Best 20 Roasted Duck Recipes

ROASTED DUCK

Steps:

• Preheat oven to 375 degrees F (190 degrees C).
• Rub salt, pepper, and paprika into the skin of the duck. Place in a roasting pan.
• Roast duck in preheated oven for 1 hour. Spoon 1/4 cup melted butter over bird, and continue cooking for 45 more minutes. Spoon remaining 1/4 cup melted butter over duck, and cook for 15 more minutes, or until golden brown.

GARLIC ROASTED DUCK BREAST

Steps:

• Place duck breast skin side-down on a cutting board. Cut a small slit from top to bottom, 2/3 of the way through the duck breast. Season with salt and pepper.
• Preheat oven to 400 degrees F (200 degrees C).
• Heat a skillet over medium-high heat. Place duck breast skin side-down in the hot skillet; cook until browned, about 30 seconds. Flip and repeat on the other side.
• Transfer duck breast to a clean work surface, skin-side down. Place 3 or 4 garlic strips inside the slit. Place rosemary sprig over garlic; top with remaining garlic strips. Place skin side-up in a baking pan.
• Bake in the preheated oven until an instant-read thermometer inserted into the center reads 120 degrees F (50 degrees C), about 10 minutes. Cover with aluminum foil. Let rest for 5 minutes before slicing.

ROASTED WILD GOOSE OR DUCK

Steps:

• Preheat the oven to 325 degrees F (165 degrees C).
• Rinse and pat goose dry. Place cold butter in a large bowl and add cranberries, raisins, orange, onion, apple, sage, tarragon, basil, garlic, bay leaf, salt, and pepper. Mix well using your hands until you have a large ball of butter and fruit.
• Stuff the ball of butter into the body cavity of the goose. Close cavity and tie drumsticks together with kitchen twine. Sew cavity shut to protect flavor and moisture, if desired.
• Place 2 large layers of foil on a work surface. Make a bed of bacon slices in the center of the foil by placing 4 or 5 slices side by side. Lay goose on top, breast-side up. Cover breast and legs with remaining bacon. Bring foil up and fold, sealing in the bird, leaving small space around the bird for air circulation. Place foil-covered bird into a roasting pan.
• Roast in the preheated oven until no longer pink in the center, 3 to 4 hours. An instant-read thermometer inserted into the largest part of the thigh should read 180 degrees F (82 degrees C).
• Remove from the oven, leave the bird breast-side down, and let rest for 15 minutes. Turn the bird breast-side up and let rest for 10 minutes. Open foil pouch very carefully, as there will be a lot of steam. Remove and discard all stuffing and transfer bird to a serving platter. Slice, carve, and serve, or serve whole and carve at the table.

PAN-ROASTED DUCK WITH WILD MUSHROOMS

Steps:

• Rinse dried mushrooms to remove sand or dirt and place in a bowl. Cover with boiling water and let steep for 30 minutes.
• Lay duck breasts skin-side down on a cutting board. With your fingers, remove the thin tenderloins from the underside of each breast and reserve for sauce. With a sharp knife, trim away any gristle. Turn breasts skin-side up and trim excess fat from the edges. Score the skins in a diamond pattern. Season generously with salt and pepper, transfer to a plate and leave at cool room temperature for 1 hour.
• Put olive oil in a heavy saucepan over medium-high heat. When hot, add the reserved tenderloins and brown well on both sides. Add butter and flour to pan, and cook, stirring, until mixture is lightly browned, 2 to 3 minutes. Add soaked mushrooms and soaking liquid, and stir well as sauce begins to thicken. Add wine, thyme and bay leaf, turn heat to low, and simmer gently until gravylike, but not too thick, 15 to 20 minutes. Remove and discard tenderloins, thyme and bay leaf. Taste sauce and adjust seasoning. Keep warm. (Sauce may be prepared several hours or up to 2 days in advance.)
• Set a large cast-iron skillet over medium-high heat. When pan is hot, add duck breasts to skillet skin-side down and let sizzle. Lower heat to medium and cook for about 7 or 8 minutes, making sure skin doesn't brown too quickly. (This will render fat and crisp the skin.) Turn breasts over and cook 3 minutes more for rare (thermometer should read 120 degrees), or 4 to 5 minutes for medium-rare (thermometer should read 125 degrees). Transfer to a warm platter and let rest for 10 minutes.
• Pour off all but 2 tablespoons rendered fat from the pan, and raise heat to medium-high. Add sliced mushrooms and sauté, stirring occasionally, for about 5 minutes, letting them brown nicely. Season with salt and pepper. Turn off heat and stir in garlic and parsley.
• Slice duck 1/4-inch thick, crosswise at a slight angle, and serve immediately. Each serving should have 4 to 5 slices of duck, a large spoonful of mushrooms and a bit of sauce.

