Hi Guys! Today we have our first new recipe in our “Not So Traditional Thanksgiving Spread” and we’re replacing the typical thanksgiving centerpiece with a gorgeous Maple-Balsamic Roasted Duck and serving it with a simple, spiced cranberry and persimmon chutney.
I’m not going to lie, every year when thanksgiving dinner rolls around, I find myself with a plate loaded up with sides and a tiny sliver of turkey hanging off the corner. It’s true. I like a nice juicy turkey, but with so many amazing side dishes being passed around the table, it’s hard not to forget about the roasted turkey sometimes. Also, while I like turkey, I don’t love it. I also think that it’s difficult for a lot of people who aren’t celebrating with dozens of people to rationalize preparing an entire turkey. I totally understand and that’s why I think this roasted duck is the perfect thanksgiving turkey substitute. Think one duck won’t be enough? No problem, just roast two of them! The cooking time will still be much less than if you were roasting an entire turkey.
You’ll end up with a juicy duck with a sweet, tangy and crispy skin. It’s important to allow your duck to sit uncovered in the refrigerator overnight if you want the fat to render and the skin to crisp up. It’s also important to remember that because so much fat will render from the skin, you want to make sure the layer of aromatics is thick enough to work as an organic “wire” rack so that the back side of the duck doesn’t end up frying in its own fat.
We hope you guys will stick around the rest of the week as we get through the rest of our new recipes in our “not so traditional thanksgiving spread”! Enjoy! xx, Jenny
More recipes you might like:
Maple-Balsamic Roasted Duck with a Spiced Cranberry-Perssimon Chutney
INGREDIENTS
spiced cranberry-perssimon chutney
- 2 fuyu persimmons, peeled and diced
- 1 cup fresh cranberries (or frozen)
- ¼ cup light brown sugar
- 2 garlic cloves, minced
- 1 orange, zested and juiced
- 3 tablespoons red wine vinegar
- 2 teaspoons honey
- ½ teaspoon kosher salt
- ½ teaspoon cinnamon
- ¼ teaspoon ground nutmeg
- ¼ teaspoon cracked black pepper
duck
- 1 (4-5 lb.) roasting duck
- 4 yellow onions, peeled and roughly chopped
- 5 tangerines, quartered
- 3 lemons, quartered
- 3 sprigs thyme
- salt and pepper to taste
glaze
- ½ cup (real) maple syrup
- ¼ cup honey
- ¼ cup balsamic vinegar
- 1 orange, zested and juiced
- 3 tablespoons Dijon or whole grain mustard
- 2 teaspoons fresh minced thyme
- 2 garlic cloves, minced
platter garnishes
- halved lemons
- halved tangerines/oranges
- fresh sage
INSTRUCTIONS
- For chutney: Place all ingredients into a medium pot and stir together. Place over medium high and simmer for 25 to 30 minutes or until cranberries and persimmons become tender and begin to melt together. Set aside until ready to use. (re-warm when ready to serve)
- 12 hours before roasting, place duck onto a clean plate and pierce skin all over with fork. Pat dry and place duck in the refrigerator, uncovered, to allow skin to dry.
- Preheat oven to 375˚F.
- Remove duck from refrigerator and fill cavity with aromatics (onions, tangerines, lemons, thyme). Tie legs together with twine and tuck winds behind back.
- Arrange remaining aromatics in a roasting pan top with prepared duck. Generously season with salt and pepper and roast for about 30 minutes.
- While duck begins to roast, whisk together all glaze ingredients.
- Brush duck with glaze and continue to roast for about 1 hour, basting every 15 minutes.
- Once the internal temperature reaches 155˚F, raise the oven temperature up to 425˚F and finish roasting for 10 minutes. Remove from oven and allow duck to sit for about 10 minutes. Transfer onto a prepared platter and serve with chutney.
NOTES
- **Something to remember is that the skin will not have rendered as much as fat as when you just sear a breast, skin side down. To achieve the most crispy skinned bird, place duck under broiler for 2 to 4 minutes, turning as needed to prevent burning from the marinade