Roast duck – now doesn’t that sound fancy! I won’t lie, this was a labor of love, roasting a whole duck isn’t your run of the mill dinner, it’s like prepping for thanksgiving. However, by how tasty this recipe is and the fact that it’s really not that many ingredients, it’s worth the effort, and perfect for a special dinner with friends or family. The true secret to this recipe is patience, it takes time, but the technique and method aren’t overly complex.
Why roast duck, and why bacon wrapped? Well, I love duck and myself and my husband both love bacon. I mean bacon makes everything better right? I’d always wanted to try roasting a duck and with the holidays coming it seemed like the perfect excuse to try a new recipe and really celebrate the season.
The crisp bacon covered in a tangy sweet cranberry orange glaze is a perfect compliment to the rich flavor of the duck. It really brings together classic winter flavors and pairs well with hearty veggies like Brussels sprouts or asparagus and complementary sweet starches like sweet potatoes or yams. The leftovers make excellent sandwiches as well!
Serve this at your next family occasion or dinner party and your guests will be thoroughly impressed!
Bacon Wrapped Roast Duck with Cranberry Orange Glaze
Ingredients
- 4-6 pound duck special order from butcher
- 8 Slices of bacon ~ 1 16oz package I like Applewood smoked bacon
- 12 oz Bag of cranberries
- 3 Oranges
- 6 Cloves garlic
- ½ Cup maple syrup
- 8 Cups chicken stock ~ 2 32oz containers or enough to cover duck when boiled
- Salt and pepper to taste
Instructions
- Defrost the Duck according to package instructions. This typically takes 36 to 48 hours in your refrigerator. Otherwise you can defrost in your sink by running cool water over it.
- Preheat oven to 350 degrees
- Once defrosted remove giblets from the interior cavity, trim and excess fat rinse the duck with cold water and pat dry.
- Poke holes in the skin all over the duck, being careful not to pierce the meat. This is necessary to help render some of the fat from the duck. Duck is often thought of as being greasy, which is why rendering (or removing) the fat helps. By rendering the fat, which is primarily in the skin, you are left with the lean meat. Then the slow roasting further tenderizes the meat.
- Place a pot large enough to submerge the duck on the stove and heat the chicken stock until just simmering/boiling. If you don’t have a full 8 cups of chicken stock you can use water, it just won't add as much flavor.
- Place the duck in the pot of stock and let it come back to a boil, lower the heat and simmer in the stock for 30 to 45 minutes to render some of the fat. You should see fat come to the surface of the stock as it simmers. If the duck floats to the top place a plate on top to keep it immersed.
- Carefully take the duck out of the stock letting it drain over the pot. Place it breast side up in a roasting pan with a rack. If you don’t have a rack with your roasting pan skim off enough duck fat from the top of your stock to pour a thin layer on the bottom of your roasting pan. This will prevent sticking as it roasts.
- Pat the skin dry with paper towels, and sprinkle with salt and pepper. If you have time, allow the duck to sit at room temperature for about 30 minutes to allow the skin to dry.
- Mince the garlic and quarter two of the oranges leaving the skin on
- Toss the orange quarters with the minced garlic, these will be stuffed inside the cavity of the duck. If you don’t have fresh garlic, a tablespoon or two of dried minced garlic and onion seasoning is a suitable substitute.
- Stuff the duck with the garlic seasoned orange slices
- Cover the entire duck from tail to shoulders width-wise with the bacon, it should take about 8 slices.
- Roast the duck for 20 minutes per pound at 350 degrees until the duck breast is 175 degrees. This should be about 1 ½ to 2 hours.
- While the duck is roasting prepare the cranberry orange glaze
- In a medium sized saucepan combine the package of cranberries, one orange cut into 1 inch cubes, the ½ cup of maple syrup and two cups of water
- Bring the mixture to a boil over medium heat, then reduce and let simmer for 15 to 20 minutes, or until the fruit has broken down.
- Using a potato masher, mash the fruit to break down the pieces
- Carefully pour the cranberry orange mixture through a sieve or fine mesh colander into a bowl to remove the cranberry skins and orange pulp. Use a spatula to press the mixture through to help get all of the liquid.
- Return the cranberry orange mixture to the saucepan and allow to simmer on the stove another 5 to 10 minutes until it thickens up and sticks to the back of a spoon
- In the last half hour of roasting, take a spoon or basting brush and paint the glaze on the bacon and exposed duck skin. Repeat this process two or three times depending on the amount of glaze you’d like. When finished dispose of the glaze as the utensil you’ve used touched undercooked meat.
- Once the duck’s internal temperature reaches 175 degrees remove from the oven and immediately cover with foil and let rest 10 to 15 minutes. This will seal in the juices and keep the duck juicy and moist when it’s carved.
- After the duck’s had time to rest, carve and serve!
This duck was delicious!!