Port And Currant Roasted Duck

This port and currant roasted duck makes an impressive holiday dinner with a balance of sweet, tart, and savory.

Life doesn't always turn out the way you plan seems to be the running theme of my life lately. I came down with a nasty flu and passed it on to my family so we ended canceling all our Christmas plans. Traditionally we cook duck for Christmas because ham and turkey get all the limelight for Thanksgiving. This port and currant roasted duck is one of my favorite holiday recipes. I love the tartness of red currants and sweetness of port spiced with cinnamon and star anise in contrast to the gaminess of the duck. While it seems intimidating to roast a whole duck, the effort is completely worthwhile and it makes for an impressive holiday main that your dinner guests will appreciate. This is probably my last recipe for 2022 so thank you for following along this year and happy holidays from our family to yours!

Ingredient Notes

• Duck: get a duck about 4-5 pounds. I get fresh ducks from Vietnamese supermarkets and Ranch 99. If you buy a frozen duck, let it thaw in the fridge.
• Spices: for the dry rub, I used a combination of fennel seeds, all spices, and cloves.
• Port: for the sauce I used a tawny port which brings a complex flavor profile. It's also spiced with cinnamon and star anise. Sherry is a good substitute if you don't have port. My favorite is Pedro Ximenez.
• Red currants: currants are tiny berries from the Ribes family. They have a sweet and sour berry flavor with bright acid kick to balance out their sweetness. You can find currants at farmers markets and specialty produce store. Blackberries and cherries are great substitutes if you can't find currants. 

How to Make the Dry Rub

To make the dry rub, toast the spices until they become fragrant. Add the spices to a mortar and pound them with the pestle until fine. Then mix in the sea salt and brown sugar until well combined.

How to Prepare the Duck for Roasting

• Place the duck on a heatproof rack set over the sink and pour over a kettle of boiling water.
• Pat completely dry with paper towels, and season cavity with salt. 
• Leave the duck in the fridge to dry overnight. For extra crispy skin, leave the duck in the fridge for 2 days.
• Use a skewer or knife with pointy tip and pierce the skin of the duck all over. This will help the fat melt and escape.
• Rub the spice mixture all over the duck
• Place the orange quarters inside the duck's cavity
• Refrigerate, uncovered for 1 hour

The First Roast

Lay the duck breast side up over a roasting rack in a large roasting pan. The duck will go through two roasts. The first one at 375 degrees F for 45 minutes to render the fat. The second roast will have a port syrup which adds another layer of flavor.

How to Make the Port Syrup

While the duck is roasting, prepare the port syrup. In a small saucepan, combine port, fresh tangerine juice, sugar, star anise, and cinnamon. Cook on medium-high heat until the mixture reduces and becomes syrupy, about 15 minutes.

The Second Roast

After 45 minutes, remove the roasting tray from the oven. Pour out the dripping from the pan. You can save the duck fat for cooking or discard it. Brush the entire duck with the port syrup. Pour all of the syrup into the pan and add the fresh red currants. Roast for another 45-50 minutes until the skin crisps up.

How to Know When the Duck is Done

Insert a meat thermometer into the breast or drumstick, the duck is cooked when the thermometer reaches about 175 degrees F. Remove the roasted duck from the oven and let it rest for 15 minutes before carving. If you cut the duck right after removing it from the oven, the juices will seep out all over.

How to Carve a Duck

I like to get as much meat from the roasted duck as possible. Place the roasted duck with its breast facing forward. Cut between the leg and the breast and pick up the duck up so you can slice underneath and slice through the leg joint. Repeat with the other leg. Use your knife to cut on one side of the breast bone from front to back then alongside the wishbone, leaving as little room as possible between the carcass and the meat. Remove the breast completely then repeat on the other side. Slice the breast into smaller pieces. For the rest of the duck, use your fingers and tear off the meat. Here's a helpful guide from America Test's Kitchen for how to carve a duck.

What to Serve Duck With

We paired our roasted duck with roasted red kuri squash. It would go well with roasted potatoes, root vegetables, and lentils.

For more holiday main inspiration: apple cider brined turkey, lemon thyme poached turkey pomegranate molasses roasted duck, or fennel roasted pork belly.