Spice-Rubbed Roast Duck with Apple Cider Pan Sauce
A whole duck rubbed with cinnamon, allspice and garlic, roasted until the skin is crisp, with a tangy apple cider pan sauce.
A whole duck rubbed with warm spices (cinnamon, allspice, garlic, and onion) roasts on a rack over onion and garlic until the skin is crisp and burnished. The pan juices become a quick, tangy-sweet apple cider drizzle. Served on a bed of rocket with jewel-like pomegranate seeds, it makes a striking holiday centerpiece.
Spice-Rubbed Roast Duck with Apple Cider Pan Sauce
A whole duck rubbed with cinnamon, allspice and garlic, roasted until the skin is crisp, with a tangy apple cider pan sauce.
Ingredients
Tick the ingredients as you go
Duck and aromatics
Spice rub
Apple cider drizzle
Garnish
Instructions
- 1
Roast the duck
Heat the oven to 210°C (410°F).
- 2
Place the onion, garlic, and water in a baking dish and set a rack over the top.
- 3
Rinse the duck inside and out, then dry it very well with paper towel. For the crispiest skin, do this the night before and leave the duck uncovered in the fridge overnight.
- 4
Stir the spice rub ingredients together in a small bowl.
- 5
Massage the rub over the skin (not inside the cavity), concentrating most of it on the top and sides.
- 6
Set the duck on the rack and roast for 20 minutes at 210°C, then lower the oven to 180°C (350°F) and keep roasting. Allow about 40 minutes per kg (20 minutes per lb) in total.
- 7
To test, push a skewer into the joint where the leg meets the breast; if the juices run clear, it's done.
- 8
Take the duck out, tent it loosely with foil, and let it rest for 20 minutes.
- 9
Serve on a bed of rocket, scatter with pomegranate seeds, and pass the drizzle separately.
- 10
Make the drizzle
Pour everything left in the baking dish (juices, fat, onion, and garlic) through a sieve set over a bowl, pressing on the onion and garlic to squeeze out their flavor.
- 11
Skim off the excess fat and keep it for roasting vegetables or potatoes.
- 12
Combine 1/4 cup of the strained juices with the vinegar, apple juice, and stock in a saucepan. Simmer over medium heat for 2-3 minutes, until reduced by about a quarter.
- 13
Season with salt and pepper, and balance the flavor with a little more vinegar or some white sugar to taste.
Tips & tricks
- Timing: Calculate roasting time from the duck's weight at 40 minutes per kg. The first 20 minutes at 210°C crisps the skin; the rest is at 180°C.
- Butter: Salted butter or margarine can replace unsalted butter; cut the salt in the rub to about 3/4 tbsp.
- Apple cider vinegar: Find it in the vinegar and oil aisle; it's milder than white vinegar.
- Pomegranate seeds: Hold a pomegranate half cut side down over the duck and tap the back firmly with a wooden spoon so the seeds fall out.
- Reheating: Duck reheats well. Let it come to room temperature, then bake at 180°C for 20 minutes.
- Servings: Feeds 10 as part of a multi-course meal, or around 15 in a large spread.
Fresh & Fusion · https://freshandfusion.com/recipes/spice-rubbed-roast-duck-with-apple-cider-pan-sauce
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