Roasted Crisp Duck
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INGREDIENTS 2 (4-1/2-pound) ducklings
1 lemon, sliced
1 orange, sliced
2 cups celery tops and leaves
2 teaspoons freshly ground white pepper
1 tablespoon paprika
Sauce a l'OrangePreheat oven to 350 degrees.
Remove entrails package from duck cavity. Unwrap the entrails and place on the bottom of a roasting pan.
Cut off the duck wings at the second joint and place the wings in the roasting pan.
Arrange the lemon and orange slices and celery leaves and tops in a layer on top of the entrails and wings. Add enough cold water to make 1-inch of liquid in the bottom of the pan.
Combine pepper and paprika and rub evenly over the ducks. Place the ducks breast side down in the pan. Cover the pan with foil and bake in preheated oven for 2 hours. Remove the foil and allow the ducks to brown, approximately 20 minutes. Turn the ducks breast side up and brown for an additional 20 minutes. When nicely browned, remove ducks from oven to a warm serving tray.
Strain the pan drippings and remove all fat before using in the duck sauce.
Serve with Sauce a l'Orange
SAUCE a l'ORANGE
Zest from 2 oranges
1 cup dark brown sugar, packed
2-1/2 cups plus 3 tablespoons cold water
1/4 cup granulated sugar
2 (8-ounce) cans frozen orange juice concentrate
3/4 teaspoon ground ginger
1/2 teaspoon ground cinnamon
1/2 cup defatted duck stock from roasting
3 tablespoons cornstarchPlace the orange zest, half of the brown sugar and 1/2 cup cold water in a saucepan and simmer until the zest is tender.
Add remaining brown sugar, granulated sugar, orange juice concentrate, 2 cups cold water and spices to the cooked rinds and bring to a full boil, stirring occasionally. Add duck stock and simmer for 30 minutes.
Dissolve the cornstarch in the remaining cold water. Quickly whip starch water into the simmering sauce and cook, stirring often, for 2 minutes.
NOTE - Cornstarch makes a beautiful, clear sauce, but you must watch the sauce closely after adding the cornstarch because it will foam up. It is important to stir the sauce constantly at this point.
Roasting the ducks upside down (with the breast side down) allows the juices to run into the breast and keeps the meat moist and tender. Try cooking your Thanksgiving turkey upside down.