Today I want to share a sneak peek of my ebook, Paleo Holiday Recipes, which features my favorite Paleo side dishes I make every Thanksgiving.
Get the ebook
This recipe for orange-glazed duck is for you if you don’t like turkey, or are looking for something else to serve at a holiday party in December. Pair it with a couple of the Paleo side dishes included in the ebook, like plantain stuffing or balsamic brussels sprouts.
Duck is quite unlike chicken or turkey. You can safely consume the meat at a medium or medium-rare doneness, options you would never want to consider with other poultry. It’s high in protein, selenium and zinc.
Duck also has a thick layer of fat under its skin, something other birds generally don’t have. In order to crisp up the skin, you’ll want to score it before cooking to let some of the fat drain out. Don’t throw out the fat, though! Reserve it in a jar and use it as a cooking fat for potatoes or eggs. Duck fat is super flavorful and can tolerate high heat cooking.
I found carrots, celery and parsnips to be nice accompaniments for the bird, but you could try other root vegetables like celery root, rutabagas or turnips.
If you tried this recipe and enjoyed it, or if you want more Paleo-friendly dishes to make this season, be sure to download my cookbook from Amazon! The ebook contains 12 more recipes made with real food ingredients–you won’t find grains, dairy, corn, soy or refined sugar in ANY of the recipes.
Enjoy the orange-glazed duck with your preferred Paleo side dishes and have a healthy holiday season!
Orange Glazed Duck
Ingredients
- 1 whole duck about 3 lb
- 2 oranges juiced (about 1 cup)
- 2 Tbsp. honey
- 2 tsp. sea salt
- fresh rosemary several sprigs
- 2 parsnips
- 3 carrots
- 3 stalks celery
- 2 whole duck about 3 lb
- 4 oranges juiced (about 1 cup)
- 4 Tbsp. honey
- 4 tsp. sea salt
- fresh rosemary several sprigs
- 4 parsnips
- 6 carrots
- 6 stalks celery
- 3 whole duck about 3 lb
- 6 oranges juiced (about 1 cup)
- 6 Tbsp. honey
- 6 tsp. sea salt
- fresh rosemary several sprigs
- 6 parsnips
- 9 carrots
- 9 stalks celery
Instructions
- Preheat oven to 350°.
- Dice vegetables and place in a roasting pan with rack.
- Simmer orange juice, honey, salt and 2 sprigs of rosemary in a small saucepan for 15 minutes, then remove from heat.
- Rinse and dry duck thoroughly, then place breast-up on rack in roasting pan.
- Score the skin over the breast and legs to help some of the fat escape while roasting (this will also help crisp the skin).
- Brush half of the orange glaze over duck, reserving the other half for later.
- Truss duck legs together and cover the pan with foil.
- Roast for 2-2 ½ hours, brushing more glaze over the duck and stirring the vegetables every 30 minutes.
- Duck is done when internal temperature reaches 135° for medium-rare or 170° for well-done.
