AlwaysInvestigating:  Duck, Duck, Gyro

The Gluttoness — September 22, 2009

For all intensive purposes, gyros and shawarmas are one in the same. When you’re starving on Lexington, eating the damn thing is more important than dissecting the distinctions, but they are worth noting.

Gyros are from Greece. The name refers to the sandwich itself, which is typically made of garlic and oregano-spiced ground pork (although it can be combined with lamb, chicken or beef), which is compressed into forcemeat before being spit-roasted. In Arabic speaking countries, shawarma refers to the meat itself, usually sliced lamb, seasoned with allspice and assembled in layers on a spit before being roasted. Ultimately, both preparations are sliced off the spit and served in a pita. While gyros are usually dressed with Greek yogurt or tzaziki, and shawarma typically takes tahini or tarator (tahini with garlic), neither is customarily stuffed with duck, yet some New York chefs are opting to put a gourmet spin on these street food favorites.

 

ilili’s Duck Shawarma with Fig, Green Onion and Garlic Whip.

ilili’s Duck Shawarma ($14.00) has the appearance of your typical Middle Eastern shawarma, except the fancy holder allows the wrapped pita cone duo to be delivered upright. Thin pita is grilled for a smoky exterior and the delicate crispness of the wrapping gives way to a generous portion of sliced duck. While some bits are plagued by fat and gristle, most of the medium meat had a gamey richness. In typical fashion, the shawarma’s sauce was characterized by garlic. The intensely seasoned garlic whip had the caramelized hue of roasted cloves. The creamy sauce controlled the flavor profile, its heaviness given relief by a plentitude of pungent green onions and a sweet speckling of figs.

 

Anthos Upstairs’ Duck Gyro with Golden Raisin Marmalade and Caramelized Onion.

Michael Psilakis doesn’t take as replicative an approach to the Duck Gyro he serves at Anthos Upstairs. Pita-wrapped gyros (or shawarma) may have originated because they enabled the quick, utensil-less consumption of street meats, but his deconstructed interpretation brings back the plate. As at ilili, duck replaces the typical protein, although this duck is prepared as charcuterie. The rounds of duck sausage resemble Hebrew National’s kosher beef salami, although these velvety slices had subtle salty flavor marked by the richness of game. Served over a cumin-spiced Greek yogurt sauce, the creaminess is offset by a tart raisin marmalade and a sweet, caramelized onion topping. A pile of cut-out rounds of pita made a soft, warm base on which to layer each element, amounting to a delectable finger food after all.