Cherry Glazed Duck Recipes

DUCK WITH CHERRIES AND RED WINE VINEGAR

Steps:

• Trim excess fat from duck breasts, leaving a 1/4-inch layer covering the breast. (Save fat trimmings to render and use for another purpose.) With a sharp knife, lightly score fat cover diagonally in two directions, taking care not to cut too deeply and expose meat. Turn breasts over and remove the thin tenderloins from underside. Trim away any veiny or ragged bits. (Save meaty trimmings for making stock.) Season generously on both sides with salt.
• Pulverize the peppercorns, allspice berries, cloves, bay leaves and fennel seed in a mortar or electric spice mill. Sprinkle spice mixture over duck breasts; massage seasoning into meat on both sides. For more-intense flavor, do this several hours ahead or overnight and refrigerate (recommended). Bring duck to room temperature before cooking.
• Make the sauce: Put turbinado sugar and red wine vinegar in a saucepan and simmer over medium-high heat for 2 minutes, until syrupy. Add red wine and chicken broth and simmer briskly until sauce coats spoon, about 5 minutes. Stir in ginger, cayenne and 1/2 teaspoon salt. Set aside. You should have about 1 cup sauce. (Sauce may be made a day or two in advance, if desired.)
• Place a wide cast-iron pan over medium high heat. When pan is hot, place duck breasts side by side, skin side down. Let sizzle gently for about 7 minutes, until skin is crisp and golden, turning down heat as necessary to keep from getting too dark. Turn breasts over and cook 5 to 7 minutes more. (Alternatively, finish cooking breasts in a 400-degree oven.) Check temperature frequently with an instant-read thermometer; internal temperature should be a bit less than 125 degrees. Remove breasts and let rest on a warm platter for 8 to 10 minutes.
• To finish sauce, put butter in a saucepan over medium high heat. Add cherries and granulated sugar and cook for a minute or two, stirring, until cherries are heated through and beginning to get juicy. Add kirsch and cook 1 minute more, then add previously prepared sauce and bring to a simmer.
• Thinly slice duck breasts at an angle and arrange slices on a platter. Spoon some of the sauce and cherries over meat and pass remaining sauce at table.

DUCK WITH CHERRY SAUCE

Steps:

• Prick skin of duckling well and place breast side up on a rack in a shallow roasting pan. Tie drumsticks together. Bake, uncovered, at 350° for 2 to 2-1/2 hours or until juices run clear and a thermometer reads 180°. (Drain fat from pan as it accumulates.) Cover and let stand 20 minutes before carving. , Meanwhile, for sauce, combine preserves and vinegar in a small saucepan. Cook and stir over medium heat until heated through. Serve with duck. Garnish platter with fruit and kale if desired.

CRISP-TENDER ROAST DUCK WITH CHERRY-ROSEMARY SAUCE

Steps:

• Preheat the oven to 300 degrees F.
• Rinse the duck inside and out and pat dry. Trim any excess fat from the neck and cavity, snip off wingtips and discard. Mix 1 tablespoon salt and 1/2 teaspoon pepper in a small bowl, and sprinkle the bird inside and out. Using a paring knife, make dozens of slits through the skin and fat (taking care not to pierce the meat) all over both sides and all parts of the bird.
• Put the duck breast-side up on a rack in a roasting pan and roast for 1 hour. Take the bird out of the oven, transfer to a platter and carefully drain the fat from the pan into a measuring cup (you'll end up getting 2 to 3 cups). Return the duck to the pan, prick with the knife again, turn it breast-side down and roast another hour. Repeat each hour, roasting the duck for a total of 4 1/2 hours.
• While the duck cooks, make the sauce: In a small saucepan, heat 1 tablespoon duck fat over medium heat and cook the shallots until soft, about 4 minutes. Add the garlic and cook until fragrant, 1 minute. Add the cherries, stock, preserves, honey and rosemary, and simmer until slightly thickened, about 10 minutes. Remove from the heat, add the lemon juice, swirl in the butter and taste for salt and pepper. Set aside until the duck is finished.
• After 4 1/2 hours of roasting, turn the oven temperature up to 350 degrees F, prick the duck skin one last time, salt the skin again and return bird to the oven, breast-side up. Roast for 30 minutes until the skin is nicely browned.
• Remove from the oven, tent with foil and let rest for 20 minutes. Gently reheat the sauce over low heat. Carve the duck, put the pieces on a serving platter and serve with sauce.

