The rare breeds of Rouen Clair and Duclair from Stone Church Farm (845-658-3243) are small, tender, and have a low fat content, which makes them preferable to commercially available birds. We recommend the aged ducks, which have a richer taste. Order them two weeks ahead to allow preparation and shipping from the farm and request that the necks be removed. Since this recipe calls for a fair amount of soy sauce, it is important to use a brand with well-balanced flavors (such as Kikkoman).
Recipe information
Total Time
2.5 hrs
Yield
Makes 2 servings
Ingredients
Special Equipment
Preparation
Step 1
Put oven rack in middle position and preheat oven to 400°F.
Step 2
Wash and dry duck, then "groom" it by removing any remaining feathers and quills with tweezers or needlenose pliers. Tie legs together using string, then tuck wings under body to secure.
Step 3
Combine all remaining ingredients except water and flour in a large sealable plastic bag and add duck. Marinate, chilled, 1 hour.
Step 4
Transfer duck to a 13- by 9- by 3-inch roasting pan and reserve marinade. Roast 15 minutes. Meanwhile, pour 3/4 cup marinade through a sieve into a 1-quart saucepan and discard remainder. Boil 1 minute and baste duck with marinade. Continue to roast duck until thermometer registers 155°F when inserted in meaty part of a thigh or 160°F in breast (do not touch bone), 15 to 20 minutes more.
Step 5
While duck continues to roast, add 1 cup water to marinade in saucepan and bring to a boil. Put flour in a heatproof bowl and whisk in 1/4 cup marinade until smooth. Whisk flour mixture into remaining marinade in saucepan until combined well. Simmer over low heat, stirring occasionally, until thick enough to coat back of a spoon, about 3 minutes. Keep warm over low heat, stirring occasionally.
Step 6
Remove duck from oven and let stand 10 minutes before carving. (Duck will continue to cook, reaching 160°F at leg and 165°F at breast.)
Step 7
Serve duck with sauce.
