Passover Roasted Duck in Fruit Sauce (recipe, meat)

ROAST DUCK IN MIXED FRUIT SAUCE M SERVES: 8

This is a mouth watering recipe that is relatively simple to prepare save for cleaning the ducks.  Major TIME saving hint: Get pre-roasted unseasoned ducks and then braise them in the sauce!

Prep time: cleaning kosher duck-endless- ask butcher for help

Prep time: 5 min. Roasting: 1 ½- 2 hours   Sauce- 10-15 min.  

Braising & Glazing- 45 min.

INGREDIENTS       

2 ducklings       

2 lemons                           

12 ounce jar black currant preserves           

24 ounces cranberry juice                   

1 teaspoon allspice

1/3 cup potato starch dissolved in 1 cup water

24 ounces frozen mixed fruit (blueberries, strawberries, peaches)-defrosted

Optional-1 tablespoon Passover cherry liqueur

EQUIPMENT

1 large roasting pan

1 non stick roasting rack

Medium saucepan

Long handled fork

DIRECTIONS

1. Preheat oven to: 375 F.
2. Clean ducks thoroughly. Rinse inside and out with cold water. Cut one lemon in half and rub the skin of the ducks with the lemon halves. Place ducks, breast side up, on the roasting rack in the roasting pan. Place pan in the oven and roast 30 minutes. After 30 minutes, begin to prick the duck all over with a long handled fork. Be careful not to get spattered with fat. Remove some of the melted fat with a baster if it begins to crackle too much in the pan. Continue to prick ducks every 15 minutes until they are browned. Ducks need about 15 minutes per pound to properly cook. When the breasts have browned, I like to flip the ducks over so that their backs can brown as well. Prepare the sauce while the ducks are roasting.
3. Put juice, preserves and allspice in the saucepan.
4. Squeeze remaining lemon. Remove pits. Add lemon juice to saucepan.
5. Stir ingredients over medium heat until preserves melt. Add potato starch mixed with water. Stir sauce until it has slightly thickened. Remove from heat. Add mixed fruit and liqueur. Set aside.
6. When ducks are done, remove them from oven and allow to cool. Cut them into quarters with either a sharp knife or poultry shears. Arrange quarters in an oven to table serving dish. Pour sauce over duck. (You can either finish the recipe at this point or cover the pan and refrigerate duck until the next day.) Return duck to the oven for about 45 minutes or until skin has glazed. Baste every 15 minutes. Before serving, make sure each quarter is covered with sauce and berries. Serve hot with starch of your choice. (Thin sauce with cranberry juice if it becomes too thick.)

Optional: Garnish duck with fresh mixed berries.