Roast Duck with Balsamic Glaze

From the book Cooking for the Week by Diane Morgan, Dan Taggart, and Kathleen Taggart

Introduction

Our recipe in The Basic Gourmet for Roast Duck with Apple-Onion Sauté uses the technique of browning the ducks first, then roasting them, then finishing them under the broiler to produce a crisp skin. This recipe is even easier, skipping the browning step. Balsamic vinegar, reduced to a syrup and brushed on the ducks during their last fifteen minutes of cooking, gives the skin a marvelously sweet-tart flavor. You’ll need two ducks to serve four, saving at least half of a duck to make duck tacos another day. Enjoy the livers sautéed, thinly sliced, and added to a salad. Save the giblets and necks for making stock.

Ingredients

Steps

1. Preheat the oven to 350°F. Select a roasting pan with sides at least 1 inch high, with a rack on which both ducks will fit, or roast them separately. Remove the necks and giblets from the ducks. Dry the ducks with paper towels, sprinkle with salt and pepper, and place in the pan. Roast the ducks for 1¾ hours.
2. Meanwhile, in a nonreactive 1-quart saucepan boil the vinegar over medium-high heat until it has reduced to a syrup that can be brushed on the ducks. Watch carefully; don’t let it boil dry.
3. Remove the ducks from the oven, brush all over with the balsamic syrup, and return to the oven for 15 more minutes. Remove the ducks from the oven, preheat the broiler, and finish the ducks by broiling them on both sides until a very dark brown. Let rest for 5 minutes, then carve 1½ ducks and serve, setting the remaining ½ duck aside to cool completely.
4. Remove the skin and bones from the reserved ½ duck, and cut the meat into ¼-inch pieces. Wrap and refrigerate for up to 5 days.

Notes

• Serves 4, with 1/2 duck reserved for Roast Duck Soft Tacos

This content is from the book Cooking for the Week by Diane Morgan, Dan Taggart, and Kathleen Taggart.