Andrew Zimmern's Bohemian Roast Duck With Caraway

Chef and TV host Andrew Zimmern loaned us his go-to holiday duck recipe, inspired by the eastern European restaurants in the New York neighborhood where he grew up. Procure some high-quality caraway seeds — the same seeds that give rye bread their zingy earthiness — and get cracklin'. It's roast duck with caraway time!

"In the 1960s and 70s there were dozens of eastern European and Czech restaurants on NYC's Upper East Side over on 2nd, 1st and York Avenues. That old neighborhood of Yorkville was near our home on East 71st street and my dad and I would walk over to our favorite Czech restaurant where we would always order the Bohemian-style duck with caraway. Paired with braised red cabbage and a side of potato dumplings, it was a thing of beauty and that memory and that dish in particular motivated me to create this recipe...one that has become a favorite of mine over the years."

Andrew Zimmern's Bohemian Roast Duck With Caraway
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Procure some high-quality caraway seeds — the same seeds that give rye bread their zingy earthiness — and get cracklin'. It's roast duck with caraway time!
Prep Time
3
hours
Cook Time
35
minutes
Servings
0
servings
Ingredients
  • 1 large duck
  • 2 tablespoons kosher salt
  • 2 tablespoons caraway seeds
  • 1/2 cup fresh squeezed orange juice
  • 4 cups rich poultry stock
  • 1 cup fresh squeezed orange juice
  • 1/4 cup Grand Marnier
  • 1/4 cup sugar
  • 1 teaspoon lemon juice
  • 1 shallot
  • 6 cloves
  • zest of 1 orange
  • 1 cinnamon stick
Directions
  1. Wash and dry the duck. Prick it all over with a small sharp fork. Sprinkle with the salt, inside and out. Let rest 24 hours on a rack unwrapped in your refrigerator.
  2. Take the duck out of the fridge and let come to room temperature. Remove the wing tips and save for stock or discard.
  3. Preheat oven to 400 degrees F.
  4. In a small dry skillet, lightly toast the caraway seeds.
  5. Prick duck all over again and season with the caraway, rubbing it into the duck inside and out.
  6. Place one inch of water in the bottom of a deep roasting pan. Place duck on a rack in the roasting pan.
  7. Roast for roughly 100 minutes, until duck is a deep golden brown. Baste during the last 30 minutes of cooking with the orange juice, reserving a few tablespoons to baste when the duck comes out of the oven.
  8. While the duck is cooking, make the sauce. Place the stock, orange juice and Grand Marnier in a saucepan over high heat. Bring to a boil, reduce heat to maintain a simmer and reduce until thickened, about 30 minutes.
  9. Place the sugar and lemon juice in a saucepan over medium heat and caramelize. When the sugar begins to turn brown, stir in the shallots, cloves, orange zest and cinnamon stick. Cook for a few minutes, then add the stock mixture and stir to combine. Allow this to reduce over medium heat for about 15 minutes. Strain before serving.
  10. When the duck has finished roasting, remove from oven and let rest for 10 minutes. Baste once again with a little orange juice. Carve the duck and serve, drizzling with the sauce.
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