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Recipe Detail Page
Slow-Roasted Duck with Sage, Ginger and Rhubarb Sauce
Holiday 2002
Jamie says to try this main course if you want to take Christmas dinner in a new direction. The rhubarb makes the dish “unusual, really tasty.” If fresh rhubarb is unavailable, use frozen but do not grate it. As an alternative to rhubarb, replace rhubarb with 1 cup (250 mL) fresh cranberries.
Serves 8
Two 5 lb (2.2 kg) ducks
Salt and freshly ground pepper
8 oz (250 g) fresh ginger
4 oz (125 g) rhubarb
2 bunches fresh sage, roughly chopped
1 garlic bulb, cloves removed and chopped in half
2 red onions, finely sliced
1 cup (250 mL) marsala or Vin Santo
1½ cups (375 mL) vegetable, chicken or duck stock
2 tbsp (25 mL) olive oil
1. Preheat oven to 350°F (180°C).
2. Season ducks generously, inside and out. Coarsely grate half of the ginger and half of the rhubarb. Mix in a bowl with half of the sage and all of the garlic and onion. Stuff inside the cavity of both ducks. Place them on a rack over a roasting pan and roast in the oven for 1 hour.
3. Reduce heat to 300°F (150°C) and cook for another hour and a half until crisp and tender. As the duck cooks, you will need to drain the fat into a bowl a few times - it will separate into clear fat, which you can keep for roasting. The ducks are ready when the skin is crisp and the leg bones can be easily loosened.
4. Once cooked, let the ducks rest on a warmed plate. Drain off any remaining fat from the roasting tray. Pull out all of the stuffing and any juices from the ducks and add into the roasting pan. Heat the pan on low heat, adding the marsala. Loosen any sticky bits on the bottom of the pan. Add stock and reduce to a good taste and consistency. Pass through a coarse sieve.
5. With a knife, remove the breasts from the ducks, and, using your hands, remove the thighs. Divide onto plates.
6. Finely slice the remaining ginger and fry on medium-high heat in hot oil in a nonstick frying pan. As it begins to colour, add the rest of your rhubarb, finely sliced, and finish with the rest of the sage, cooking until crisp. Sprinkle over the duck and drizzle with sauce.
Serves 8
