MAPLE BALSAMIC ROASTED DUCk with a spiced cranberry-persimmon chutney

Serves: 4 to 5   Author: Jenny Park, Spoon Fork Bacon

Ingredients:

spiced cranberry-perssimon chutney:
2 organic fuyu persimmons, peeled and diced
1 cup fresh organic cranberries (or frozen)
1/4 cup light brown sugar
2 organic garlic cloves, minced
1 orange, zested and juiced
3 tablespoons red wine vinegar
2 teaspoons raw honey
1/2 teaspoon salt
1/2 teaspoon organic cinnamon
1/4 teaspoon organic ground nutmeg
1/4 teaspoon organic cracked black pepper

1 (4-5 lb.) roasting Ney's Big Sky duck
4 organic yellow onions, peeled and roughly chopped
5 organic tangerines, quartered
3 lemons, quartered
3 sprigs organic thyme
salt and pepper to taste

glaze:
1/2 cup real maple syrup
1/4 cup raw honey
1/4 cup Oro di Oliva balsamic vinegar
1 orange, zested and juiced
3 tablespoons Dijon or whole grain mustard
2 teaspoons fresh minced organic thyme
2 garlic cloves, minced
platter garnishes:
halved lemons
halved tangerines/oranges
fresh sage

Directions:

1. For chutney: Place all ingredients into a medium pot and stir together. Place over medium high and simmer for 25 to 30 minutes or until cranberries and persimmons become tender and begin to melt together. Set aside until ready to use. (re-warm when ready to serve)
2. 12 hours before roasting, place duck onto a clean plate and pierce skin all over with fork. Pat dry and place duck in the refrigerator, uncovered, to allow skin to dry.
3. Preheat oven to 375˚F.
4. Remove duck from refrigerator and fill cavity with aromatics (onions, tangerines, lemons, thyme). Tie legs together with twine and tuck winds behind back.
5. Arrange remaining aromatics in a roasting pan top with prepared duck. Generously season with salt and pepper and roast for about 30 minutes.
6. While duck begins to roast, whisk together all glaze ingredients.
7. Brush duck with glaze and continue to roast for about 1 hour, basting every 15 minutes.
8. Once the internal temperature reaches 155˚F, raise the oven temperature up to 425˚F and finish roasting for 10 minutes. Remove from oven and allow duck to sit for about 10 minutes. Transfer onto a prepared platter and serve with chutney.

**Something to remember is that the skin will not have rendered as much as fat as when you just sear a breast, skin side down. To achieve the most crispy skinned bird, place duck under broiler for 2 to 4 minutes, turning as needed to prevent burning from the marinade.