Roast Duck In Fruit Sauce is a mouth watering recipe that is relatively simple to prepare- except for cleaning the ducks. Major TIME saving hint: Get pre-roasted unseasoned ducks from your butcher and then braise them in the sauce.
One of my favorite gourmet food experiences was eating duck at La Grenouille-one of my parents’ favorite restaurants in NYC. They were always greeted warmly at the door and given their favorite table in the front of the restaurant. On special occasions, my brother and I used to join them. I loved the way the sliced breast of duck was prepared. The skin was so crisp and the duck meat was oozing with flavor from either the orange or berry sauce that they were serving that night. What a special treat it was! That Roast Duck In Fruit Sauce is a food memory that I knew I had to reproduce in my Kosher kitchen. Roast Duck in Orange Sauce is another of my favorites!
Hint: Frozen fruit works perfectly in this recipe and saves time. You can always garnish with fresh fruit before serving.
Prep time for cleaning ducks-endless. Ask the butcher to at least clean them for you if you don’t want to buy them pre-roasted.
Prep time for sauce: 15 minutes
Braising time after the ducks are roasted: 45 minutes
Roast Duck In Fruit Sauce
By Published: April 6, 2014
Yield:
- 8 quarters (8 Servings)
Ingredients
- 2 3 pound ducks
- 2 lemons
- 24 ounces Cranberry Juice
- 24 ounces black currant preserves
- 1 teaspoon Ground Allspice
- 1/3 cup potato starch dissolived in 1 cup water
- 24 ounces frozen mixed berries defrosted
- 1 tablespoon raspberry/cassis liqueur optional
Equipment
- 1 large roasting pan
- 1 non stick roasting rack
- 1 long handled fork
- 1 medium saucepan
Directions
- Preheat oven to 375° F.
Use pre-roasted ducks or: Clean ducks thoroughly. Singe feathers if necessary. Rinse inside and out with cold water. Cut one lemon in half and rub the skin of the ducks with the lemon halves. Place ducks, breast side up on the roasting rack in the roasting pan. Place pan in the oven and roast 30 minutes. After 30 minutes, begin to prick the duck all over with a long handled fork. Be careful not to get spattered with fat. Continue to prick ducks every 15 minutes until they are browned. If the ducks are very fatty, they will release a great deal of melted fat. Remove some of this fat from the roasting pan with a baster to reduce the chance of burning yourself. Save the fat for flavoring mashed potatoes or other recipes ! When the breasts have browned, I like to flip them over and brown the backs as well. Prepare sauce as backs are browning.
- Put juice, preserves and allspice in a saucepan. Squeeze remaining lemon and remove pits. Add lemon juice to saucepan. Stir over medium heat until preserves melt. Add potato starch/water mixture. Stir sauce until it has slightly thickened. Remove from heat. Add mixed berries and liqueur. Set aside.
- When ducks have finished roasting, remove them from the oven and allow to cool. Cut them into quarters with either a sharp knife or poultry shears. Arrange quarters in an oven to table serving casserole. Pour sauce over duck quarters. Return duck to the oven and baste every 15 minutes for about 45 minutes until the duck skin is completely glazed. Serve immediately or chill overnight and reheat before serving. If the sauce becomes too think, thin it out with a little cranberry juice.
- To serve: Make sure each quarter is covered with sauce and berries. You can sprinkle fresh berries over the top to make this fabulous duck even more festive. Serve hot with wild rice, farro, quinoa and a brighly colored vegetable. Enjoy!
