Everyday Roasted Duck

Lidia Bastianich--Lidia Cooks from the Heart of Italy; Lombardy

• Ready In: 3 hrs 30 mins
• Serves: 4-6

Ingredients

• 1  whole duck (about 5 lb., with giblets and neck)
• 1  tablespoon kosher salt
• 4  sprigs fresh rosemary
• 1  cup dry white wine
• 1⁄2 cup fresh lemon juice
• 1⁄4 cup extra virgin olive oil
• 1 -2  cup  light  chicken stock

Directions

1. Recommended equipment: kitchen twine, heavy-duty flameproof roasting pan with a flat wire roasting rack, a fat-separating measuring cup (2 cups or larger), poultry shears or heavy knife for splitting the bird.
2. Arrange an oven rack in the middle of the oven; preheat to 400°.
3. Remove all clods of fat from the duck cavities, and trim any loose flaps of skin; rinse the bird, including the giblets and neck; pat dry with paper towels.
4. Sprinkle a teaspoon of salt inside the belly cavity; and push in the rosemary sprigs.
5. With the breast side up, twist and fold the wing tips so they stay under the bird.
6. Cross the legs over the cavity opening and tie the ends tightly with kitchen twine.
7. Chop the duck neck into two or three pieces and scatter in the bottom of the pan, along with the giblets, under or around the wire rack.
8. Set the duck, breast side up, on the roasting rack in the pan.
9. Whisk the wine, lemon juice, and olive oil vigorously together until emulsified, and pour this all over the duck skin; sprinkle the remaining 2 teaspoon salt over the bird, making sure that the sides are moistened and salted as well as the breast.
10. Roast the duck for an hour, breast up, then baste it all over with the pan juices, using a bulb baster or large spoon--tilt the roasting pan carefully to scoop up the liquid.
11. Continue to roast for another 1 to 1 1/2 hours, basting the bird every 30 minutes or so, until it is dark gold and very crisp all over.
12. Remove the duck to a platter, take out the rack and gather the giblets and neck pieces onto the platter, too.
13. Carefully pour the hot juices from the pan into a fat separator and let the fat gather on top.
14. Pour the good juices out of the separator into the roasting pan (if you don't have a separator, spoon off all the fat first, then pour in a cup or more of stock, so you have at least 1 1/2 cups liquid to deglaze the pan and cook into a sauce).
15. Set the roasting pan over med-high heat on top of the stove, and bring the liquids to a boil, vigorously scraping up all the caramelized bits on the bottom of the pan.
16. Let the juices reduce until slightly thickened and flavorful, then turn off heat.
17. In the meantime, cut up the duck into small pieces to serve family-style; pile the cut pieces on a serving platter, along with the roasted neck and giblet morsels.
18. Keep warm, and when the sauce is ready pour the pan sauce all over.