Servings
Font
Back
4.8 from 18 votes

Duck with Maple-Bourbon Sauce

You need to roast a duck for this recipe, and there are lots of ways to do it. Here is how to fast roast a duck, and here's how to slow-roast a duck. Since I used a wild duck, I will repeat the fast-roasting technique below. I serve this with fresh mushrooms and mashed or smashed potatoes.

Prep Time
30 mins
Cook Time
30 mins
Total Time
1 hr
Servings: 4 people
Calories: 238 kcal
Course: Main Course
Cuisine: American

Ingredients

DUCK
  • 2 wild ducks, such as mallards, pintail, canvasbacks, gadwall or redheads
  • Olive oil to coat ducks
  • salt
MAPLE-BOURBON SAUCE
  • Pan drippings from the duck, about 3 tablespoons
  • 3 tablespoons flour
  • 1/3 cup bourbon or whisky
  • 1/2 cup duck stock, beef stock or water
  • 2 tablespoons maple syrup
  • 1/2 teaspoon Tabasco sauce or other hot sauce
  • 1 to 2 tablespoons heavy cream
  • salt and black pepper to taste

Instructions

    Cup of Yum
  1. Take the ducks out of the fridge and coat them with olive oil. Salt them well inside and out. Let them come towards room temperature for 30 minutes. Preheat the oven to 450°F.
  2. When the oven is ready, put the ducks breast side up in a cast-iron frying pan or other heavy, oven-proof pan. Make sure they do not touch each other. Roast until the breast meat hits about 135°F to 140°F, about 18 to 22 minutes. Remove the ducks from the oven and carve off the breasts. Set them skin side up on a cutting board. Return the ducks to the oven so you can cook the legs another 5 minutes.
  3. Take the ducks out of the oven again. Move the ducks to the cutting board and put the pan on the stovetop. Turn the heat to medium-high and crisp up the skin on the breasts. This should take about 2 to 4 minutes. Watch out for the pan handle -- it will be very hot! Once the breast skin is crisp, move it to the cutting board skin side up.
MAPLE BOURBON SAUCE
  1. You want 3 tablespoons of duck fat left in the pan. Spoon out extra or add some butter if you are short. Add the flour and mix well. Turn the heat to medium and cook the flour for 5 minutes, stirring often.
  2. Add the bourbon. The roux will seize up, so be ready with the stock or water. Add it, stirring all the while, to combine. Bring to a gentle simmer. Pour in the maple syrup, Tabasco, and add salt and black pepper to taste. Simmer for for a minute or two. If the gravy has the right consistency, you are ready to add the cream. If it is too thick, add more stock. If it is too thin, let it boil down a bit. Once it is the consistency of Thanksgiving gravy, add the cream and cook 1 minute.
  3. Carve the ducks and give everyone some breast meat and legs. Serve with mashed potatoes, pouring the gravy over everything.

Notes

  • Once made, the gravy will keep for a few days in the fridge, although it will set up solid when cold. It'll liquefy once you reheat it.

Nutrition Information

Calories 238kcal (12%) Carbohydrates 11g (4%) Protein 24g (48%) Fat 5g (8%) Saturated Fat 2g (10%) Cholesterol 87mg (29%) Sodium 101mg (4%) Potassium 351mg (10%) Fiber 1g (4%) Sugar 6g (12%) Vitamin A 60IU (1%) Vitamin C 8mg (9%) Calcium 14mg (1%) Iron 5mg (28%)

Nutrition Facts

Serving: 4people

Amount Per Serving

Calories 238

% Daily Value*

Calories 238kcal 12%
Carbohydrates 11g 4%
Protein 24g 48%
Fat 5g 8%
Saturated Fat 2g 10%
Cholesterol 87mg 29%
Sodium 101mg 4%
Potassium 351mg 7%
Fiber 1g 4%
Sugar 6g 12%
Vitamin A 60IU 1%
Vitamin C 8mg 9%
Calcium 14mg 1%
Iron 5mg 28%

* Percent Daily Values are based on a 2,000 calorie diet.