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FOUR SEASONS BREEZE | DECEMBER 2018 19 Duck a l'Orange By Irene Welker INGREDIENTS For Duck • 5 to 6 pound Long Island Duck • 1 Tablespoon Chinese Five Spice Powder • 1 Tablespoon fine sea salt • 1 ½ teaspoon ground black pepper • 1 teaspoon paprika • 1 large orange • 1 Tablespoon minced or finely grated fresh ginger • 1 Tablespoon (about 3 large cloves) minced garlic For Glaze • 2 Cups of orange juice • 1 Tablespoon honey • 2 Tablespoons light brown sugar • 2 Tablespoons reduced sodium soy sauce • 1- 2 inch piece of ginger, thinly sliced • 3 Star Anise • zest of one orange Christmas is around the corner. Think about serving something different like duck. This is an elegant holiday dish that is great for 2 to 4 people. It has an intense rich flavor. Yet many cooks are intimidated by the thought of cooking one. The main reason is the amount of fat in these birds. The secret to cooking a great duck is making sure the fat is well rendered. If you follow this step by step recipe, you will have a golden bird with crispy skin that will be perfect for your holiday meal. Oh, and don't forget to strain and keep the fat for later use. Duck fat can be substituted for most other fats in sauteed, braised or roasted recipes with heavenly results. Serves 4; Time about 3 ½ hours, plus defrosting if using frozen duck. DIRECTIONS 1. If you purchase a frozen duck, make sure it is completely defrosted (defrost in refrigerator for two to three days). Remove duck from bag. Remove packet of orange sauce (if included), giblets, and neck from cavity of duck. Use for other purposes. 2. Using kitchen shears or a sharp paring knife cut off excess fat from cavity, tail area, and neck of duck. Also, cut off part of the neck flap. Pat interior and outside of duck dry with paper towels. 3. Hold a paring knife almost flat against the duck's skin make shallow pricks everywhere but the drumsticks. Be sure to include the thighs and back. Lightly score the skin of the breast in a crosshatch pattern. This will allow the fat to run off. Be careful to prick and cut the skin only. Do not cut into the meat. 4. Mix together the five spice powder, salt, pepper, and paprika. Use about a Tablespoon of the mixture to season the interior cavity. Rub the rest of the mixture over the outside, making sure to rub it into the skin on all sides of the duck. 5. Zest the orange. Combine the zest with the minced ginger and garlic. Smear this mixture all over the interior of the cavity. Cut the rest of the orange into six to eight wedges and place them in the cavity. Tie the legs together with kitchen twine. Fold the neck flap over the back and secure it with a toothpick or skewer. Place duck in a roasting pan on a rack, breast side up. Let it sit for 15 -20 minutes to absorb the flavors of the spices and allow it to come to room temperature. 6. While duck is resting: preheat the oven to 425 degrees and make the glaze. Combine all the ingredients for the glaze: orange juice, honey, brown sugar, soy sauce, ginger, anise, and orange zest in a medium saucepan over medium-high heat. Bring just to a boil. Reduce the heat and allow the mixture to simmer, stirring occasionally until it is the consistency of a medium-thick syrup. This will take 10 to 15 minutes. Remove from heat and set aside. 7. Place the duck in the preheated oven. Roast for 15 minutes. Remove the duck from the oven. Reduce the heat to 350 degrees. Carefully tilt duck to pour off any fat that has accumulated. Brush the duck all over with the glaze. Place in pan breast side down and return to oven. If the fat in the pan rises to the level of the rack, spoon excess fat from the pan ensuring the duck sits well above the fat level. Roast duck for an additional 2 to 21/2 hours, pouring off fat, glazing and turning every 30 minutes.. If duck starts to get too dark, cover with aluminum foil. Roast until duck registers 165 degrees. Remove duck from oven. Tent with foil and allow to rest for 15 minutes. Cut duck into serving pieces. Place on platter and drizzle with any remaining sauce. Serve with sides of your choosing. 8. Any of these sides pair well with duck: roasted sweet potatoes, mashed roasted squash, garlic mashed potatoes, roasted vegetables, sauteed green beans, green salad with tomatoes.

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