Roast Duck with Elderberry Sauce
Roast duck stuffed with citrus and thyme, finished with a tangy elderberry jam and red wine pan sauce.
Instructions
- Preheat the oven to 400°F. Remove the neck and livers from the cavity of the duck. Trim away the excess fat from the remaining neck and tail of the duck. Rinse the duck thoroughly under cold water and pat dry. Combine the salt and 1/2 teaspoon of black pepper in a small dish. Rub the duck, inside and outside, with the salt and pepper mixture. Tuck the wing tip back and place the duck on a rack inside a medium roasting pan.
- Finely grate an orange and set aside the zest. Slice the orange and fill the cavity of the duck with the citrus (orange and lemon) slices and 4 sprigs of thyme or 1 teaspoon dried thyme. Place the onion and 1 cup water into the roasting pan. Place the duck on a rack in the pan, and sprinkle with the orange zest. Roast the duck with the leg toward the back of the oven. After 1 hour, reduce the heat to 350°F and cook the duck for an additional 30–40 minutes or until the internal temperature of the thigh is 180°F. Remove the duck from the roasting pan and cover it with foil. Allow to rest 15–20 minutes before carving.
- Elderberry Sauce (for roast duck) Remove the onions from the pan and the citrus slices from the inside of the duck and pour the pan juices into a measuring cup. Let the fat come to the top. Siphon off the fat with a baster and return the juices to the pan. Add the wine to the pan juices and set over medium heat. Loosen any pan drippings with a wooden spoon or spatula, as soon as the wine begins to boil and reduce by half. Finely grate the zest from the second orange and add the zest and its juices to the pan juices and wine along with the remaining pepper and thyme and the elderberry jam. Continue to reduce the sauce for 5 minutes. Serve with the duck. Garnish with fresh thyme.