ROAST DUCK WITH CHERRIES

Steps:

• Preheat oven to 350 degrees.
• In a small bowl, stir together cloves, ground star anise, and ground cinnamon. Place potatoes, carrots, onion, turnip, and sweet potato in a roasting pan large enough to hold the duck; sprinkle half the spice mixture over the pan and season with salt and pepper. Drizzle with 3 tablespoons olive oil and mix to coat.
• Rinse duck in cold water and pat dry. Rub duck all over with remaining spice mixture and 3 tablespoons olive oil; season generously, inside and out, with salt and pepper. Place duck, breast side up, on top of vegetables in roasting pan. Add neck and organs, along with thyme, bay leaves, and 2 cinnamon sticks. Cover pan tightly with parchment paper-lined aluminum foil; transfer to oven and cook for 2 hours.
• Meanwhile, in a saucepan, combine cherries, red wine, sugar, remaining cinnamon stick, and whole star anise. Place over low heat and cook until cherries are soft and wine has reduced to a syrupy consistency, about 30 minutes. Reserve about 3 tablespoons of syrup for glazing the duck. Transfer remaining syrup to a small serving bowl; set aside and keep warm.
• Carefully uncover duck and baste with pan juices. Add garlic cloves to pan and re-cover with parchment paper-lined foil. Return duck to oven and continue cooking until meat starts pulling away from the bone, about 2 hours more.
• Uncover duck and brush with reserved cherry-wine syrup. Return to oven and roast until skin is crispy and dark, rich brown in color, about 15 minutes.
• Carefully transfer duck to a large serving platter. Let stand, uncovered, while preparing the vegetables. Transfer vegetables to a large bowl. Remove meat from the neck and add to vegetables, discarding bones. Thinly slice remaining organs and add to the vegetables; mash vegetables and meat together and season with salt and pepper.
• Transfer vegetable mixture to a serving bowl and serve immediately along with duck and cherry-wine syrup.

MISO ROASTED DUCK WITH CHERRY GLAZED BOK CHOY

Steps:

• Using a fork, pierce the duck skin all over to allow the flavor of the marinade to penetrate and the fat to drain. Combine honey, soy sauce, coffee, ginger, miso and brown sugar together in a bowl, stir well to dissolve the brown sugar and miso. Squeeze the citrus juice into the marinade then stuff the cavity of the duck with the citrus halves. Place the duck in a 2 gallon freezer bag, then pour in the marinade. Seal and refrigerate for 24 hours.
• The next day, remove the duck from the marinade and pat it dry with paper towel. Preheat oven to 450 degrees F.
• Place the duck on a rack in a roasting pan. Fold the wing tips back and tie the legs together. First, roast the duck for 20 minutes, the high temperature will caramelize the sugars on the outside of the duck and set a rich mahogany color. After 20 minutes, drop the temperature down to 325 degrees F and roast for 1 hour. Duck heaven baby!
• You can start the bok choy when the duck has about 10 minutes left in cooking. Preheat a large skillet on medium high. Add peanut oil.
• Saute cut side down for about 1 minute until golden. Discard the oil. Take the back-side of a knife and give the ginger a good whack. Bruising the ginger will release a ton of flavor. Add the ginger to the pan with bok choy then add the mirin, soy, and chicken stock. Stir in the miso, careful not to damage the food.
• While you have the spoon in your hand, stir in the cornstarch mixture, then let the sauce simmer and thicken for a few minutes. Finish with the fresh cherries, a pinch of salt, and fresh cracked white pepper.

