We thought you pirates out there might be tired of the traditional Thanksgiving turkey by now. I know co-pirate Kristin and I are. And knowing many of you are seafaring creatures, we thought waterfowl might be a nice alternative this Thanksgiving. So I went on a hunt for a duck….recipe, that is… and found this great bourbon molasses glazed duck. Of course I spiced it up, something our forefathers would never have done, with some fresh hot peppers, oranges and fresh ginger. The combination of flavors was sinful. And worthy of great thanks.
Roast Duck with Spiced Orange Bourbon Glaze
Jump to Recipe1 6 lb duck (these are typically farm ducks that can be purchased at your local grocer)
2 oranges
2 teaspoons kosher salt
1 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
FOR THE GLAZE:
2-3 minced cayenne peppers (or similar hot pepper)
1 tablespoon minced fresh ginger
1 1/2 cup orange marmalade
1/3 cup molasses
1 teaspoon salt or to taste
1/4 cup bourbon, and a little more for tasting : )
Purchase your duck a day or two in advance. (two or three days in advance if it needs to thaw.) Take the duck out of its wrapper, remove giblets, rinse and pat dry. Place uncovered in the icebox for 8 or up to 24 hours. This helps dry out the thick skin of the duck.
Preheat your galley oven to 400º or hotter. And here’s some advice. If you don’t have a broiler in your oven, your bet best is to roast this using indirect heat on your grill. Crispy skin is your mission and that’s hard to achieve in a conventional oven without a broiler.
Cut up the oranges into quarters. Prick the skin of the duck all around and salt and pepper it inside and out. Stuff the cavity with the oranges. Truss the legs together to help hold it’s “Thanksgiving presentation” shape. On a sailboat in the Chesapeake Bay, this is easily done with your crab trot line. Once it’s all tied up the duck is ready for the oven. Place on a rack in a cake-sized pan and slide it into your preheated oven.
Roast for 45 minutes. While the duck is roasting and guests are (typically drinking) relaxing, make the glaze.
Mince the hot peppers and ginger, then combine all ingredients into a sauce pan. We advise you to taste the bourbon, at least a few times, to ensure it’s suitable for the glaze!
Let simmer on low, stirring frequently, until reduced to a thick glaze, about 10 minutes. If it becomes too thick stir in more bourbon. After 45 minutes remove the duck from the oven and spoon half of the glaze over the duck. Return to the oven and continue to roast for 20 minutes.
Remove the duck from the oven and spoon on most of the remaining glaze leaving a little to share at the table. Light your broiler, keep the oven door cracked open a notch, and return the duck to the oven. Keep a close watch on this. You’ll want your bird to be a least two inches away from the broiler.
Once the duck starts to crisp and brown, remove from the oven and let sit for 10 minutes.
Place on a platter for carving. Or not. Our duck was carved up right in its roasting pan.
As roast duck stands on it’s own as the center of any Thanksgiving meal, it can also be presented in addition to a turkey. Consider this: the next time you are invited to a Thanksgiving dinner and want to bring something unique, bring a duck! Good chance the pilgrims did!
Whether you’re having turkey, duck, ham or a vegan Thanksgiving we do hope you all take time to relax with friends and family, eat lots of good food and give thanks for the wonderful bounty!
Roast Duck with Spiced Orange Bourbon Glaze
Ingredients
Roast Duck
- 1 6 lb Duck (these are typically farm ducks that can be purchased at your local grocer)
- 2 Oranges
- 2 tsp Kosher salt
- 1 tsp Freshly ground black pepper
For the Glaze
- 2-3 Fresh Cayenne peppers, minced (or similar hot peppers like habaneros or serranos)
- 2 tbsp Fresh ginger, minced
- 1 1/2 cups Orange Marmalade
- 1/3 cup Molasses
- 1/4 cup Bourbon
- 1 tsp Salt (or to taste)
Instructions
- Purchase your duck a day or two in advance. (two or three days in advance if it needs to thaw.) Take the duck out of it's wrapper, remove giblets, rinse and pat dry. Place uncovered in the icebox for 8 or up to 24 hours.
- Preheat your oven to 400º. Cut up the oranges into quarters. Prick the skin of the duck all around and salt and pepper it inside and out. Stuff the cavity with the oranges. Truss the legs together. Place on a rack in a cake-sized pan and slide it into your preheated oven.
- Roast for 45 minutes. While the duck is roasting, make the glaze.
- Mince the hot peppers and ginger, then combine all ingredients into a sauce pan. Let simmer on low, stirring frequently, until reduced to a thick glaze, about 10 minutes. If it becomes too thick stir in more bourbon. After 45 minutes remove the duck from the oven and spoon half of the glaze over the duck. Return to the oven and continue to roast for 20 minutes.
- Remove the duck from the oven and spoon on most of the remaining glaze leaving a little to share at the table. Light or turn on your broiler and return the duck to the oven. Broil until crispy brown on top.
- Remove from oven and let sit for 10 minutes before carving. Serve with remaining sauce.
Notes
