Daring Christmas Duck

Ahh Christmas. 

Every year for Christmas my sister and I have made dinner. For the last 2 years, I have failed at making prime rib... well, that's not true. Last year I mad prime rib with a Cabernet rosemary Au jus, and it was delicious, BUT the year before that... well... was embarrassing.

So this year I wanted to do a duck! I found a really incredible Fig and Cranberry glazed duck recipe, so I used that as a jumping point (omitting the figs as per family's request).

And without futher ado, I give you....... DUCK WITH A CRANBERRY RELISH!!! (I need a better title)

What you'll need:

1 5 lb. Duck

1/2 a lb fresh or frozen cranberries

2/3 cup apple cider

4 tsp. ground cloves

1 cinnamon stick

2 oranges, halved

First, the relish:

Combine 2 tsp. cloves, cranberries, cinnamon stick, the juice of one orange,  and apple juice into a bowl. Mix and let sit.

The Duck:

Rinse the duck and prick skin with a fork. Cover the body in the cloves, salt, and pepper. Stuff the duck with the two halves of the remaining orange. Bake in a 400 degree oven for 20 minutes.

While the duck is roasting, place cranberry mixture in a pot and simmer till the cranberries burst.

After 20 minutes, turn the oven heat down to 350 degrees. Baste the duck in the fat from the bottom of the pan, and roast for another hour and 10 minutes, occasionally basting the duck as it roasts.

When the duck is done roasting, the juices will run clear. Once it is done, remove it and poor the cranberry relish over the duck.

Cove with foil and let duck rest for 10-15 minutes. The Transfer to platter and serve!

And there you have it!
Personally I loved this Duck, but I am a huge duck fan.

The relish could really serve as it's own dish... I accidentally made my own cranberry sauce :)

So, all said and done.... this is superblogworthy! Yummmmmmmy noises all around.