Whole Roasted Duck with Brandy Peach Sauce

Whole Roasted Duck with Brandy Peach Sauce

Recipe “Easy Roasted Duck” from NYT

1 4 to 5-pound duck

freshly ground black pepper

¼ cup soy sauce, more or less

roasting rack / pan

Preheat oven to 450˚F. Remove giblets and neck from duck cavity and discard or reserve for another use. Cut off excess fat from duck cavity.

Place duck, breast side down (wings up), on a rack in a roasting pan; add water to come just below the rack. Sprinkle duck with pepper and brush with a little soy sauce.

Roast 30 minutes, undisturbed. Prick the back all over with point of a sharp knife, then flip bird onto its back. Sprinkle with pepper and brush with soy sauce again. Add a little more water to the pan if the juices are spattering (carefully-you don’t want to get water on the duck).

Roast 20 minutes, then prick the breast all over, and brush with soy sauce. Roast 10 minutes; brush with soy sauce. Roast 5 or 10 minutes more if necessary, or until duck is a glorious brown all over and an instant-read thermometer inserted into the thigh measures at least 155 degrees. Let rest 5 minutes before carving and serving.

Peach Sauce:

1 teaspoon ghee

2 shallots, minced

3-4 peaches, cut halved, pitted and cut into medium chunks

¼ cup of your favorite Brandy, bourbon, cognac or white wine

1 cup chicken stock (or duck stock, if you have it!)

1 sprig thyme

1 teaspoon brown sugar

1 teaspoon lemon juice, freshly squeezed

½-1 teaspoon soy sauce, to taste

Cook the shallots in the ghee over medium heat until soft. Add the peaches, deglaze the pan with the Brandy. Add the stock and thyme sprig. Reduce the stock by half. Sprinkle in the brown sugar, add the fresh lemon juice and finish to taste with the soy sauce.