ROASTED DUCK FAT POTATOES

Steps:

• Heat oven to 450 degrees. On a rimmed baking sheet, toss together the potatoes, duck fat, salt and pepper. Lay thyme sprigs and bay leaves on top.
• Roast for 30 minutes, then toss the garlic into the potatoes and reduce oven heat to 350 degrees. Continue to roast until potatoes are fork-tender, another 15 to 25 minutes. Remove thyme and bay leaves and serve, or let cool for up to an hour then reheat, uncovered, at 350 degrees just before serving.

ROASTED DUCK BREASTS WITH WILD MUSHROOM STUFFING AND RED-WINE SAUCE

Steps:

• Make the stuffing: Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Bake bread cubes in a single layer on a rimmed baking sheet until just golden, about 25 minutes. Let cool completely. Pulse in a food processor (in batches, if needed) until coarse crumbs form, about 15 seconds; transfer to a bowl. Add 1/4 cup oil; toss well. Spread breadcrumb mixture on the baking sheet, and bake, stirring occasionally, until deep golden brown, about 15 minutes. Transfer to a large mixing bowl.
• Heat remaining 3 tablespoons oil and 2 tablespoons butter in a large skillet over medium-low heat until butter has melted. Add leeks, celery root, and garlic; cook, stirring occasionally, until leeks are soft, about 15 minutes. Raise heat to medium. Stir in mushrooms and thyme; season with salt and pepper. Cook, stirring occasionally, until mushrooms are soft, about 10 minutes. Remove from heat. Stir vegetable mixture into breadcrumb mixture; let cool completely.
• Prepare the duck: Place duck breasts, skin sides up, on a cutting board. Using a sharp knife, score lines, 1/2 inch apart, in a cross-hatch pattern into the fat; cut almost all the way through, but do not cut into flesh. Season both sides with salt and pepper. Cut six 14-inch pieces of kitchen twine. Lay 3 pieces of twine about 2 inches apart on cutting board. Place 1 duck breast half, skin side down, crosswise over twine. Place about 1/2 cup stuffing on top of duck. Top with another breast half, skin side up. Tie together tightly with the twine. Repeat with remaining breasts. Stuffed duck can be refrigerated, covered, overnight. Bring to room temperature before cooking.
• Bake remaining stuffing: Preheat oven to 375 degrees. Butter an 8-inch square baking dish; set aside. Stir together remaining stuffing and 1 1/4 cups stock in a large bowl. Transfer to prepared dish. Bake until top is crisp and pale golden brown but center is moist, about 30 minutes.
• Meanwhile, cook the duck: Heat a large skillet over medium heat. Add duck breasts to skillet. Cook, turning once, until golden brown, 5 to 7 minutes per side. Transfer breasts to a plate; pour fat from skillet into a heatproof container. Return breasts to skillet, and place in oven. Cook until an instant-read thermometer inserted into the thickest part of the meat registers 125 degrees.for rare, 25 to 30 minutes. Transfer to a plate; let rest in a warm place, loosely covered with foil, 15 minutes. Pour fat from skillet.
• Make the sauce: Lightly wipe out skillet, and place over medium-high heat. Add wine; cook until reduced by half, about 5 minutes. Add port, if desired, and stock. Simmer until reduced by half, about 5 minutes. Add accumulated juices from the duck to skillet. Season with salt and pepper; whisk in butter. Pour sauce through a fine sieve into a gravy boat. Slice duck, and serve drizzled with sauce, with baked stuffing on the side.

