GLAZED DUCK WITH CLEMENTINE SAUCE

Ingredients:

two 6- to 7-lb Pekin ducks (AKA Long Island duck), trimmed of excess fat
2 Tbs kosher salt
2 medium onions, quartered
2 small celery ribs, cut crosswise into 4 pieces each
1/2 cup plus 2 tablespoons sugar
3 lb clementines (12 to 15)
1/2 cup red-wine vinegar
1/3 cup finely chopped shallot
3 tablespoons Mandarine Napoléon liqueur or Cointreau

Preparation:

Place oven rack in middle position and preheat oven to 350°F.
Starting from the large cavity end, separate duck skin (including fat) from breast meat as much as possible by working your fingers between skin and meat, being careful not to tear skin, then prick skin all over ducks with a fork. Place ducks, breast side up, side by side in a large roasting pan and rub each piece with kosher salt (inside and out). Divide celery and onion between duck cavities and sprinkle 1/2 cup sugar around ducks. Pour enough boiling-hot water over ducks (to help tighten skin) to reach about halfway up ducks. Cover pan tightly with foil and transfer to oven. Braise ducks 1 hour.

Remove pan from oven, remove and reserve foil, then carefully turn ducks over (breast sides down) using a large wooden spoon to turn and another wooden spoon inside cavity. Re-cover with foil, carefully return to oven and braise about 1 hour more, until meat is very tender but not falling off the bone.

Chill ducks:

Remove pan from oven and transfer ducks with wooden spoons to 2 large plates, draining any juices back into the pan.  Transfer cooking liquid to a large bowl. Return ducks to roasting pan, breast sides up, and cool ducks and cooking liquid (separately), uncovered, then chill, also uncovered for at least 4 hours.  This will firm up the duck before roasting and solidify fat on cooking liquid.

Prepare glaze and start sauce:
Discard all fat from chilled cooking liquid.

Zest 2 large or 4 small clementines in strips, then trim any white from zest with a sharp paring knife.  Cut zest into fine julienne strips. Blanch strips in a small saucepan of boiling water 5 minutes, then drain.

Juice remaining clementines (yielding about 2 cups) and pour through a fine-mesh sieve  into a small, heavy saucepan. Add vinegar and remaining 2 tablespoons sugar.  Boil about 15 minutes, until reduced to about 1/3 cup (glaze should bubble and darken). Set aside 1 tablespoon glaze in a cup to brush on ducks.  Add julienned zest and 1 cup cooking liquid into glaze remaining in pan and reserve for sauce. Set aside remaining cooking liquid.

Roast ducks and finish sauce:

Put oven rack in middle position and preheat oven to 500°F.

Roast ducks 25 to 35 minutes, until crispy. Brush reserved glaze (from cup) on ducks, then transfer ducks to a platter and let sit at least 10 minutes, while finishing sauce.

Pour off all but 1 tablespoon fat from roasting pan and straddle pan over 2 burners. Add shallot and cook over moderately low heat, stirring, until softened and pale golden, 3 to 5 minutes. Add 2 cups reserved cooking liquid and deglaze pan by boiling, scraping up brown bits, 2 minutes, then pour through fine-mesh sieve into sauce (containing julienned zest) and bring to a boil.

Whisk liqueur into sauce. Simmer until thickened, whisking occasionally, 3 to 5 minutes, then season sauce with salt and pepper. Serve ducks with sauce.  Enjoy!!