Roast Duck

It's that time of year.  Time to roast a duck.  This is a simple preparation, but it does take a few steps and a little planning for time.  But this fairly easy recipe produces a tender and crispy duck.  

1 Duck, about 5 pounds
Chicken Stock, 3-5 quarts
½ Onion, thickly sliced
2 Bay leaves
1 Sprig rosemary
½ Cup dry vermouth
½ Cup orange juice
To prepare the duck, trim off all excess fat and the wing tips.  Using kitchen string to truss the duck so that the wings are tucked in and the legs are tight against the breast.  Use a fork to prick the fat on the breast of the duck all over.  Let rest at room temp for about 30 minutes.

Combine all ingredients, but the duck, in a pot just large enough to fit the duck.  The amount of stock you use will depend on the size of pan, but it needs to be enough to cover the duck.  Bring to a boil.  Add the duck, breast side down, and simmer for 45 minutes.  Drain, set onto a roasting pan and let sit to dry for at least 30 minutes and up to an hour. 
Heat oven to 500f.  Roast the duck for 30 minutes.  Remove and let rest for 5-10 minutes before carving.

Degrease the cooking stock and strain the solids out.  You can toss the stock, keep/freeze it to make a soup or make a sauce.  I reduced the stock to about ¼ of it original volume by keeping it on a rolling boil for about 25-30 minutes.  

In our house, we love sauce or gravy with any roasted meat and tonight is no different.  I recommend the sauce route for the cooking stock.  Yum!

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