SLOW-ROASTED DUCK

Steps:

• Preheat oven to 500 degrees. Season duck generously inside and out with salt and pepper. Put 1 or 2 pieces each of thyme, garlic, carrots, turnips, beets and shallots, in cavity. Truss duck; set in large casserole dish or medium roasting pan. Scatter rest of ingredients and neck around duck; season with salt and pepper. Cover loosely with foil.
• Roast duck for 10 minutes, lower temperature to 300 degrees and roast for 3 1/2 hours, basting vegetables and duck with pan juices and skimming off fat occasionally.
• Remove foil. Take out vegetables and neck, and set aside; roast duck for 1 more hour (if vegetables are not tender, continue roasting until they are). Skin should be well browned and crisp; the meat, extremely tender. Transfer duck to cutting board. Skim fat off pan juices; add water to pan, if necessary, to make 1/2 cup. Bring juices to boil, adjust seasoning, and transfer to serving bowl. Reheat vegetables and neck in baking dish in oven. Carefully carve duck (meat may fall off bone), adding vegetables from cavity to those in pan. Serve with pan juices and vegetables.

STEAMED AND ROASTED WHOLE DUCK

Steps:

• To reduce the fat and produce a crispy skin, begin by trimming the excess fat from the neck and body.
• Rinse the duck, inside and out, and pat dry thoroughly with paper towels.
• Combine the Chinese five-spice, sugar, and salt in a small bowl.
• Rub the spice mixture all over the duck, inside and out.
• Salt and five-spice powder makes a fragrant dry marinade, which draws some of the moisture from the duck so that the spices penetrate.
• Stuff the duck cavity with the aromatics: the ginger, garlic, green onions, and tangerine peel.
• Fold the wing tips back under the duck and tie the legs together with kitchen string.
• Poke the duck breast a few times, piercing the skin.
• Place a roasting pan on the stovetop over 2 burners and fill with 2-inches of water, turn the heat to medium.
• Set a V-rack insert inside the pan and lay the duck on the rack, breast-side up.
• Cover tightly with aluminum foil.
• Steam the duck for 45 minutes, checking the water level periodically.
• Steaming the duck first melts away some of the fat and shrinks the skin.
• In a small saucepan combine the vinegar, honey, and soy sauce over low heat.
• Bring to a boil and simmer and stir for 15 minutes until sauce thickens.
• The duck will be lacquered with the sweet glaze, which caramelizes during roasting, making the skin crisp and brown.
• Preheat the oven to 375 degrees F.
• Take the foil off the duck, remove the rack with the duck, and pour out the water and all the fat that has rendered out.
• Put the rack with the duck back inside the roasting pan.
• Baste the duck with the vinegar mixture, until all the skin is completely coated in the glaze.
• Stick the whole thing in the oven.
• Roast the duck for 1 hour, basting periodically with any remaining glaze to set in a deep mahogany color.
• Tent the breast with some foil if it gets too dark.
• The legs will wiggle easily when it's done.
• Carve and serve.

ROASTED DUCK WITH SAGE & ONION STUFFING & APPLESAUCE

Steps:

