Description
This Festive Christmas Roast Duck with Apple Cider Drizzle is a perfect centerpiece for your holiday feast. Featuring a crispy, spiced duck roasted to perfection and served with a tangy apple cider drizzle and fresh pomegranate seeds over peppery arugula, this recipe balances rich and bright flavors for a celebratory meal that’s sure to impress your guests.
Ingredients
Scale
Main Ingredients
- 1 whole duck (around 2 – 2.5 kg), thawed if frozen
- 1 onion (brown, yellow or white), unpeeled and quartered
- 1 whole head of garlic, cut in half horizontally
- 1 cup water
- 1 1/2 tbsp unsalted butter, softened
- 1 cup chicken broth or duck broth
- 1/4 cup apple cider vinegar
- 1/2 cup apple juice
- Salt and pepper to taste
- Few handfuls of rocket (arugula) leaves
- 1 pomegranate, halved and seeded
Spice Rub
- 2 tsp garlic powder
- 1 tsp onion powder
- 1 tsp cinnamon powder
- 1 tsp all spice powder
- 1 tbsp salt
- 10 grinds black pepper
Instructions
- Preheat Oven: Preheat your oven to 210°C (410°F) to get it ready for roasting the duck.
- Prepare Baking Dish: Place the quartered onion, halved garlic head, and 1 cup of water into a baking dish and set a rack on top of this mixture.
- Prepare Duck: Rinse the duck thoroughly under cold water, including the cavity. Pat dry with paper towels. For best results, rinse it the night before and refrigerate uncovered to dry out the skin.
- Make Spice Rub: In a small bowl, mix together garlic powder, onion powder, cinnamon powder, all spice, salt, and black pepper to create the spice rub.
- Apply Spice Rub: Rub the spice mixture all over the outside skin of the duck, focusing mostly on the top and sides for proper seasoning.
- Initial Roast: Place the duck on the rack in the baking dish and roast in the preheated oven for 20 minutes at 210°C (410°F).
- Adjust Temperature and Continue Roasting: Reduce the oven temperature to 180°C (350°F) and continue roasting. Roast the duck for a total of 40 minutes per kg (or 20 minutes per lb), inclusive of the initial 20 minutes.
- Check Doneness: Insert a skewer where the leg meets the breast; the duck is ready when the juices run clear without any pink color.
- Rest the Duck: Remove the duck from the oven and transfer it off the baking tray. Loosely cover with foil and let it rest for 20 minutes to allow juices to redistribute.
- Prepare Serving Plate and Drizzle: Arrange arugula leaves on a serving platter, place the rested duck on top, and sprinkle with fresh pomegranate seeds. Serve alongside the apple cider drizzle made by combining chicken broth, apple cider vinegar, and apple juice, warmed if desired.
Notes
- To ensure crispy skin, drying the duck overnight in the refrigerator uncovered is recommended.
- Unsalted butter is suggested to control the saltiness of the dish; you can substitute with salted if desired, adjusting salt accordingly.
- Apple cider vinegar adds a nice acidity to the drizzle; substitute with white wine vinegar if unavailable, but apple cider vinegar is preferred.
- Pomegranate seeds add festive color and a burst of sweetness, making the dish visually appealing and flavorful.
