁静 —- 据说今天是安省南部五六十年来最寒冷的一天。
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
The Most Stunning Confit Duck Legs in the Coldest Winter
January 24, 2026
I love duck meat for two reasons: first, its skin—it can be so fragrant and crispy. Second, the texture of duck meat itself, which differs from chicken or turkey. It feels more slender, tender, and resilient. Imagine the muscles of someone who rarely exercises versus someone who trains regularly—duck meat has that same texture, full of elasticity and vitality. It's something dry, tough chicken just can't match.
When it comes to duck, aside from Peking duck, isn't French Duck Confit (Confit de Canard) the most famous? So whenever I visit Montreal, Quebec City, Paris, or other European spots known for authentic French cuisine, I can never resist ordering a confit duck leg. I've probably eaten seven or eight plates of it, yet each time leaves me more dissatisfied and disappointed. The greasy duck leg paired with equally greasy mashed potatoes, sometimes accompanied by a spoonful of sweet-and-sour jam—cranberry or citrus—where the sweetness overwhelmingly drowns out the tartness. The fatty richness of the duck, the cloying softness of the mashed potatoes, and the cloying sweetness of the jam combine into a triple greasiness that kills any appetite, making one lower their eyes in reluctance to savor it further.
Unexpectedly, the most stunning confit duck leg I've ever tasted appeared at this restaurant in London, Ontario.
London, Ontario shares its name with the famed London in England, and the river flowing through the city is similarly named the Thames. Undoubtedly, Ontario's London solemnly embodies the nostalgia of the earliest British settlers to arrive on the American continent. Back then, they must have dreamed of recreating an exact replica of their homeland on the young American continent. To distinguish it from London, England, Chinese Canadians refer to Ontario's London as Little London.
As always, Allen picked the restaurant. Before heading to Little London, I told Allen that Bill planned to treat him to a truly high-end restaurant this time—something nicer, I instructed him, something pricier. Allen had few hobbies and lived frugally, resisting excessive spending. His only indulgence was food—he valued ingredients, rarely dined out, and when he did, he preferred refined cuisine. So whenever we went out to eat, Allen took charge of the meal choices after he grew up. Allen is meticulous, striking that delicate balance between his high-quality dining standards and our North American appetites and budget. His arrangements are spot-on, leaving Bill—renowned for being picky and hard to please—mostly speechless, just grinning and saying, “It's fine, it's fine.”
“What are we having today?” I asked Allen. After shopping and dropping off our purchases at Allen's place, we headed out to eat. Allen said the main style would be Western, but with creative fusion elements. Oh, fusion cuisine. Allen had taken us a few times before. It's all about novelty and surprise, like that horseradish-marinated fresh beef slices we had in Barcelona—a blend of Japanese and Western flavors that's hard to pin down. You can't quite say it's good, nor can you say it's bad. Its biggest feature is that it's unlike anything you've ever tasted before—a novel experience. Isn't that, in itself, a rare kind of value?
Allen and Bill both ordered the lunch set with crispy-skinned salmon, featuring a main course and dessert. Since I'm in a weight-loss phase and didn't want to overeat, I just ordered the main course. Like many high-end restaurants, this place prioritizes quality over quantity. This is evident both in portion sizes and the limited menu selection. The main menu is concise and refined, offering fewer than ten options: beef, pork, salmon, seafood, vegetarian dishes, and this confit duck leg. So, predictably, I fell right back into the confit duck leg trap. I reassured myself: during weight loss, poultry is always a better choice than red meats like pork or beef.
The confit duck leg arrived beautifully presented. The meat was tender, succulent, and springy, a fresh pink hue that fell effortlessly from the bone—flavorful yet not greasy. First, I peeled off the crispy duck skin, placed it atop a tender slice of meat, and sent it over to Allen's plate (he loves chicken skin, duck skin, fish skin, and duck meat). Then, using both knife and fork, I gently separated the duck meat. I tasted it plain first, savoring its pure flavor, then dipped it into the accompanying sauce and began savoring it in small bites. Cutting smaller pieces and chewing slowly serves two purposes: it's beneficial for health, and of course, it allows me to stretch the duck's deliciousness to its absolute limit, prolonging the enjoyment bit by bit. I'm usually a fast eater, so few foods make me consciously slow down, associating it with both wellness and pure enjoyment.