• Preheat oven to 220°C.
• Stuffing:.
• Melt the butter in a saucepan. When the foaming subsides, add the chopped onion. Saute on a gentle heat for around 10 minutes. Cook until translucent, avoid browning.
• Take pan off heat and add all remaining ingredients.
• Mix well with your hands to incorporate the egg. If the mixture seems a little too dry, add a touch of water. If too moist, add some more breadcrumbs. It should hold its shape easily.
• Duck:.
• Cut neck off duckling, and put aside for future use in gravy (below).
• Put the stuffing inside the cavity of the duck. Close up the flaps of the cavity, securing them with toothpicks.
• Cover the duck with melted butter, and season generously with salt and pepper.
• Place the duck breast-side down (to make all the juices run into the breast, making for a more succulent final result) on a rack. Then place rack & duck in a roasting tray.
• Add a little water to the bottom of the roasting tray to prevent burning.
• Place tray in oven. Cook at 220°C for 15 minutes.
• After the 15 minutes, reduce the heat to 180C, and cook for a further 30 minutes.
• After the 30 minutes, turn duck breast-side up and continue cooking for another 60-70 minutes (still on 180°C), checking on occasion that it does not burn/is not browning too much.
• Note: While duck is cooking, make your gravy and apple sauce.
• If duck is getting too brown/dark, reduce heat to 160°C, or cover the extremities of the duck with aluminum foil.
• At the end of the cooking time, remove duck from oven. Place in a warm spot (perhaps atop an unused part of the stove) and cover with aluminum foil until serving time.
• Gravy:.
• Chop neck from (above) duckling into pieces with a meat cleaver.
• Put the pieces of neck and oil in a saucepan over the heat and allow some of the duck fat to render.
• Add roughly chopped vegetables, herbs, bay leaf, peppercorns, and salt and fry for 20 minutes on medium heat, stirring regularly.
• After the vegetables and duck neck have achieved a good brown color, add enough water (or stock) to barely cover the contents of pot.
• Bring slowly to the boil, skimming any scum (bubbly impurities that gather at the surface) that appears.
• When gravy has come to the boil, reduce to a gentle simmer, and continue to skim scum from time to time. Keep on gentle simmer for as long as possible for the best flavor, adding a touch more water or stock from time to time if needed.
• When the duck (above) gets close to being cooked, strain the gravy through a fine sieve to remove the vegetables, herbs, etc. Push down hard using the back of a spoon so as to extract as much juice as possible. Discard vegetables (or feed to your chickens/compost heap!).
• In a clean pan, bring the strained gravy to the boil, stirring occasionally.
• When gravy has reduced by a third, thicken with cornflour dissolved first in a small amount of cold water (3-4 tablespoons). Make sure to quickly stir gravy once cornflour is added to ensure good dispersion of cornflour & smooth gravy consistency.
• Season the gravy with salt and pepper according to your personal tastes.
• You could also add some of the pan juices from the roast duck once it has finished cooking - just stir in well.
• Apple Sauce:.
• In spaces where duck and gravy are cooking & able to be left alone for a bit, prepare apple sauce.
• Peel and core the apples. Roughly chop them.
• Place apples in saucepan with all other ingredients (except lemon juice).
• Bring to the boil, then reduce to a simmer, cooking until the apples collapse (should take around 30 minutes). Stir frequently to prevent burning/sticking.
• When cooking has finished, take off heat and add lemon juice. Stir.
• Serving:.
• Place gravy in a sauce boat.
• Place apple sauce in a bowl/boat.
• Carve the duck.
• Enjoy!
• This dish is excellent when served with additional accompaniments like roasted new potatoes, pumpkin, minted peas, blanched green beans, honeyed carrots, etc.

ROASTED AND BRAISED DUCK WITH SAUERKRAUT

Steps:

• Preheat the oven to 375 degrees. Prick the duck all over with a fork, then sprinkle it with salt and pepper and place it in a large, deep, ovenproof skillet or Dutch oven. Roast the duck for about 1 1/2 hours, checking occasionally to make sure it is browning steadily. (If the duck is barely browning, increase the heat by 50 degrees; if it seems to be browning too quickly, reduce the heat slightly.) When it is nicely browned and has rendered a great deal of fat, pour off all but a few tablespoons of the fat and transfer the pan to the top of the stove.
• Scatter the sauerkraut around the duck, then sprinkle it with paprika, moisten it with the wine, and tuck the bay leaves in. Turn the heat to low, and cover the pan. Simmer for about 15 minutes, then stir and put some of the sauerkraut on top of the duck.
• Cook another 15 minutes or so, until the duck is quite tender. Carve and serve.

