By Week 459. Year 9. Tommy is 42. Winter quiet. The journal open on the kitchen table. The recipes accumulating. Mama (68) in the cottage, slowing but cooking. The gumbo on the stove because winter demands gumbo the way spring demands crawfish and the demanding is the tradition and the tradition is the life.
Made red beans and rice this week — the kind of food that fills the house with the smell of Louisiana and the knowledge that whoever walks through the door is walking into a home where the stove is on and the food is ready and the welcome is unconditional. The meal was the day. The day was the meal. Both were good. Laissez les bons temps rouler.
The red beans and rice carried the week, but it’s the kind of winter that keeps asking for more — more warmth, more richness, more of what the stove can give. Duck with cherry sauce is that next step: the meal you make when the journal is open, Mama’s in the cottage, and you want the kitchen to say something beyond ordinary. The sweet-savory pull of the cherry sauce against the deep, roasted duck felt like the right answer to a season that demands you cook with your whole self.
Duck With Cherry Sauce
Prep Time: 20 min | Cook Time: 1 hr 45 min | Total Time: 2 hrs 5 min | Servings: 4
Ingredients
- 1 whole duck (4–5 lbs), patted dry
- 1 1/2 tsp kosher salt
- 1/2 tsp black pepper
- 1/2 tsp garlic powder
- 1/2 tsp dried thyme
- 1 small onion, quartered
- 2 cloves garlic, smashed
- 1 cup fresh or frozen dark cherries, pitted
- 1/2 cup red wine (such as Pinot Noir)
- 1/4 cup chicken or duck stock
- 2 tbsp unsalted butter
- 1 tbsp honey
- 1 tsp balsamic vinegar
- 1/4 tsp ground cinnamon
- Salt and pepper to taste
Instructions
- Preheat oven. Heat your oven to 375°F (190°C). Place a rack inside a roasting pan.
- Prep the duck. Score the duck skin in a crosshatch pattern, being careful not to cut into the meat. Rub the duck all over with salt, pepper, garlic powder, and thyme. Stuff the cavity loosely with the quartered onion and smashed garlic.
- Roast the duck. Place the duck breast-side up on the rack. Roast for 1 hour 30 minutes to 1 hour 45 minutes, basting with pan drippings every 30 minutes, until the skin is deep golden brown and the internal temperature at the thigh reaches 165°F.
- Make the cherry sauce. About 20 minutes before the duck is done, combine the cherries, red wine, stock, honey, balsamic vinegar, and cinnamon in a small saucepan over medium heat. Simmer for 12–15 minutes, stirring occasionally, until the sauce reduces and thickens slightly.
- Finish the sauce. Remove from heat and swirl in the butter until melted and glossy. Season with salt and pepper to taste.
- Rest and serve. Let the duck rest for 10 minutes before carving. Serve with the cherry sauce spooned over the top.
Nutrition (per serving)
Calories: 520 | Protein: 38g | Fat: 31g | Carbs: 14g | Fiber: 1g | Sodium: 640mg