• Roasted Duck with Orange, Thyme,
    and Butternut Squash

    December 2, 2008

    Posted in: The Recipes

    Actually, I have a rather long history with this dish. It was one of the primary reasons I bought Seasons, the first cookbook I purchased for myself, independently and with my own money. It is a beautifully photographed cookbook, and one of the first I encountered with a mind towards seasonal eating. This dish, unsurprisingly, was part of the Fall chapter. Unfortunately, Seasons was lost long ago amidst all my transcontinental moves, but it’s absence had forced me to make this duck dish all my own. For instance, I’ve replaced the original pumpkin wedges with butternut squash, which I find is more readily available and universally attractive. It’s a meal that is, oddly, perfect for three. But of course, this is dependent on the type of duck you get; Duck size and fattiness is incredibly variable. I prefer French Barbary ducks for roasting. They’re not quite as gamy as Mallards, and less appallingly fat than Peking, or Long Island, specimens (these ducks have an aberrantly thick layer of subcutaneous fat which is a splendid enabler of Duck Confit, but which renders them unsuitable for roasting, in my opinion). Barbary’s are, however, relatively small. Seek out a large Barbary duck if you need to feed four people, or content yourself with an especially light meal if this is impossible. You won’t be particularly hungry; you just won’t need to go lie down.

    0410040-r022

    Ingredients, for 3 or 4:

    • 1 Duck for roasting, preferably a French Barbary.
    • 2 Butternut Squash.
    • 3 large Navel oranges.
    • 2 Handfuls of thyme.
    • Grand Marnier Liqueur or Cointreau.
    • 2 T olive oil.
    • Gros sel gris de Geurande, fine milled sel gris,pepper.

    Procedure:

    1. Remove lungs, kidneys, heart, and neck from the cavity.
    2. Holding the duck over a sink, pour a kettle of boiling water over the bird. This helps to loosen the fat from the animal.
    3. Dry the bird meticulously, then rub with Grand Marnier or Cointreau, about 2 T, I think.
    4. Season the cavity of the bird with salt and pepper, then season the sides of the bird aggressively, pressing the salt crystals and pepper into the skin to form a light crust. Let the bird rest this way, uncovered, in the fridge overnight to help dry it out.
    5. Preheat the oven t 400 degrees F.
    6. Zest and juice one of the oranges. Stuff the cavity of the duck with the quartered rind of the juiced orange, and as much thyme as you can shove in there. Sprinkle a bit of the zest on the duck’s breast, then reserve the juice and most of the zest.
    7. Using a sharp knife, carefully score the skin of the duck, particularly on the breast and thighs. This will permit the subcutaneous fat to drain successfully, creating a burnished and crispy skin.
    8. Place the duck in the middle of the oven, in a dish that holds it somewhat snuggly. Let it roast at this temperature for forty-five minutes, remembering to flip it around halfway through (not onto it’s breast, but just so that it’s facing the opposite side of the oven, so that both left and right breasts are evenly cooked). Also, drain the fat from the pan periodically to avoid having the duck fry. Reserve the fat if you wish: duck fat is extraordinarily good for you, good for sautéing up potatoes, and indispensable for making Confit de Canard.
    9. In the meantime, dispatch the remaining 2 oranges into suprêmes and reserve.
    10. Peel the squash and cut into medium-thin rectangles (accomplished by slicing the halved butternut vertically, and then crosswise into approximate rectangles).
    11. In a large bowl, toss the squash flesh with 2 T olive oil, a hefty dose of thyme flowers, fine salt, pepper, the remaining orange zest, and a splash of orange juice.
    12. After forty-five minutes, turn the oven down to 300 degrees F and leave the duck to cook for another two hours, until it is falling off the bone.
    13. Arrange the squash in one layer on a baking dish, and place in the oven, on a lower rack, for the last 20 minutes of cooking.
    14. When the duck is ready, remove from the oven. Turn the oven back up to 400 degrees and let the squash continue to cook for ten minutes, until the flesh is lightly caramelized, while the duck rests.
    15. Using the tines of two forks, shred the duck meat away from the carcass. Mix it with the reserved orange juice, and check for seasoning.
    16. Arrange he butternut squash on a plate, mound the duck delicately in the center of a plate, and scatter with the orange segments. Tada!

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