The Two-Duck Protocol: Christmas Eve in the Tatekitchen

 

Duck Breast with Himberry

Go for medium rare

Some traditions are inherited. Others are engineered.

For me, Christmas doesn't start with a tree. It starts with an order: Two Whole Ducks.

Every year, around this time, I bring two whole birds into the kitchen. This isn't just for one dinner. This is a strategic operation. This is how I fuel my family from Christmas Eve all the way to the New Year.

  • Christmas Eve & Day: Roasted breast and confit legs.

  • New Year's Eve (Toshikoshi): Rich Duck Soba to cross over into 2025.

  • New Year's Day (Osechi): freeze a brest part and prepared for the traditional boxes.

Nothing is wasted. Everything has a purpose. That is the Matsuda way.

The Foie Gras & The Himalayan Strawberry

Tonight was about the opening act.

We seared foie gras—rich, buttery, intense. But the real magic was the pairing.

I served it with Himeberry Japanese Strawberry Jam. This isn't your grocery store preserve. It’s grown in Nepal using Japanese farming technology. I got this jar from Nanami, my podcast sidekick, back in October when I was in Japan organizing the Hololife Summit.

It’s the perfect balance: the fat of the liver cutting through the bright, full-bodied sweetness of strawberries grown in the Himalayas. It tastes like memory. It tastes like a global connection.

Divina Italia – Tributo a D.V. Catena 2022 limited bottles around 20,000.

The Wine: A Brother’s Gift

To wash it down, I didn't just grab a bottle from the cellar. I opened a gift.

My brother, who used to work in Argentina, sent over a bottle from his private collection in Buenos Aires.

It’s bold. It’s complex. And it reminds me that no matter where we are in the world—Boston, Tokyo, or Argentina—we are connected by these moments at the table.

The Calm Before the Storm

Now, the kitchen is quiet. The ducks are prepped. The wine is finished.

The kids are asleep (for now). But I know the chaos that’s coming. The wrapping paper flying, the screaming, the pure unfiltered joy of Christmas morning.

I can’t wait to see their faces.

But for tonight? We eat well. We rest. We recover.

Merry Christmas from my kitchen to yours.

Kion Coffee
 
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DESCRIPTION

T-shirt features a tateki pasta print for a friendly hello and with a drop tail and rounded bottom hem gives of a fashionable, relaxed vibe that's all the rage right now. It has a long body and feels extra comfortable. This is a everyday essential for casual style and cooking life.

DETAILS

  • 100% airlume combed and ring-spun cotton

  • Fabric weight: 4.2 oz/y² (142 g/m²)

  • Long body with rounded bottom hem

  • Drop tail

  • Relaxed fit

 
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TatekitchenTateki MatsudaDuck, Foie Gras, StrawberryComment