Roasted Marinated Long Island Duck with Duck Liver Crostini
This earthy dish uses an intense marinade for the duck, which is sauced with a flavorful reduction of duck stock and red wine with green olives. The escarole and crostini are the perfect final touches for this savory entrée.
Ingredients
- Long Island Duck - one, 5-pound
- Marinade
- Balsamic Vinegar - 1 cup
- Soy Sauce - 1/2 cup
- Dijon mustard - 2 tablespoons
- Onion - 3 tablespoons, chopped
- Garlic - 1 tablespoon, minced
- Cracked Mustard Seeds - 2 tablespoons
- Dried Rosemary - 1 tablespoon
- Salt and freshly cracked black pepper to taste
- Rich Duck Stock
- Heart from Duck - above
- Olive Oil - 2 tablespoons
- Wing tips and neck from duck - above
- Celery - 1/2 cup 1/4-inch-diced celery
- Carrot - 1/2 cup 1/4-inch-diced celery
- Onion - 1/2 cup 1/4-inch-diced celery
- Chicken Stock - 4 cups
- Sauce
- Rich Duck Stock - 1 cup, above
- Dry Red Wine - 2 cups
- Fresh rosemary sprigs - 1
- Balsamic Vinegar - 1 teaspoon
- Bay Leaves - 2
- Italian Green Olives - 1/2 cup, pitted, rinsed
- Salt and freshly ground black pepper to taste
- Braised Escarole
- Olive Oil - 2 tablespoons
- Escarole Leaves - 1 bunch, cut lengthwise into quarters
- White Onion - 1 cup, thinly sliced
- Fresh Rosemary - 1 teaspoon, minced
- Garlic - 1 teaspoon, minced
- Rich Duck Stock - 1/2 cup (above)
- Duck Liver Crostini
- Liver from Duck - above
- Olive Oil - 2 tablespoons
- Red Onion - 1/2 cup, thinly sliced
- Coarse brown bread or olive bread - 4 small, sliced
- Salt and freshly ground black pepper to taste
- Balsamic Vinegar - 1 tablespoon
- Olive Oil - 1 tablespoon
- Rosemary Sprigs - 6
Instructions
Preheat the oven to 350 F. Cut off and discard the neck flap of the duck. Remove and reserve the neck and giblets. Remove and discard the membrane from the liver and gizzard. Pour off any blood. Remove and discard the flaps of skin and fat between the legs; cut off and reserve the last two joints of the wings. Puncture the duck well with a sharp-tined fork or an ice pick, piercing the skin and flesh all over and paying particular attention to the fatty area between the wings and the body. Set aside.
To make the marinade: Combine all the ingredients in a large non-aluminum bowl. Roll the pierced duck in the marinade, making sure that the duck is completely coated inside and out.
Place the duck on a rack over a deep baking pan. Add 1 inch of water to the pan to prevent the fat from smoking as it drips during the baking process. Pour the remaining marinade over the duck and bake for 3-1/2 hours. Remove the duck from the oven and let cool slightly, then cut down one side of the breastbone and one side of the backbone, splitting the duck in half. Using your hands, remove the rib cage, thigh bones, and neck bone from the duck half. Leave the drumstick intact. Cut out the backbone and remove the rib cage and thigh bone from the second half. Discard all the bones. Remove and discard any pockets of fat near the legs. Set the duck aside.
To make the duck stock: Cut the duck heart into six pieces. Over medium-high heat, heat the olive oil and brown the wing tips, neck, and heart pieces for 3 to 4 minutes. Add the celery, carrot, and onion, and brown for 2 to 3 minutes, then add the chicken stock. Simmer to reduce to 1-1/2 cups, about 30 minutes, then strain the stock. Set aside.
To make the sauce: In a medium saucepan, combine the rich duck stock with the wine and cook over medium heat to reduce to 1 cup. Add the rosemary and balsamic vinegar, and heat for 5 minutes. Remove the rosemary and add the olives. Season with salt and pepper and keep warm.
To prepare the escarole: Preheat the oven to 325 F. In a large ovenproof saute pan or skillet over medium-high heat, heat the olive oil and saute the escarole, onion, rosemary, and garlic for 2 to 3 minutes. Add the duck stock and bake for 45 minutes.
To make the crostini: Preheat the broiler. Cut the liver into 4 slices. In a medium skillet over medium-high heat, heat 1 tablespoon of the olive oil and saute the liver with the red onions for 2 to 3 minutes. The liver should remain medium-rare. Drizzle the bread with the remaining 1 tablespoon olive oil and toast under the broiler until light golden brown. Place 1 piece of liver on each piece of toast with some of the onions, and season with salt and freshly ground black pepper to taste.
To serve: Season the cavity of the duck with salt and pepper and sprinkle with the balsamic vinegar. In a large saute pan or skillet over medium-high heat, heat the olive oil and add the duck halves, skin-side down. Place 1 piece of braised escarole in each cavity, cover the pan, and cook for 2 to 4 minutes, until hot throughout. Place some of the remaining escarole on each serving plate with a duck half alongside and ladle sauce around the duck. Garnish with the crostini and rosemary sprigs