PAN ROASTED DUCK BREAST

Steps:

• Heat a medium skillet over medium heat. Score the skin of the duck breasts and season them lightly with salt and pepper. Add 1/2 tablespoon of the olive oil to the skillet and put in the duck breasts, skin side down. Cook slowly, rendering the fat, until the duck skin is golden and crisp, about 5 to 6 minutes. Turn the duck breasts over and cook them in the duck fat for 2 minutes. Remove the duck breasts from the pan to a plate, cover them with foil, and let them rest for 5 minutes.
• After the duck has rested, return them to the skillet, skin side down, over medium heat. Spoon the duck fat over the breasts until they are just heated through. The skin should be crispy and duck meat should be pink in color. Transfer to a cutting board.
• In another medium skillet over medium-high heat, add the remaining 1 tablespoon olive oil. When the oil is hot, add the pancetta and cook until it begins to color, about 5 minutes. Add the shallot and garlic and cook until they are soft, about 5 minutes. Lower the heat to medium and add in the spinach and the frisee. Season with salt and pepper, to taste, then add the hazelnuts and toss the greens gently to coat them with the oil. Cook the greens until just wilted, about 2 minutes.
• To serve, divide the greens onto 2 plates and garnish with the chives. Slice the duck breasts and fan them over the greens. Spoon the Razz Cherry Garlic Glaze across the duck and garnish with chervil.
• Combine the red wine, grenadine, vinegar, and sugar in a saucepan over high heat and bring it to a boil. Peel and slice the garlic as thinly as possible. Add the garlic and razz cherries to the pan and reduce the heat to medium. Continue to cook until the sauce is reduced and syrupy, about 15 minutes.
• Yield: about 1 cup

DUCK FAT-ROASTED POTATOES

Steps:

• Preheat oven to 450 degrees. In a large pot, cover potatoes with 2 inches of water and bring to a boil. Season generously with salt and cook until potatoes are just tender, about 5 minutes. Drain and toss several times in a colander. (Potatoes should break apart slightly.)
• Add duck fat and herbs to roasting pan or a rimmed baking sheet; heat in oven until herbs are sizzling slightly, about 5 minutes. Add potatoes and toss with a spoon until evenly coated. Roast, flipping once, until golden and crisp, about 35 minutes. Season with salt and pepper; serve immediately.

SLOW-ROASTED BALSAMIC-GLAZED DUCK

Steps:

• Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Fit a large roasting pan with a rack. Place ducks on rack and prick duck skin all over with the tines of a fork, taking care not to pierce the flesh. Season ducks all over with sea salt; let stand 30 minutes.
• Meanwhile, chop duck wings and neck; set aside. Heat oil in a large heavy-bottomed saucepan over medium-high heat. Add duck wings and necks and cook, stirring, until browned. Separate and peel garlic cloves from 1 head of garlic; reduce heat to low and add fennel and garlic cloves. Cook, stirring, until vegetables are softened. Add stock and cook until reduced by half, about 40 minutes. Strain into a small saucepan; skim fat from surface. Set sauce aside.
• Halve remaining head of garlic and crush slightly. Divide lemon, thyme, and garlic evenly between duck cavities. Transfer duck to oven and roast, turning every 25 minutes, until duck begins to brown. Meanwhile, mix together vinegar and lemon juice. Once duck starts to brown, begin basting with vinegar mixture and cook until duck skin is dark brown and meat begins to come away from the breastbone, 2 to 3 hours total.
• Remove from heat and let duck stand for 15 minutes. Meanwhile, reheat sauce over medium heat until warmed through and reduced to desired consistency. Carve duck and serve with sauce.

SLOW-ROASTED DUCK WITH MASHED WHITE BEANS, SIZZLED HERBS AND OLIVES

Steps:

