Sage and Brown Butter Roasted Duck

Sage and Brown Butter Roasted Duck

Crispy-skinned roasted duck basted with nutty brown butter and fresh sage.

Total 4 hr 15 min Makes 4 servings Calories 620/serving

Dietary

Keto, Wheat free, Nut free

Allergens

Dairy

Whole duck is slow-roasted to render its fat and crisp the skin, then finished with a nutty brown butter and sage baste that perks up the rich meat. The technique of scoring the skin and starting low before raising the heat ensures tender meat under shatteringly crisp skin. It makes a striking centerpiece for a holiday dinner or a special Sunday roast.

Ingredients

  • 1 whole duck (4 to 5 pounds), giblets removed
  • 2 teaspoons kosher salt
  • 1/2 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
  • 1 lemon, halved
  • 1 small yellow onion, quartered
  • 8 fresh sage leaves, whole
  • 6 fresh sage leaves, roughly chopped
  • 6 tablespoons unsalted butter
  • 3 cloves garlic, smashed
  • 1 cup low-sodium chicken stock

Method

  1. Remove the duck from the refrigerator and pat it dry inside and out with paper towels. Let it sit at room temperature for 30 minutes.

  2. Preheat the oven to 325°F. Using a sharp knife, score the skin of the duck in a crosshatch pattern over the breast and legs, taking care not to cut into the meat.

  3. Season the duck generously inside and out with the salt and pepper. Stuff the cavity with the lemon halves, onion quarters, and 8 whole sage leaves.

  4. Place the duck breast-side up on a roasting rack set inside a roasting pan. Prick the skin all over with a fork to help the fat render.

  5. Roast the duck in the preheated oven for 1 hour, then carefully pour off and reserve the rendered fat from the bottom of the pan.

  6. Continue roasting, pouring off rendered fat every 45 minutes, until an instant-read thermometer inserted into the thickest part of the thigh reads 165°F, about 1 hour 45 minutes more.

  7. While the duck roasts, melt the butter in a small skillet over medium heat. Add the garlic and chopped sage, and cook, swirling the pan often, until the butter turns golden brown and smells nutty, 4 to 5 minutes.

  8. Strain the brown butter through a fine-mesh sieve into a small bowl, discarding the garlic and sage solids. Stir in the chicken stock.

  9. During the last 20 minutes of roasting, raise the oven temperature to 425°F and brush the duck skin with the brown butter mixture every 5 minutes to crisp and glaze the skin.

  10. Remove the duck from the oven and transfer it to a cutting board. Let it rest for 15 minutes before carving.

  11. Carve the duck into breast slices and leg quarters, discarding the aromatics from the cavity. Drizzle any remaining brown butter sauce over the top before serving.

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    Sage and Brown Butter Roasted Duck

    Whole duck is slow-roasted to render its fat and crisp the skin, then finished with a nutty brown butter and sage baste that perks up the rich meat. The technique of scoring the skin and starting low before raising the heat ensures tender meat under shatteringly crisp skin. It makes a striking centerpiece for a holiday dinner or a special Sunday roast.

    4 hr 15 min 4 servings 620 cal

    Ingredients

    • 1 whole duck (4 to 5 pounds), giblets removed
    • 2 teaspoons kosher salt
    • 1/2 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
    • 1 lemon, halved
    • 1 small yellow onion, quartered
    • 8 fresh sage leaves, whole
    • 6 fresh sage leaves, roughly chopped
    • 6 tablespoons unsalted butter
    • 3 cloves garlic, smashed
    • 1 cup low-sodium chicken stock

    Method

    1. 1

      Remove the duck from the refrigerator and pat it dry inside and out with paper towels. Let it sit at room temperature for 30 minutes.

    2. 2

      Preheat the oven to 325°F. Using a sharp knife, score the skin of the duck in a crosshatch pattern over the breast and legs, taking care not to cut into the meat.

    3. 3

      Season the duck generously inside and out with the salt and pepper. Stuff the cavity with the lemon halves, onion quarters, and 8 whole sage leaves.

    4. 4

      Place the duck breast-side up on a roasting rack set inside a roasting pan. Prick the skin all over with a fork to help the fat render.

    5. 5

      Roast the duck in the preheated oven for 1 hour, then carefully pour off and reserve the rendered fat from the bottom of the pan.

    6. 6

      Continue roasting, pouring off rendered fat every 45 minutes, until an instant-read thermometer inserted into the thickest part of the thigh reads 165°F, about 1 hour 45 minutes more.

    7. 7

      While the duck roasts, melt the butter in a small skillet over medium heat. Add the garlic and chopped sage, and cook, swirling the pan often, until the butter turns golden brown and smells nutty, 4 to 5 minutes.

    8. 8

      Strain the brown butter through a fine-mesh sieve into a small bowl, discarding the garlic and sage solids. Stir in the chicken stock.

    9. 9

      During the last 20 minutes of roasting, raise the oven temperature to 425°F and brush the duck skin with the brown butter mixture every 5 minutes to crisp and glaze the skin.

    10. 10

      Remove the duck from the oven and transfer it to a cutting board. Let it rest for 15 minutes before carving.

    11. 11

      Carve the duck into breast slices and leg quarters, discarding the aromatics from the cavity. Drizzle any remaining brown butter sauce over the top before serving.