Time: 3 ½ hours

“You are perfect…. you should have a perfect world”… wouldn’t it be great to have someone tell you this everyday? or to tell someone this everyday? To make your world perfect today, consider sharing a wonderful meal with family or friends and listen to some relaxing, soothing music by Katie Melua. This duck recipe, while a bit of work, is really worth trying. It might be perfect.

Music Selection: Katie Melua – Perfect World

Ingredients:

6 lb whole duck, giblets discarded

Salt

5 cloves garlic, chopped

1 lemon, quartered

1 bunch of fresh thyme

½ cup plus 3 Tbsp balsamic vinegar

1 lemon, juiced

¼ cup honey

Directions:

Preheat oven to 350 deg F.

Make sure your duck is thawed and at room temperature. Rinse out the duck and then pat dry with paper towels.

Score the skin of the duck, not the meat, with a sharp knife making criss-cross patterns. Salt the inside and outside of the duck.

Place the garlic, quartered lemon and thyme in the cavity of the duck. Tie the duck legs together. Place duck in roasting pan with breast side up and roast for 60 minutes.

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Remove duck from oven and flip duck so breast side is down and bake another 60 minutes.

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Mix the ½ cup balsamic vinegar with the juice from one lemon. Flip the duck so it is breast side up. Brush the glaze over the duck and bake for 40 minutes, brushing the glaze on at each 10 minute interval.

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Mix the honey and 3 Tbsp balsamic vinegar. Gently brush 1/3 of this on the duck and bake another 40 minutes, brushing more on each 10 minutes.

For crispy skin, you can briefly broil the duck, but watch it carefully as it will burn quickly.

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Remove duck from roaster and let rest for 15 minutes. Carve the duck and serve with Creamy cheesy grits and mushroom ragout!