Ingredients
- 2 tablespoons minced lemon zest
- 1 teaspoon minced thyme
- 1 teaspoon coarsely ground black pepper
- 1 teaspoon kosher salt
- 2 5-pound ducks with neck
- giblets and livers removed
- 2 tablespoons unsalted butter
- 2 shallots
- sliced
- 1 clove garlic
- sliced
- 1/2 jalapeno pepper
- with seeds
- finely chopped
- 2 tablespoons chopped thyme
- 2 tablespoons chopped sage
- 2 tablespoons chopped rosemary
- 1/4 cup honey
- 13 cup fresh lemon juice
- 3 tablespoons flour
- 2 cups veal stock or chicken broth
Instructions
- In a small bowl, combine lemon zest, 1 teaspoon minced thyme, black pepper and salt.
- Using your fingers, loosen the skins of the ducks over the breastbones, legs and thighs.
- Tuck the lemon-pepper mixture evenly beneath the skin, covering each breast, leg and thigh.
- Tie legs together with kitchen twine.
- Preheat oven to 425 degrees.
- Heat a roasting pan in the oven for 10 minutes.
- Place the prepared ducks on a rack in the roasting pan and cook 1 hour 10 minutes.
- Remove ducks from pan, and bring to room temperature.
- Quarter the ducks, trimming off any excess fat.
- Cover, and refrigerate for up to 24 hours.
- To prepare the sauce, place the roasting pan over medium-high heat, and add butter, shallots, garlic and jalapeno.
- Saute until softened, about 2 minutes.
- Add the thyme, sage and rosemary, and saute 1 minute more.
- Add honey and lemon juice.
- Make a paste of flour and 1 tablespoon water; add to pan.
- Add veal stock or chicken broth, and reduce until sauce lightly coats the back of a spoon, about 5 minutes.
- Sauce may be cooled and refrigerated for up to 24 hours.
- To serve, preheat oven to 450 degrees.
- In a small pan over medium heat, reheat sauce.
- Heat an ovenproof skillet over high heat, and add duck pieces skin side down.
- Cook over high heat until skin begins to sizzle, about 1 minute.
- Reduce heat to low, and crisp duck skin 5 to 7 minutes.
- Cover with a lid or foil, and reheat in oven for 10 minutes.
- Transfer to a warm platter, and serve with sauce.
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