Submitted by Gordon Vivace

About the cook: A professional chef, but enough about me.

About the dish: A simple, savory roast with a complex flavor profile.

National Origin: Italian

Serves: 4

Estimated Time: 1 to 2 Hours

Ingredients:

1 whole duck
1 large orange, quartered
1 bay leaf
1/2 cup oregano leaves
1/2 cup rosemary leaves
1/2 cup basil leaves
2 tablespoons olive oil
2 cloves garlic
Salt and pepper

Preparation:

Score the duck on both sides, scoring only the fat and not the meat, and then rub the duck with the olive oil and a liberal amount of salt and pepper.

Mix all the remaining ingredients, squeezing the oranges slightly to release some of the juice, and stuff the duck with the mixture without totally filling the cavity.

Place in a preheated 425 degree oven on a rack in a baking dish or in a pan that will allow for an inch of rendered fat for approximately 20 minutes per pound or until the duck reaches an internal temperature of 155 degrees in the dark meat. This will leave the breast medium to medium rare. If you want to double check, full medium rare in the center of the breast would be 135-140.

You will want to turn the duck every 20-30 minutes to ensure the fat renders through the score marks evenly.

Allow the duck to rest for 10 minutes before carving to keep the juices in the meat and for the temperature to distribute evenly.

Favorite