Grilled Duck Stuffed with Apple, Oranges, Shallots, and Rosemary with Grilled Asparagus
Golden butter-fried potato cakes and grilled asparagus accompany slow-grilled duck grilled with apple cider glaze. The duck is stuffed with shallots and pieces of orange and apple, delicately scenting the meat as it grills.
Ingredients
- Apple Cider Glaze
- Apple Cider Vinegar - 1/2 cup
- Apple Cider - 1 cup
- Juice of 2 oranges
- Shallot - 1, sliced and sauteed
- Freshly ground black pepper - 1/2 teaspoon
- One 4 to 5 pound duck
- Mandarin Orange - 1, quartered
- Shallots - 2 medium, peeled and cut in half
- Apple - 1, quartered
- Kosher salt
- Pepper - coarsely ground
- Rosemary Sprigs - 6
- Mashed Potato Cakes
- Potatoes - 2 cups, day-old mashed
- Garlic - 1/2 teaspoon, chopped
- Parmesan Cheese - 1/4 cup, grated
- Salt and freshly ground pepper
- Unsalted Butter - 3 ounces, or as needed
- Grilled Asparagus
- Asparagus - 1 pound, trimmed
- Olive oil for brushing
Instructions
To prepare the glaze: Combine the ingredients in a non-aluminum saucepan over medium-high heat and bring to a boil. Reduce the heat to medium and cook until reduced to a glaze, about 1/2 cup. Set aside.
To prepare the duck: Light a large quantity of charcoal briquettes in a large, covered charcoal grill and let the coals burn until they are covered with light ash. Prepare for indirect cooking by forming the coals into a circle around the perimeter of the grill. Place the cooking grill on top.
Trim the wing tips and neck fat from the duck and clean the cavity. Stuff the duck cavity with Mandarin orange quarters, shallot halves, apple quarters, and 2 sprigs of the rosemary. Season with salt and pepper. Place the duck in the center of the cooking grate and cover, leaving the ventilation holes open. Cook until the juices run clear, about 2 hours. Toward the end of the cooking time brush the duck with some of the Apple Cider Glaze. Remove from grill. Discard the stuffing. Set aside to rest for 5 minutes.
To prepare the mashed potato cakes: Combine the mashed potatoes with the chopped garlic and grated Parmesan. Season to taste with salt and pepper. Form into four patties. Heat the butter in a non-stick saute pan and pan-fry the potato cakes in butter until golden brown on both sides. Set aside; keep warm.
To prepare the asparagus: Brush the asparagus with oil and place on the cooking grate over the coals. Grill for 10 minutes, or until tender, turning half-way through the cooking time. Remove from the grill; keep warm.
To serve: Carve the duck into two thigh-leg pieces and two breast pieces. Remove the bones from the breast sections. Place two potato cakes and one half of the grilled asparagus on each plate. Place a breast section and a thigh-leg section on each plate. Drizzle the duck with Apple Cider Glaze. Garnish with the remaining rosemary sprigs.
