Four Seasons: Crisp Farmhouse Duck Recipe


Serves 4

Ingredients:
6 lb. Long Island whole duck
2 oranges, garnished
1 oz. fresh ginger (about 1 inch)
Zest of 1/2 an orange
2 garlic bulbs, halved
2 tbsp. honey
1 cup soy sauce
11/2 tsp. black peppercorns
1 recipe Basic Duck Sauce (recipe follows)
3 chopped celery stalks
1 chopped carrot, peeled
1 chopped onion (skin on)
2 cups red wine
2 tbsp. tomato paste
1/2 tsp. all purpose flour
2 cups chicken stock
1 recipe Green Peppercorn Sauce (recipe follows)
1 cup red wine
2 chopped shallots, peeled
1 tbsp. crushed Green Peppercorn Sauce in brine
1/4 cup heavy cream
1 tbsp. brandy
1/2 cup Basic Duck Sauce (recipe above)
1 recipe Orange Sauce (recipe follows)
2 tbsp. orange marmalade
1 cup orange juice
2 tbsp. Grand Marnier
1 tbsp. red wine vinegar
1/2 cup Basic Duck Sauce (recipe above)
Salt to taste
Freshly ground black pepper to taste

Procedure:
Farmhouse Duck:
Rinse duck well under cold water. Pat dry with a paper towel. Remove giblets from cavity and reserve for sauce. Using a chef’s knife, cut off wing and ankle joint, set aside for sauce. Remove excess fat from tail cavity and discard. Cut off excess skin from neck and discard. Using a paring knife, make small 1/4-inch incisions on the back of the duck. This will allow for the fat to render during cooking. Hang the duck, or place on top of a wire rack set over a baking sheet, in the refrigerator, until dry, for 3 days.

On the second day, use a chef’s knife to cut the skin and pith away from the oranges. With a paring knife, carefully cut sections from the oranges. Set aside for garnish.

Peel ginger and cut into thin rounds. Zest into long thin strips. Combine ginger, orange zest, garlic, honey, soy sauce, and peppercorns in a large bowl. Let stand overnight and strain. Using a wooden spoon, press solids to remove all of the liquid.

Remove the duck from the refrigerator and place it breast-side-up in a large shallow pan. Brush the duck with half the marinade. Let rest for 20 minutes. Rub the duck with remaining marinade, covering completely. Transfer duck to refrigerator and let stand overnight.

Heat oven to 375 degrees. Fill a roasting pan with 1/4-inch of water and place on the lowest oven rack. This will create steam and catch fat as it is released from the duck during cooking. Arrange oven rack in center of oven. Place duck directly on rack and roast until dark brown and slightly puffed, about 11/2 to 2 hours.

Remove from oven. Let rest for about 20 minutes, carve, and serve with sauces and sauteed vegetables. Garnish with orange sections.

Basic Duck Sauce: 
Yield 1 cup
Heat oven to 400 degrees. In a large roasting pan, place reserved neck, wings, and giblets. Add the celery, carrot, and onion to pan and roast until deep brown, about 20 minutes. Remove pan from the oven. Transfer to a medium saucepan.

Deglaze roasting pan with 1 cup red wine. Stir well, being sure to loosen any of the bits that have cooked onto the pan. Set aside. Add tomato paste to the vegetables mixture in medium saucepan and stir to combine. Saute over medium heat until paste begins to color, about 45 to 60 seconds.

Add flour, stirring continuously. Saute until the flour taste has cooked out, about 3 minutes. Add the red wine. Add reduced red wine and bits from the roasting pan. Add chicken stock and bring it to boil. Reduce heat and simmer until the liquid has reduced by half, about 40 minutes. Strain mixture through a fine sieve into a bowl, and discard solids. You should have about 1 cup of the basic sauce.

Green Peppercorn Sauce: 
Yield 11/8 cups
Combine red wine and shallots in a small saucepan. Cook over medium-high heat until liquid has almost disappeared, about 5 to 7 minutes. Before the sauce has finished reducing, add the crushed green peppercorn. Reduce heat to low and add heavy cream, brandy, and 1/2 cup Basic Duck Sauce. Stir to combine and cook until just hot. Remove from heat, adjust for seasoning and set aside.

Orange Sauce: 
Yield 11/3 cups
In a small saucepan, combine marmalade, orange juice, Grand Marnier, and red-wine vinegar. Cook over medium heat and reduce by half, about 10 minutes. Add remaining 1/2 cup of Basic Duck Sauce. Remove from heat, adjust for seasoning and set aside.



Recipe Type: Authentic
Recipe Author: Executive Chef Christian Albin
Photo By: Chef Christian Albin/Four Seasons
Restaurant: Four Seasons, 99 East 52nd Street, New York, NY, USA
Source: http://www.joniaveni.com/images/Celebrity%20Chef%20Recipes.pdf