A perfect New Year's for two Dude Food Duck

I must apologize for so neglecting this site.

I got involved with a restaurant and between desperately trying to help the restaurant and teaching classes my time was taken. Even sleep was neglected.

Duck is Dude Food.

Duck is possibly the BEST New Years choice you can make if doing a dinner for two. It is special, festive and rich.

It also takes a few hours to digest so eat the large meal early and have some special treats for the champagne. I don't advise midnight duck. 

New if you live in a big city with a Chinatown you can always buy one pre-cooked and reheat it, but you can be a culinary wizard and do it yourself quite easily. 

Use DUCK, not duckling. Duck is big and loaded with fat and richness. This recipe will work with goose, but not young duckling. 

Ingredients: 

Duck

1 cup dark soy sauce

1/2 cup brown sugar

1 cup apple cider

1 cup whole star anise

1 ziplock bag

3 days before roasting mix the above together and put the marinade with the duck in a ziplock bag. Squish it around and remove the air so that it is submerged. 

About 12 hours before roasting remove from marinade, brush off excess and place on a rack to dry UNCOVERED in the refrigerator. 

It already looks good. 

I roast on an upright rack, but any rack will do. Put some water under the duck to catch the fat without smoking and place in a 250 oven for 3 to 5 hours pricking the skin periodically to allow the fat to drip. The time will depend on the size of your duck, if it is all at lean 3 hours, if hugely fatty 5. When fully roast heat oven to 550 for 5 minutes then turn off to rest. Skin will crisp nicely. 

Not the best photo but it was the best duck. 

See the head and all the bones and the fat on the surface of the water....yea. The fat. SAVE EVERYTHING. Carve off the meat and keep every bit of the rest. 

Now boil those bones with the liquid under the duck. Strain and allow the fat to solidify on the top. 

Skim it off and use for frying potatoes. 

Oh...and that broth....that wonderful broth...make a soup. Vegetables and duck broth with a few noodles and your life will never be the same.