DUCK WITH SOUR CHERRY GLAZE

Steps:

• Preheat the oven to 225 degrees F.
• Place oven rack in the bottom third of the oven.
• Bring a large stockpot of water to a boil.
• Using a straight-edge razor or an X-acto knife, score the fat on the breast making crosswise slashes every 1/2-inch, being sure not to puncture the flesh.
• Using kitchen twine, truss the duck, leaving enough twine to form a handle.
• Lower the duck into the boiling water for 10 seconds.
• Remove and drain any water that has accumulated in the cavity of the duck.
• Set the duck on a wire rack, breast-side up, in a large roasting pan.
• Add enough water to come 1 inch up the side of the roasting pan.
• This will prevent the fat from smoking as it drips into the roasting pan.
• Season the duck with salt and pepper.
• Roast until the duck is golden brown and most of the fat has rendered, 2 1/2 to 3 hours.
• Increase the oven temperature to 500 degrees F.
• Continue to roast duck until the skin is well-browned and crisp, about 10 minutes.
• Remove cooked duck from oven and brush with half of the sour cherry glaze.
• Reserve the remaining half for passing at the table.
• Zinfandel Sour Cherry Glaze: Make ahead In a small saucepan, combine the cherries and vinegar.
• Cook over medium heat until steam rises from the saucepan.
• Remove from heat and set aside until the cherries have re-hydrated.
• Place the sugar in a large skillet over medium heat and cook, stirring, until the sugar dissolves and becomes a light caramel color, about 10 minutes.
• Drain the cherries, reserving the vinegar, and roughly chop; set aside.
• Remove caramel from heat.
• Carefully add the vinegar as it may spatter.
• Stir until the caramel melts.
• Add the wine and simmer over medium-low heat until the mixture has reduced by about 2/3 and is the consistency of a thin syrup.
• Stir in the reserved cherries.
• Whisk in the mustard and salt.
• The glaze may be prepared in advance and stored in a covered container in the refrigerator for up to 2 days.
• The sauce will thicken upon standing; heat gently before serving.
• Yield: about 2 cups of syrup.

DUCK BREASTS WITH BALSAMIC CHERRY GLAZE

Steps:

• For the glaze, combine the balsamic vinegar, honey, cherries and cayenne pepper in a small saucepan.
• Bring to a boil, reduce the heat to a simmer and cook until the mixture has reduced by half to form a thick, syrupy glaze; keep warm until ready to serve.
• With the point of a knife, score the skin side of the duck breasts in a crosshatch pattern, being careful not to pierce the flesh.
• Season the duck breasts with the salt and pepper.
• Preheat a dry (oil-less) saute pan over medium/high heat before adding the breasts, skin-side down.
• Cook the duck over medium/high heat approximately 6 to 8 minutes (rendering out the fat).
• Momentarily remove the duck from the pan and set the duck aside.
• Fry the sage leaves in the rendered duck fat for 1 to 2 minutes, or until the leaves are crisp and dark green.
• Transfer the sage to paper towels to drain.
• Remove the excess fat from the saute pan, then add the duck (opposite side) back into the hot pan.
• Saute the opposite side of the breasts for another 3 to 4 minutes (the meat should be medium-rare).
• Remove the duck from the pan and slice the breasts crosswise or diagonally.
• For serving, arrange the slices on each plate, drizzle the duck with the warm balsamic cherry glaze and garnish each serving with two fried sage leaves.

