Spicy Roast Duck A La Princess Food

ROAST SPICED DUCK WITH PLUMS

Steps:

• Heat oven to 160C/140C fan/gas 4. Toast the star anise and coriander seeds in a dry pan until aromatic. Tip the toasted spices into a spice grinder with 2 tsp sea salt and grind into a fine powder (or crush using a pestle and mortar). Put the spice salt in a bowl, add the sugar, mix well and set aside.
• Lightly score the skin of the duck in a criss-cross pattern and heat the oil in a large casserole. Using a pair of tongs to turn it, brown the duck well on all sides, pour off the excess fat, then sit the duck breast-side up and season all over with the sugar and spice mix. Pack the plums around the outside, then scatter over the bay and pour over the vinegar and stock.
• Roast in the oven for 2 hrs or until the duck is golden and the plums have broken down. Turn the oven right up for 10 more mins to crisp up the skin. Take the duck out of the pan to rest for 10 mins and spoon the excess fat off the plums. Carve the duck and serve with a good spoonful of plums.

SPICED GLAZED DUCK

Steps:

• Prep and roast duck: Preheat oven to 375 degrees F. Turn the duck breast side up and use a sharp knife to clip the wing tips; set them aside, along with the neck, for later. Season the inside with salt and pepper and add one star anise. Turn the duck over. Place kitchen twine under the tail of the bird, then tie the drumsticks together. Swing the twine around the edge of the drumsticks and flip over. Take the skin and lay it flat over the backbone, and tie it snugly like you would tie your shoes. Trim the loose ends and lay the duck on a roasting rack, breast-side up. (Optional: Store in refrigerator overnight to dry, which will ensure crisper skin when roasting.) Drizzle 1 teaspoon of oil over the bird and rub it into the skin evenly. Generously season with salt and pepper, then roast in the oven for 40 minutes. After 40 minutes, pour out the rendered duck fat (reserving it for later use) and return duck to the oven for another 20 minutes.
• Glaze: Pat neck and wing-tips dry; cut into 2-inch pieces. Add 1 teaspoon oil to a medium sauté pan and heat until smoking. Season duck pieces with salt and pepper and place in the hot pan. After a few minutes, when the sound of the sizzle gets louder, turn heat down to medium and flip duck pieces. Continue to cook over medium heat while preparing the vegetables.
• Dice onion and garlic; remove stems, seeds, and inner membranes from peppers and dice. Add to the pan, season with salt and pepper, and cook 5 minutes. Add three pods of star anise, coriander, sherry vinegar, honey, rosemary, and thyme. Slice pasilla pepper and add to the pan. Continue cooking until vinegar has almost evaporated. Add orange juice, bring to a simmer, and reduce until liquid is almost dry, 5-10 minutes. Add 2 more cups of orange juice and continue to reduce, about 10 more minutes. When the glaze has reduced to 1-1½ cups, pass through a strainer and use the back of a spoon to push out all of the liquid from the solids; remove and discard the duck pieces. Set the glaze aside.Blend the remaining solids as a condiment to serve with with the duck.
• Roast and baste duck: After an hour of cooking, remove the duck from the oven, drain the fat (reserving for later use if you wish), and place in a roasting pan. Cut away the kitchen twine and discard. Spoon half of the glaze evenly over the bird and return to oven, 5-10 minutes. Baste with remaining glaze and roast until the internal temperature reaches 145 degrees F, 5 more minutes. Baste with hot pan juices.
• Carve the duck: Using a sharp chef's knife, begin by cutting off the legs, then remove both breasts whole. Slice the breast meat against the grain on a cutting board, then arrange the duck on a serving platter. Finish with a drizzle of the glaze and serve with remaining glaze and blended glaze solids.

DUCK A L'ORANGE

Steps:

• Roast duck:
• Put oven rack in middle position and preheat oven to 475°F.
• Stir together salt, coriander, cumin, and pepper. Pat duck dry and sprinkle inside and out with spice mixture. Cut 1 half of orange into quarters and put in duck cavity with thyme, marjoram, parsley, and 4 onion wedges.
• Squeeze juice from remaining half of orange and stir together with wine and stock. Set aside.
• Spread remaining 4 onion wedges in roasting pan with carrot and celery, then place duck on top of vegetables and roast 30 minutes.
• Pour wine mixture into roasting pan and reduce oven temperature to 350°F. Continue to roast duck until thermometer inserted into a thigh (close to but not touching bone) registers 170°F, 1 to 1 1/4 hours more. Turn on broiler and broil duck 3 to 4 inches from heat until top is golden brown, about 3 minutes.
• Tilt duck to drain juices from cavity into pan and transfer duck to a cutting board, reserving juices in pan. Let duck stand 15 minutes.
• Make sauce:
• While duck roasts, cook sugar in a dry 1-quart heavy saucepan over moderate heat, undisturbed, until it begins to melt. Continue to cook, stirring occasionally with a fork, until sugar melts into a deep golden caramel. Add orange juice, vinegar, and salt (use caution; mixture will bubble and steam vigorously) and simmer over low heat, stirring occasionally, until caramel is dissolved. Remove syrup from heat.
• Discard vegetables from roasting pan and pour pan juices through a fine-mesh sieve into a 1-quart glass measure or bowl, then skim off and discard fat. Add enough stock to pan juices to total 1 cup liquid.
• Stir together butter and flour to form a beurre manié. Bring pan juices to a simmer in a 1- to 2-quart heavy saucepan, then add beurre manié, whisking constantly to prevent lumps. Add orange syrup and zest and simmer, whisking occasionally, until sauce is thickened slightly and zest is tender, about 5 minutes. Serve with duck.
• Available at D'Artagnan (800-327-8246).

SPICY ROAST DUCK A LA PRINCESS

Steps:

• If using frozen duck, thaw out over night
• Preheat oven to 350°F.
• Clean duck by rinsing, removing giblets, excess fat and blood
• Rub generously with olive oil.
• mix the pepper, paprika, Cajun seasoning, garlic clove, and seasoning salt in small dish
• Sprinkle mixture on the inside and outside of duckling.
• Place in oven bag.
• Cut 2 small slits on the top of the bag and put in oven for 1 hr and 30 minutes, or until juices run clear.