Rosemary Roast Wild Duck with Apricot Sauce

Recipe courtesy of Tugboat

INGREDIENTS

• 3 Tbsp chopped fresh rosemary

• 2 Tbsp brown sugar

• 1 Tbsp freshly ground black pepper

• 2 teaspoons salt

• 1 drake or hen plucked and prepped

• 1 Tbsp olive oil

• 1/2 cup granulated sugar

• 1/2 cup champagne vinegar or white wine vinegar

• 5 apricots, quartered, i used watties canned apricots

Note i used a drake for this and it weighed 2 lb dressed
 

METHOD

1: THE RUB MIX:

In a bowl combine the chopped rosemary, brown sugar, black pepper, and salt.

Using a sharp fork poke inch square holes all over the skin surface of the bird, not to deep just below the skin, this alows the rub to penetrate the meat.

Rub the bird down with olive oil and apply the rub mixture over the whole bird inside and out, add 2 cloves of garlic and a quarter onion into the cavity.

Place in a plastic bag and chill for 2 hours minium or longer if desired.

2: Preheat oven to 350*F

Take duck out of the chiller and allow duck to come up to room temperture before placing in the oven.

Place the duck on a roasting rack in a roasting pan, breast side up. Pour a cup of water into the pan. Roast for 15 minutes. Remove the pan from the oven and pour off the fat and water. Separate the fat to use for basting.
 

3: Turn the bird on the rack so now the breast is facing down.

Baste the bird with the fat. Return the bird to the oven. Increase the temperature to 400°F.

Cook the bird for another 15 minutes

Note: ”Estimate” a total cooking time of 15 minutes per lb of bird.

I then turned the duck again breast side up and set the grill on high and hit it for another 5 minutes to brown and crisp the skin up.

Pull from the oven and let rest for 15 minutes.

Leg meat was around 160 degrees when i pulled from the oven, the meat thermometer was inserted in the inner thigh below the leg joint.
 

4. THE APRICOT SAUCE..

Combine the granulated sugar and vinegar in a small saucepan, and bring to a boil. Cook until thick and amber-colored (about 5 minutes). Add apricots; reduce heat, and cook for 1 minute or until the apricots begin to soften.

Slice duck up and pour sauce and apricots over meat..

Please excuse the rest of the presentation with the mix veg and spuds, had a few to many jimmys by then but the meat was stunning, best ive tasted, i really rated this recipe