ROAST DUCK WITH SOUR CHERRY GLAZE (ROCCO DI SPIRITO)

Steps:

• Roast duck: 1. Preheat oven to 225F, with racks in upper and lower thirds. Bring a large pot of water to a boil. 2. Score the fat on the breast of the duck, making crosswise slashes, being careful not to cut the meat. Using kitchen twine, truss the duck, leaving enough twine to form a handle. 3. Holding twine handle, lower duck into the boiling water for 10 seconds. Remove; drain. Place breast side up on a wire rack in a roasting pan. Add 1 inch of water to pan to prevent the fat from smoking. Season with salt and pepper. 4. Season rutabagas with salt and pepper and put in an ovenproof saucepan. Drizzle with vinegar and stir. Cover saucepan and place on upper rack of oven with the duck on the lower rack. Roast until duck is golden brown and most of the fat has rendered. 2 1/2 to 3 hours. 5. Remove rutabagas; set aside. Raise oven temperature to 500F. Transfer duck to upper rack continue roasting until the skin is well browned and crisp, ~10 minutes. 6. Meanwhile, pass rutabaga through a food mill fitted with a large disk into a medium saucepan. Add butter and honey; season with salt and pepper, stirring to combine. Stir in mint. Transfer to a serving dish; keep warm. 7. Remove duck from oven, and immediately brush with the sour cherry glaze. Transfer to a serving platter. Serve duck with rutabagas and remaining glaze. Make glaze: 1. In a small saucepan combine cherries and vinegar over medium heat just until steam rises from pan. Remove from heat and let cherries rehydrate (~20 minutes). Drain, reserving liquid, and chop. 2. Put sugar in a large skillet over medium heat; cook, stirring, until sugar dissolves and turns a light caramel color, ~10 minutes. 3. Remove caramel from heat. Add reserved vinegar carefully as it may spatter. Stir until caramel melts. Add wine; simmer over medium low heat until mixture has reduced by about two thirds to the consistency of a thin syrup. Stir in cherries. Whisk in mustard and season with salt.

DUCK BREAST WITH SWEET CHERRY SAUCE

Steps:

• Heat oil in a 2- to 3-quart heavy saucepan over moderate heat until hot but not smoking, then cook onion, garlic, and shallot, stirring occasionally, until golden, about 7 minutes.
• Add tomato paste, black pepper, cumin, hot pepper flakes, and 1/4 teaspoon salt and cook, stirring, 30 seconds. Add bell pepper and tomato and cook, stirring occasionally, until softened, about 5 minutes.
• Stir in wine, vinegar (to taste), and sugar and simmer 1 minute. Stir in mustard, 1 1/2 cups cherries, and remaining 1/2 teaspoon salt and simmer 1 minute.
• Purée mixture in a blender until very smooth, about 1 minute (use caution when blending hot liquids). Force cherry sauce through a fine-mesh sieve into a bowl and transfer 1/4 cup sauce to a small bowl for glazing duck.
• Put oven rack in middle position and preheat oven to 450°F.
• Score duck skin in a crosshatch pattern with a small sharp knife and season duck all over with salt and pepper.
• Heat water in an ovenproof 12-inch heavy skillet over low heat until hot, then add duck, skin side down. Cook duck, uncovered, over low heat, without turning, until most of fat is rendered and skin is golden brown, about 25 minutes.
• Transfer duck to a plate and discard all but 1 tablespoon fat from skillet. Brush duck all over with cherry sauce from bowl and return to skillet, skin side up.
• Roast duck in oven until thermometer registers 135°F (see cooks' note, below), about 8 minutes for medium-rare.
• Transfer duck to a cutting board and set skillet aside. Let duck stand, loosely covered with foil, 10 minutes.
• Immediately after covering duck, carefully pour off any fat from skillet, leaving any brown bits, and add remaining cherry sauce, stirring and scraping up any brown bits. Add remaining 1 1/2 cups cherries. (Cherries will lose flavor if cooked; heat from skillet will warm sauce.)
• Holding a sharp knife at a 45-degree angle, cut duck into slices. Sprinkle with chopped herbs and serve with cherry sauce.