Roast Wild Duck With Blackberry Sauce

Total Time: 2 hrs Preparation Time: 30 mins Cook Time: 1 hr 30 mins

Ingredients

• 4 -5 lbs duck, rinsed patted dry, giblets reserved
• 2 -3 tablespoons walnut oil (only if using a wild duck) or 2 -3 tablespoons bacon, to wrap duck in (only if using a wild duck)
• salt & freshly ground black pepper
• 2 large onions, coarsely chopped
• 1 cup cubed turnip
• 2 cups duck or 2 cups chicken stock
• 6 juniper berries
• 6 black peppercorns
• 1 -2 bay leaf
• 1 1/2-2 tablespoons fresh thyme leaves or 1 -2 teaspoon dried thyme leaves
• 1 cup unsweetened purple grape juice or 1 cup dry red wine
• 1 tablespoon fruited vinegar (or more to taste)
• 1/4 cup blackberry preserves or 1/4 cup jelly
• 1 1/2 cups fresh blackberries or 1 1/2 cups frozen blackberries

Recipe

• 1 preheat oven to 400°f.
• 2 prick skin all over duck, remove as much fat as possible on the domestic bird.
• 3 rub wild duck with walnut oil or wrap in bacon.
• 4 domestic duck is more greasy and does not need oil or bacon.
• 5 stuff 1/2 the onions and turnip cubes into the cavity.
• 6 season cavity with salt and pepper.
• 7 place duck in roasting pan with about 1/2 inch of water on center rack in oven, breast side down.
• 8 turn breast side up after cooked for 20 minutes and bake about 40 minutes longer, til just done.
• 9 while duck is roasting, place giblets and remaining onions and turnips in a small dutch oven or oven proof saucepan and roast in the oven with the duck til well browned, about 20 minutes.
• 10 remove dutch oven to the stove top.
• 11 over medium heat, deglaze the dutch oven in the stock, scraping all the bits stuck to the bottom and sides of the pan.
• 12 add the seasonings, wine and vinegar.
• 13 continue to cook til liqid is reduced by 1/3, about 20 minutes.
• 14 add preserves and blackberries.
• 15 cook another 10 minutes or until the preserves are melted into the liquid and the berries have cooked down and are soft.
• 16 strain liquid into a clean sauce pan and set aside.
• 17 discard the solids strained out.
• 18 remove roasted duck from the oven and let stand tented under aluminum foil for 15 minutes before carving.
• 19 reheat sauce just before serving.
• 20 carve duck or quarter, discarding the stuffing and serve hot with sauce poured over top.