INGREDIENTS
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1 (5- to 5 1/2-pound) Pekin duck (aka Long Island duck), with giblets and neck
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2 tablespoons plus 1 teaspoon dark brown sugar, divided
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2 tablespoons plus 1/2 teaspoon kosher salt, divided
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1 tablespoon juniper berries, finely crushed
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1 medium-size yellow onion, quartered
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1 small carrot, peeled and cut crosswise into 2-inch pieces
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1 celery stalk, cut crosswise into 2-inch pieces
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2 teaspoons vegetable oil
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4 cups cold water, divided
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4 bunches fresh thyme, divided
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2 tablespoons kirsch (cherry brandy)
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3/4 cup Champlain Orchards tart cherries, pitted
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3 tablespoons cold unsalted butter, cut into 1/2-inch pieces
INSTRUCTIONS
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Using a sharp knife or poultry shears, cut off last 2 joints of duck wings; set aside for broth. Trim and discard excess skin around neck cavity. Remove neck and giblets from cavity; reserve for broth. Reach into cavity; pull away any fat deposits, and discard. Using a metal or wooden skewer, prick skin of duck all over at a 45 degree angle, taking care not to pierce the meat.
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Stir together 2 tablespoons brown sugar, 2 tablespoons salt, and juniper berries in a small bowl. Sprinkle 1 tablespoon brown sugar mixture inside cavity of duck, and rub remaining mixture over skin. Place duck on a nonreactive wire rack set inside a rimmed baking sheet, and chill, uncovered, 18 to 24 hours.
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While duck chills, preheat oven to 375°F. Chop reserved wing tips and neck into 2-inch pieces. Place on a rimmed baking sheet with onion, carrot, and celery; add oil and 1/4 teaspoon salt, and toss to coat. Spread in a single layer, and roast in preheated oven, stirring occasionally, until well browned, about 55 minutes. Add 1 cup cold water to baking sheet, stirring and scraping up browned bits from bottom of pan.
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Transfer mixture to a large saucepan; add reserved heart and gizzards. (Save liver for another use.) Stir in remaining 3 cups cold water and 2 thyme sprigs from 1 bunch. Bring mixture just to a simmer over medium-low. Partially cover, and simmer very gently (do not boil) until reduced to 11/2 cups, 1 hour and 30 minutes to 2 hours, skimming and discarding any foam that accumulates on surface. Pour mixture through a fine wire-mesh strainer over a bowl; discard solids. Chill broth until ready to use.
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Preheat oven to 250°F with oven racks in lowest and middle positions. Let duck stand at room temperature 30 minutes. Pour water to a depth of 3/4 inch in a large baking pan, and place on lowest oven rack. Transfer duck, breast side up, to a roasting rack set inside a deep, aluminum foil–lined roasting pan; insert 2 bunches of thyme into main cavity. Prick skin all over once again with a skewer to ensure rendering. Place roasting pan on middle oven rack, and roast at 250°F until a meat thermometer inserted in thigh and thickest part of breast registers 145°F, about 1 hour and 30 minutes. (Breast may take longer to register 145°F.)
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Remove roasting pan; drain and discard cavity juices and drippings in pan. Remove water pan from oven, and increase oven temperature to 450°F.
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Once oven has preheated to 450°F, return duck in drained roasting pan to middle oven rack. Roast until skin is dark and crisp, about 20 minutes.
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Meanwhile, skim fat off surface of chilled duck broth, and discard. Transfer skimmed broth to a small saucepan, and bring to a simmer over medium. Stir in remaining 1 teaspoon brown sugar. Cook until reduced to 1/3 cup, about 20 minutes. Stir in remaining 1/4 teaspoon salt; set aside, and keep warm.
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Remove roasting rack with duck from roasting pan. Drain and discard foil and drippings from pan; wipe pan clean. Return roasting rack with duck to roasting pan; set on a heatproof surface, and let rest 15 minutes. Remove and discard thyme in cavity. Quickly run remaining 2 bunches thyme under water to dampen; stuff damp thyme into cavity.
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Pour kirsch into a heatproof measuring cup with a pour spout. Heat a small saucepan over medium until warm, about 30 seconds. Remove saucepan from heat, turn off burner, and pour in kirsch.
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Using a utility lighter, carefully ignite fumes just above surface of kirsch. Slowly and carefully pour flaming liquid over duck. Once flames extinguish, transfer duck to a cutting board.
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Pour residual kirsch from roasting pan into reduced broth. Add cherries, and cook over medium, stirring occasionally, until cherries are heated through, about 3 minutes. Remove from heat. Swirl in butter until emulsified.
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Carve duck, and serve with sauce.
| Adapted from Food & Wine/Angie Mar