Duck with Cherries
Many years ago I was privileged to meet Josephine Araldo. At the time she was well into her 80's and still putting on cooking demonstrations around the globe. She graduated with two diplomas from the famed Cordon Blue in Paris and while she ventured into different cuisines, her roots remained with the region in which she was born and raised, Normandy. Here is a simple recipe that she shared with me.
Ingredients
- 1 duck, 4-5 lb
- 2 1 lb cans Bing cherries (dark and pitted), drained and reserve juice
- 2 Tbsp butter
- 2 Tbsp brandy or port
- 2 tsp fresh lemon juice
- Herbs: fresh parsley, thyme, rosemary, salt and pepper
- Slice of orange peel
Cherry Sauce:
In the pan that the cherries were sautéed, mix together the following:
- one cup cherry juice (reserved from the can)
- 1½ cups duck or chicken stock
- 2 oz brandy or port
- 1 Tbsp cornstarch, well mixed with a little cold water.
Bring these ingredients to a boil, stirring until thickened. Add the cherries from the duck cavity after the duck is roasted.
Instructions
- Preheat oven to 400 degrees.
- Sauté the drained cherries over medium heat in butter for 5 minutes. Add the orange peel, brandy, and lemon juice and remove from the heat after another 2-3 minutes.
- Rub salt and pepper on the duck, inside and out. Place some parsley, thyme and rosemary inside the duck. Put the cherries in the duck and sew-up or skewer to close up the cavity.
- In a roasting pan roast the duck at 400 degrees for 15 minutes; then decease the heat to 375 degrees and continue roasting for another 1½ hours, or until done. Serve with cherry sauce.