Apricot Duck

Preparation time: 10-30 minutes Cooking time: 20 min. per pound Medium Serves: 4-6

Description

A favorite Dwarf recipe the women make to win the hearts of their beloved!

Ingredients

1 (4-5 pound) roasting duck, thawed (best when caught fresh to show what a mighty warrior you are)
1 Pound fresh apricots (picked from a Hobbit orchard), or 1 large can, drained.
1 Orange (orange imported from Near Harad). Zested and juiced.
1 Onion, finely chopped
Sea Salt & Pepper (freshly ground)
2-3 Tablespoons oil
3 Tablespoons honey (stolen from Beorn™s honey supply).
1-1 ½ cups stock made with the duck giblets, or chicken broth
3-4 Tablespoons Apricot Brandy for cooking (and extra for yourself), or substitute for Apricot Liquor.

Method

Preheat oven to 400 F Stuff duck with half seeded apricots, orange zest, and onion. Prick skin of duck with fork to allow fat to run out while cooking; season with salt and pepper.

Heat oil in roasting pan. When very hot, add duck; baste all over with oil. Roast in oven; allow 20 minutes per pound. Half an hour before cooking is completed, spoon melted honey and juice of orange over the duck and return to oven. Ten minutes before end of cooking time, add rest of apricots to pan; heat through and brown slightly. Remove duck and set on serving tray to rest! Remove roasted apricots and arrange roasted apricots around duck. Remove stuffing from duck and put in bowl.

Pour off fat from roasting pan into a sauté pan. Add duck stuffing and bring to a boil stirring constantly. Season to taste. Blend mixture in food processor. Return to heat and add apricot brandy. Serve sauce at once with duck and apricots.

Yield 4-6 servings, or 1 very hungry Dwarven warrior.