The ingredients are fresh, and the cooking is perfectly timed—this is a skilled chef. The salmon prepared by Allen and Bill also showcases the chef's expertise: crispy and fragrant on the outside, and when sliced, the pale orange flesh reveals layer upon layer of petal-like texture. As someone who often pan-sears salmon at home, I recognize this texture—it signifies the fish is cooked to perfection, tender and juicy. I rarely order salmon at restaurants precisely because its success hinges on precise cooking. Most restaurant salmon is overcooked, resulting in dry, tough flesh that tastes like chewing wax. At that point, beyond the protein and omega-3s, there’s really nothing left to enjoy.
Though I tried to savor it slowly, I finished the duck leg quickly. The last bite was drenched in sauce, and amidst the lingering flavors, I detected a hint of “tian mian jiang”, sweet bean sauce, in the dark brown gravy. Could this dish have been inspired by Peking duck, blending sweet bean sauce into the Western-style glaze? I’d assumed the duck leg confit had reached its climax once the meat was gone, leaving only a lackluster finale. Little did I know this was merely the beginning of the story—a winding path, half-hidden, beckoning me deeper into its mysterious depths.
My curiosity surged. Eyes wide, I reexamined the remaining accompaniments on the plate. A round, creamy-white pancake served as the base, topped loosely with long, translucent white vegetable shreds. Two delicate, crimson-hued vegetable slices dotted the arrangement—apricot white and peach pink, like the first glimpse of spring. Among Allen Bill's salmon accompaniments were two thick, pastry-like triangles. Intrigued, I asked for a small corner to taste. To my surprise, it was a mille-feuille potato cake—slices paper-thin, layered distinctively, crispy yet tender. Returning to my own plate, I examined the irregularly serrated edges of the golden-white pancake. Assuming it was a Western-style hash brown, I expected crispiness. Instead, it yielded to my bite with a soft, sticky texture. I cut the white pancake into small squares. Flipping one over revealed its pure white color, dotted with tiny, vibrant green scallion bits. This was a modified version of a scallion pancake—or more like the “tān piàn” my family often made when I was little. In English, it should be called a green onion pancake.
The white shredded vegetables offered a crisp, clean bite—a gentle, threadlike tang and a subtle, restrained sweetness. I could tell immediately: this was pickled white radish. What a delightful surprise! Paired with duck meat, notorious for its richness, what could be more fitting than the mild, sour-sweet notes of pickled radish? A perfect match.
French duck, Chinese sauce and soft scallion pancakes, Korean pickled radish shreds—what a profoundly layered dish this is. What kind of chef could create this? Western or Asian?
I told Bill and Allen this was the most satisfying confit duck leg I'd had in years. Scraping the last crumb from my plate, I set down my knife and fork with satisfaction, lifting my face with a lingering smile. Outside, the sun shone brightly, the sky was azure, and the earth lay beautiful and serene—supposedly the coldest day in southern Ontario in fifty or sixty years.
(Translated by DeepL and modified by cxyz)
希望Allen稍加磨练， 也能成为水儿一样的厨艺高手， 好吃最好也能做 ：）
谢谢蘑菇， 好久不见， 问好。
谢谢巧巧姐， 问好。
谢谢xiaxi, 好久不见， 问好。
我很喜欢吃鸭，烤鸭，盐水鸭，红烧鸭，油焖鸭，咖喱鸭...但还没吃过油封鸭腿。
你的美文让我对油封鸭腿向往，勾起馋虫～小伦敦太远，哪天去这里的饭店找找。
图片 — 还是有一张的， 后面只顾专心致志地品尝和研究，配菜忘了拍 ：）
谢谢亮妈，问好，抱抱 ：）
谢谢暖冬，我第一眼看过去以为是酥皮点心。 Allen说他试着做过这个土豆千层饼，因为太费事放弃了，暖冬如果有削薄皮的工具，应该不难。
—好Allen！我们家女儿也节俭也好吃：）
看小C写美食是一种享受，我都想试做那个千层土豆了：）
谢谢可可， 问好。
我后来查了一下这个餐厅这道菜的菜谱， 那道酱是梅子酱 ：）
小伦敦还行， 很多的树林子。如果交通再便利一点的话， 城市会繁荣很多。
我去过的小伦敦。：）