• Cook the beans: Rinse beans and put them, along with the onion, bay leaves, cloves and garlic, in a large heavy-bottomed pot with a lid. Add enough water to cover by 2 inches and bring to a boil over high heat.
• Add 2 teaspoons salt, reduce heat to low, and bring beans to a bare simmer. Cover, but leave lid ajar. Cook very slowly, adding water as needed, for about 1 1/2 hours, or until beans are soft. Taste broth and adjust seasoning. Remove onion, bay leaves, cloves and garlic, and discard. Let beans cool uncovered in the cooking liquid. (They may be cooked up to 2 days in advance and refrigerated.)
• As beans cook, prepare the duck legs: Lay them on a cutting board skin-side up, and use a skewer or the tip of a knife to prick the skin of each leg all over.
• Heat oven to 325 degrees. Season each leg generously on both sides with salt and pepper - don't go crazy, but don't be meek.
• Place legs in a roasting pan, in a single layer skin-side up. (Take care that the roasting pan is high-sided enough, as a fair amount of fat will be produced as legs cook.) Roast, uncovered, for 1 1/2 to 2 hours, until the meat is quite tender, nearly falling off the bone. At this point, check to see the skin is crisp and nicely browned.If not, raise oven temperature to 400 degrees, and roast for another 10 minutes, or perhaps more, until skin is crisped. Remove legs from roasting pan and keep warm. (An inch or more of liquid fat will have accumulated in the roasting pan. Let it cool a bit before pouring it into a jar for future use.)
• Bring beans to a boil in a pot over medium-high heat. Pull them off the heat, and drain in a colander, reserving liquid. Put three-quarters of the beans in a mixing bowl and use a potato masher to mash them. (Alternatively, you can purée the beans in a food processor.) Add bean broth as needed to loosen the mixture to the consistency of soft mashed potatoes. Stir in the reserved whole beans. Adjust the seasoning. Keep warm.
• Prepare sizzled herbs: Add 3 tablespoons olive oil to a skillet over medium-high heat. When oil is hot, add sage and rosemary until they're coated with oil. When all the sage leaves have wilted, keep stirring until the herbs begin to fry and crisp, 2 to 3 minutes. Turn heat to low, then swirl in the garlic and red-pepper flakes. Immediately add olives and warm through.
• To serve, pair one duck leg with a spoonful of mashed beans. Spoon some of the olive mixture over the duck and beans. If desired, dress crisp green arugula with just a few drops of lemon juice and a little salt, and serve alongside for a refreshing counterpoint to the rich, salty duck and beans.

SLOW-ROASTED DUCK WITH OLIVE GRAVY AND GARLIC-FENNEL CONFIT

Steps:

• Preheat oven to 500°F.
• Season each duck inside and out with salt and pepper. Using knife, skewer, or sharp fork, prick skin of each bird all over 20 to 30 times, taking care not to let knife puncture flesh (it's helpful to hold knife nearly parallel to duck and then slide it in). Stuff each cavity with 1 neck; 1/2 of thyme and garlic; 8 shallot halves; and 1/4 of fennel. Using kitchen string, tie legs loosely together.
• Transfer ducks, breast sides up, to rack set in large roasting pan. Cover loosely with foil and roast 15 minutes. Reduce heat to 300°F and continue to roast, basting every 30 minutes and skimming fat from pan juices occasionally, 3 hours.
• Remove foil from ducks. Stir remaining fennel into pan juices and roast 30 minutes more. Stir olives into pan juices and roast until duck skin is dark golden and crisp and meat is tender, about 30 minutes more (total roasting time: about 4 1/4 hours). Transfer ducks to cutting board.
• Remove rack from roasting pan. With slotted spoon, remove fennel and olives from pan juices and place in blender. Pour pan juices into 1-quart glass measure. Skim fat off top and reserve for another use. Add juices to fennel and olives in blender, then add lemon zest and juice. Purée until smooth. Taste and add salt and pepper and additional lemon juice if desired.
• Remove confit vegetables from cavities and carve ducks. Arrange meat and vegetables on platter. Garnish with chopped fennel fronds. Serve sauce alongside.

