Everyday Roasted Duck

Total Time: 3 hrs 30 mins Preparation Time: 1 hr Cook Time: 2 hrs 30 mins

Ingredients

• Servings: 4
• 1 whole duck (about 5 lb., with giblets and neck)
• 1 tablespoon kosher salt
• 4 sprigs fresh rosemary
• 1 cup dry wine
• 1/2 cup fresh lemon juice
• 1/4 cup extra virgin olive oil
• 1 -2 cup light chicken stock

Recipe

• 1 recommended equipment: kitchen twine, heavy-duty flameproof roasting pan with a flat wire roasting rack, a fat-separating measuring cup (2 cups or larger), poultry shears or heavy knife for splitting the bird.
• 2 arrange an oven rack in the middle of the oven; preheat to 400°.
• 3 remove all clods of fat from the duck cavities, and trim any loose flaps of skin; rinse the bird, including the giblets and neck; pat dry with paper towels.
• 4 sprinkle a teaspoon of salt inside the belly cavity; and push in the rosemary sprigs.
• 5 with the breast side up, twist and fold the wing tips so they stay under the bird.
• 6 cross the legs over the cavity opening and tie the ends tightly with kitchen twine.
• 7 chop the duck neck into two or three pieces and scatter in the bottom of the pan, along with the giblets, under or around the wire rack.
• 8 set the duck, breast side up, on the roasting rack in the pan.
• 9 whisk the wine, lemon juice, and olive oil vigorously together until emulsified, and pour this all over the duck skin; sprinkle the remaining 2 teaspoon salt over the bird, making sure that the sides are moistened and salted as well as the breast.
• 10 roast the duck for an hour, breast up, then baste it all over with the pan juices, using a bulb baster or large spoon--tilt the roasting pan carefully to scoop up the liquid.
• 11 continue to roast for another 1 to 1 1/2 hours, basting the bird every 30 minutes or so, until it is dark gold and very crisp all over.
• 12 remove the duck to a platter, take out the rack and gather the giblets and neck pieces onto the platter, too.
• 13 carefully pour the hot juices from the pan into a fat separator and let the fat gather on top.
• 14 pour the good juices out of the separator into the roasting pan (if you don't have a separator, spoon off all the fat first, then pour in a cup or more of stock, so you have at least 1 1/2 cups liquid to deglaze the pan and cook into a sauce).
• 15 set the roasting pan over med-high heat on top of the stove, and bring the liquids to a boil, vigorously scraping up all the caramelized bits on the bottom of the pan.
• 16 let the juices reduce until slightly thickened and flavorful, then turn off heat.
• 17 in the meantime, cut up the duck into small pieces to serve family-style; pile the cut pieces on a serving platter, along with the roasted neck and giblet morsels.
• 18 keep warm, and when the sauce is ready pour the pan sauce all over.