Roast Duck With Port-Garlic Sauce

A delicious duck recipe from the Upperline Restaurant in New Orleans, courtesy of Bon Appetit. I recommend making the sauce a day ahead, as I found that it takes a little longer to reduce than what is stated.

• Ready In: 3 hrs 25 mins
• Serves: 4

Ingredients

• Sauce

• 5  lbs duck, thawed
• 1  medium onion, quartered
• 1  carrot, coarsely chopped
• 1  stalk celery, coarsely chopped
• 4 1⁄2 cups water
• 2  tablespoons butter
• 6  large garlic cloves, sliced
• 1  cup  ruby port
• 1  tablespoon all-purpose flour

• Duck

• 1⁄3 cup soy sauce
• 3  tablespoons Dijon mustard
• 3  large garlic cloves, pressed
• 1  teaspoon coarse salt
• 1  teaspoon pepper
• 1  teaspoon dried thyme

Directions

1. For sauce:.
2. Cut off duck wing tips at joint. Combine neck, heart, gizzard and wing tips in large saucepan. Add onion, carrot and celery to pan. Add water and bring to boil. Reduce heat and simmer 1 hour. Strain stock into medium saucepan. Boil stock until reduced to 1 cup, about 15 minutes.
3. Melt 1 tablespoon butter in heavy large skillet over medium heat. Add sliced garlic and saute until golden, about 2 minutes. Add Port and boil 5 minutes. Add reduced duck stock and boil until reduced to 1 cup, about 8 minutes. Mix remaining 1 tablespoon butter and flour in small bowl. Whisk into sauce and simmer until thickened, about 1 minute. Season sauce with salt and pepper. (Can be prepared 1 day ahead. Cover and refrigerate. Rewarm before serving).
4. For duck:.
5. Preheat oven to 400ºF. Trim excess fat from cavity of duck. Using fork, pierce duck skin in several places. Place duck, breast side up, on rack in large roasting pan. Brush soy sauce over duck. Mix mustard and pressed garlic in small bowl. Brush mustard mixture over duck. Mix salt, pepper and thyme in another small bowl. Sprinkle spice-herb mixture over duck and in cavity. Roast duck 45 minutes. Turn duck and roast, breast side down, 30 minutes. Turn duck and roast, breast side up, until duck is deep golden brown and cooked through, about 15 minutes longer. Transfer duck to platter. Serve with sauce.