ROASTED PEKING DUCK WITH POMEGRANATE SAUCE

Steps:

• Combine the apple, chopped ginger, and peppercorns in a bowl. Stuff the mixture into the duck and close the skin using a wooden skewer (to hold in the stuffing). Hang the duck for 2 hours at room temperature (place a pan underneath it to catch the drippings). Place the duck on a pan fitted with a rack (breast side up), and roast in a preheated 375 degree convection oven for 40 minutes. If you don't have a convection oven, roast the duck in a conventional oven at 400 degrees for 55 minutes, or until the duck is a deep golden brown color. To serve, allow duck to rest 5 minutes before cutting. Carefully remove breast and leg from the duck.
• POSTRIO POMEGRANATE SAUCE: In a medium sized saucepot, heat 1 tablespoon of vegetable oil. Add shallots, and sweat, do not cook until the shallots color. Add wines and bring to a boil. Add cinnamon stick, star anise, and rosemary. Reduce wine by 2/3, add chicken stock, demi-glace, and 3/4 cup of the pomegranate seeds, and reduce by half, until sauce reaches a syrupy consistency. Remove sauce from heat, season with salt and pepper, and whisk in the tablespoon of butter. Strain sauce through a fine chinois and serve or keep hot in a hot water bath. When serving sauce, garnish with the leftover 1/4 cup of pomegranate seeds.

PAN ROASTED DUCK BREAST WITH CRANBERRY REDUCTION

Steps:

• Remove the skin from the duck breast. In a small bowl, mix together the salt, black pepper and minced orange zest and rub half of the mixture into each duck breast, covering the entire surface of the breast lightly. Set aside while you make the sauce Place the stock in a medium saucepan, set it over medium heat, bring to a boil and reduce by about 2/3s. It will take about 10 to 15 minutes. Meanwhile, put the red wine, cranberries and strips of orange zest in a medium saucepan, set over medium heat, bring to boil, reduce the heat and simmer until the cranberries are tender, about 12 minutes. Strain, return the liquid to the saucepan and remove and discard the orange zest. Add the orange juice and sugar, set over medium heat, and reduce by three-quarters. It will take about 10 to 15 minutes. Meanwhile, puree the cranberries in a food processor and press them through a sieve. Preheat oven to 375. Brush a very heavy skillet lightly with olive oil and set it over high heat. When it is hot, add the duck breasts and brown thoroughly, about 3 minutes on both sides. Transfer the skillet with the duck breasts to the oven for 5 to 7 minutes for rare meat, or longer for medium or well-done duck. Set the reduced veal stock over medium heat, add the wine reduction and stir in half of the cranberry puree. Add additional cranberry puree to taste. Season with salt and pepper, and if the sauce isn't quite balanced, add another tsp or two of sugar. Remove the duck from the oven and let rest for 5 minutes before cutting into thin diagonal slices. Ladle two or three tbsp of sauce onto individual serving plates, arrange the duck on the plate, so it partially covers the sauce. Season with salt and several turns of black pepper, garnish with orange slices and cranberries, and serve immediately.

PAN ROASTED MUSCOVY DUCK BREAST WITH A CLEMENTINE - TOMATILLO SAUCE SERVED WITH WILD RICE RISOTTO

Steps:

• Preheat oven to 400 degrees F. Heat a medium oven-proof saute pan over high heat until almost smoking. Season the duck with salt and pepper to taste. Place the breast skin-side down in the pan and cook until golden brown and drain the rendered fat. Turn the breast over, place in the oven and continue cooking to medium doneness, about 12 to 15 minutes.
• Serve the duck with the Clementine and Tomatillo Sauce and the Wild Rice Risotto.
• Place 1 cup of the sugar and the rice wine vinegar in a medium saucepan over medium high heat and cook until the sugar has melted and the mixture reduces becomes a light caramel color.
• Raise the heat to high and add the orange and tangerine juice and the black peppercorns and cook until reduced to 2 cups. In a small saucepan add the remaining 1/2 cup of sugar and 1/4 cup water and cook until the sugar has melted and mixture is slightly thick. Add the clementines to the sugar-water mixture and cook for 1 to 2 minutes. Add the tomatillos and toss to coat. Stir in the reduced chicken stock and heat through.
• Add in the sugar-rice wine vinegar mixture.
• Whisk the ancho chile powder and horseradish into the sauce until smooth. Season with salt and pepper, to taste.
• Heat the olive oil in a medium saucepan over medium heat. Add the onions and garlic and cook until soft. Add the arborio rice and cook for 1 to 2 minutes. Begin adding the stock. During the last 2 minutes of cooking add the cooked wild rice. Finish with the thyme butter and Parmesan cheese and season with salt and pepper to taste.
• *Fresh thyme butter. Combine 2 sticks of slightly softened butter and 2 tablespoons of fresh thyme leaves in a food processor and process until smooth. Season with salt to taste.

