Duck
Preheat oven to 350°F.
Soak raisins in honey and red wine vinegar for 30 minutes. Place in a food processor and blend to make a paste. Push this paste under the skin of the duck. Rub outside of duck with olive oil and season with salt, pepper and chopped herbs. Place in roasting pan and roast at 350°F for about 4 1/2 to 5 hours. To test for doneness, grab anklebone of duck with a towel between index finger and thumb and twist. If bone rolls in skin, it is ready. Remove duck from oven and allow it to rest for 15 minutes.
Gingersnap Gravy
In a medium saucepan, heat olive oil and sauté bacon until crisp. Add onions and cook until caramelized. Add bay leaf, ginger and molasses; simmer 3 minutes. Pour in stock and reduce by 1/3 or until sauce coats back of a spoon. Crumble in cookies. Remove from heat and allow cookies to steep for 10 minutes. Pass through a fine-mesh strainer into a clean saucepan; reserve.
Rice Dressing
Preheat oven to 250°F. Heat oil in a large, heavy bottom pot and sear ground pork. Add chopped onions, garlic and bay leaves and cook until onions are softened. Season mixture with coriander, cumin and cayenne. Add rice and sauté, coating it with oil and onions until lightly toasted. Pour in chicken stock and bring to a simmer; cover and place in oven at 250°F for 20 minutes. Remove and toss in sliced scallions.
Brussels Sprouts
Cut base of Brussels sprouts and remove leaves. Cut base again pulling off more leaves until all leaves are removed. Just before ready to serve, melt butter in a medium sautépan over medium heat; add garlic and lemon juice and cook for 2 minutes. Add raw Brussels sprout leaves and cook for about 1 minute.
To Serve
Remove backbone and neck from duck. Carve into leg, thigh, breast and wing portions. Place a portion of rice onto each individual serving plate and then a piece of duck. Ladle a spoonful of sauce over duck and top with a few Brussels sprout leaves.
Ingredients
Duck
- 3/4 Cup California raisins
- 1/4 Cup honey
- 1/4 Cup red wine vinegar
- 1 whole roasting duck (about 4 pounds)
- 2 Tablespoons olive oil
- Salt and freshly ground pepper to taste
- 2 Tablespoons chopped herbs (rosemary, thyme and parsley mixed)
Procedure
Gingersnap Gravy
- 1 Tablespoon olive oil
- 2 Slices bacon (about 2 ounces each), sliced 1/4-inch thick and cut into 1-inch pieces
- 2 onions (about 2 cups), cut into 1-inch dice
- 1 bay leaf
- 2 Teaspoons freshly grated gingerroot
- 1/4 Cup molasses
- 2 Cups dark, rich chicken stock or duck stock
- 3 to 5 gingersnap cookies
Rice Dressing
- 1 Tablespoon olive oil
- 1/2 Cup ground pork
- 1 yellow onion (about 1 cup), cut into 1/2-inch dice
- 1 Teaspoon chopped garlic (about 2 small cloves)
- 2 bay leaves
- 1 Teaspoon ground coriander
- 1 Teaspoon ground cumin
- 1 Teaspoon ground cayenne
- 2 Cups raw basmati rice
- 3 Cups chicken stock
- 1 bunch scallions, green and white portions sliced thin (about 6 to 8 scallions)
Brussels Sprouts
- 1 Pound Brussels spouts
- 4 Tablespoons butter (1/2 stick)
- 1 Teaspoon minced garlic
- 3 Tablespoons fresh lemon juice