Roast Duck with Cranberry Sauce
Submitted by 1265
Roast duck with a port wine cranberry sauce made from the pan drippings, orange juice, and brown sugar. Lemon-rubbed and roasted until the skin is shatteringly crisp.
YIELD
2 servingsPREP
30 minCOOK
2 hrsREADY
2 hrsA whole roast duck with crackling skin and a tart-sweet cranberry sauce built right in the roasting pan. The bird gets rubbed with lemon inside and out, seasoned with salt and pepper, and roasted on a rack so the fat renders steadily over two hours.
Piercing the skin all over with a fork after the first 30 minutes is the key move. It creates channels for the fat to escape, and a blast at high heat in the final 15 minutes crisps the skin into something shatteringly good.
The sauce comes together in the same roasting pan. Port wine deglazes the browned bits, then butter, flour, chicken broth, orange juice, and brown sugar create a glossy base. Fresh cranberries go in last and pop open in 2-3 minutes, releasing their tart juice into the sweet, winey sauce. A dash of cayenne at the end adds the faintest warmth.
Chef Tips
- Remove the fat from the pan about once an hour during roasting. Some fat should stay to prevent scorching, but too much means the duck steams rather than roasts.
- Pierce the skin, not the meat. Shallow pricks release fat from under the skin without letting the juices escape.
- The sauce should balance sweet and tart. Start with 2 tablespoons of brown sugar and add more if your cranberries are particularly sour.
- Use poultry shears to halve the duck. A knife struggles with the breastbone.
Variations
- Add a cinnamon stick to the sauce while simmering for a warm, holiday spice note.
- Use fresh cherries instead of cranberries in summer for a different fruit pairing.
- Stuff the cavity with orange halves and thyme sprigs before roasting for extra aromatics.
Ingredients
Directions
Rinse duck under cold water and pat dry.
Remove any large lumps of fat from skin.
Rub inside cavity and skin of duck with lemon and season cavity and skin with salt and pepper.
Truss bird, place on rack and set in shallow roasting pan.
Roast at 350℉ (180℃) for 30 minutes. Then pierce skin all over with fork to release fat. Continue roasting until duck is completely cooked, 1½ to 2 hours. About once every hour, remove all but 1 cup of fat from pan, some remaining fat will keep pan from scorching. Increase oven temperature to 500 deg. for the last 15 minutes of roasting to crisp skin. Remove duck from oven and set on warm plate. Pour off and discard fat. Place roasting pan on top of stove. Add port and heat over low heat, scrapping up any browned bits. Add butter and heat until melted. Add flour, stirring until smooth. Add chicken broth and whisk constantly until smooth and thickened, 2 to 3 minutes. Stir in orange juice and 2 tablespoons brown sugar and mix well. Add cranberries and cook over high heat until cranberries pop, 2 to 3 minutes. Add cayenne and more salt and pepper to taste. If mixture is too tart, add re- maining brown sugar. To serve, cut duck in half lengthwise, using poultry shears, and place on two serving dishes. Pour half of sauce over each serving. Serve immediately. Makes two servings.
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