ROASTED DUCK BREASTS WITH FARRO RISOTTO AND DUCK CONFIT

Steps:

• For sauce:
• Mix first 5 ingredients and duck legs and thighs in bowl. Cover leg-thigh mixture and breasts and carcasses separately; chill overnight.
• Preheat oven to 200°F. Heat duck fat in medium ovenproof pot over medium heat to 200°F. Add duck leg-thigh mixture; transfer to oven and cook until meat falls from bones, about 2 hours. Allow duck confit to cool 2 hours.
• Preheat oven to 400°F. Place duck carcasses in large ovenproof pot; roast uncovered until lightly browned, about 30 minutes. Transfer pot to stove top. Add leek and next 3 ingredients and sauté over medium-high heat until vegetables are lightly browned, about 3 minutes. Add Port; boil until liquid is reduced by half, about 2 minutes. Add 6 cups water; boil gently for 30 minutes. Add peppercorns; boil broth 10 minutes. Strain broth; skim fat from surface. Boil broth in medium saucepan until reduced to 1/2 cup, about 30 minutes. Whisk butter into sauce. (Can be made 1 day ahead. Chill confit and sauce separately.)
• Rewarm duck confit to melt fat; remove duck from fat. Cut meat from bones and add to sauce.
• For farro risotto:
• Soak farro in cold water 20 minutes. Drain; rinse. Bring 8 cups water to boil in medium saucepan. Add 1/2 cup oil and farro. Simmer 20 minutes. Drain in strainer and rinse. Melt 1 tablespoon butter with 1 tablespoon oil in medium saucepan over medium heat. Add shallots; sauté 1 minute. Add farro and wine. Simmer until almost all liquid evaporates, stirring frequently, about 5 minutes. Add chicken broth 1 cup at a time and simmer until liquid is absorbed and farro is just tender, stirring frequently, about 14 minutes total. Stir in cheese and 1 tablespoon butter. Season with salt and pepper.
• Meanwhile, prepare duck breasts:
• Preheat oven to 450°F. Sprinkle duck breasts with salt and pepper. Heat oil in large ovenproof skillet over medium-high heat. Add duck breasts, skin side down; cook until skin is crisp, about 5 minutes. Turn duck over. Cook 1 minute; remove from heat.
• Bring honey to boil in medium saucepan over medium-high heat. Add nuts and star anise; boil until honey is reduced to thick syrup, stirring constantly, about 2 minutes. Spoon honey-nut mixture onto duck breasts. Cook in oven about 4 minutes for medium-rare.
• Rewarm duck confit sauce over low heat. Divide risotto among 4 plates. Using slotted spoon, remove duck meat from sauce and spoon over risotto. Slice breasts diagonally; arrange around risotto. Drizzle duck with confit sauce.
• *Farro is sold at some Italian markets and natural foods stores.
• **A brown star-shaped seed pod available at Asian markets and specialty foods stores and in the spice section of some supermarkets.

ALMOND ROASTED DUCK WITH CHINESE SPICES

Steps:

• Preheat oven to 375 degrees.
• Pat the duck dry and prick all over with a fork.
• Insert the garlic and orange wedges into the cavity of the duck.
• In a small bowl, combine the almond syrup, soy sauce, and 5-spice powder.
• Rub or brush the almond mixture onto the duck. Sprinkle the duck with salt and pepper and place the duck on a rack, breast side down, in a roasting pan.
• Roast the duck, breast side down, in a preheated oven for 40 minutes, then turn the duck, breast side up, and continue to roast for 1 hour.
• The skin should be dark and crispy.
• Remove from the oven and let rest for 5 minutes.
• Serve the duck breast and legs whole for an elegant entree, or chop up the duck into bite-sized pieces and serve with spicy chutney as an appetizer.