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Main-Duck: Roast Lemon-Pepper Duck with Red Wine Vinegar Sauce

Source of Recipe

MICHAEL ROMANO


List of Ingredients

2 ducks -- with neck, giblets and livers
2 tablespoons minced lemon peel
1 teaspoon minced fresh thyme leaves
1 teaspoon coarsely ground black pepper
1 teaspoon kosher salt
1/3 cup chopped bacon -- (1 ounce)
1 tablespoon chopped garlic
1/2 cup peeled and sliced shallots -- (2)
1 sprig -- thyme, rosemary, and sage
2 anchovies
1 tablespoon all purpose flour
1/2 cup red wine vinegar
2 1/2 cups veal stock
1/4 teaspoon kosher salt
1/8 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper


Recipe

Preheat the oven to 425ºF. Remove the neck, giblets and livers from the inside cavity of the duck. Cut the wings at the first joint. Reserve the cut wing tips, livers and giblets for the sauce. Combine the lemon peel, thyme, pepper and salt in a small bowl. Beginning at the tip of the breastbone and working back towards the legs and thighs, use your fingers to create a pocket between the meat and skin, gently separating the skin from the body of the duck. Tuck the lemon-pepper mixture evenly into the pocket, covering each breast, leg and thigh. Tie the legs together with kitchen twine.

Heat the roasting pan in the oven for 10 minutes. Place the prepared ducks breast-side up into the hot roasting pan and cook for 1 hour and 10 minutes. Remove the ducks from the pan and bring to room temperature. The ducks can be roasted to this point up to one day ahead and held, covered and refrigerated.

To make the sauce: brown the bacon over medium heat in a 2-quart saucepan. Pour off all but 1 tablespoon of the bacon fat, leaving the bacon in the pan. Add the duck livers, wing tips, giblets, garlic, shallots, herbs and anchovies, and brown over moderate heat, about 8-10 minutes. Sprinkle with the flour and cook, stirring, until golden brown. Deglaze the pan with the red wine vinegar, stir to incorporate the flour into the liquid, and boil for 1 minute. Add the veal stock, lower the heat and simmer, uncovered, 45 minutes to 1 hour. Strain the sauce in a colander, pressing the solids to extract the maximum amount of sauce. Season with salt and pepper and keep warm.

Preheat the oven to 450ºF. Cut the duck breasts and legs from the carcasses. Trim off any excess fat around the breast and leg. Heat an ovenproof skillet over high heat and add the duck pieces skin side down. Cook over high heat until the skin begins to sizzle, about 1 minute. Lower the heat and gently crisp the duck skin for 5-7 minutes. Drain off any excess fat. Cover tightly with a lid or with aluminum foil and place in the oven. Cook for 10 minutes until the skin is crisp and the meat cooked through and moist. Transfer the duck to a warm platter and serve with the sauce. Yield: 4-6 servings