Keto/Paleo/Gluten-Free friendly

This is an incredible holiday dish!  It’s so delicious you may choose to serve it any time of year.  I prefer making this in the crockpot and I love the amount of fat that this cooking method produces. I can then make the perfect gravy, or strain and save the juices as broth for later. If you’re keto, you’ll appreciate the fat. If you’re not so into the fat, you can skim it off and use it for cooking later. You may choose to panfry the duck first in 1 Tbsp of avocado oil, coconut oil, or ghee. This increases the flavor but isn’t necessary.

Ingredients

2kg (4.4 lb) duck, defrosted, you can also use duck breasts

1 Tbsp. avocado, coconut, or ghee oil

1 onion, diced,

3 tsp, garlic, crushed

2 carrots, cut into chunks

3 bay leaf

2 long sprigs of fresh rosemary or 2 Tbsp dried leaves

½-3/4 cup fresh squeezed orange juice

2 tsp. orange zest

¼ cup chicken stock

¼ cup madeira wine or sherry (optional)

2 small orange cut in 1/4ths

Thickener for Gravy

1 Tbsp. arrowroot

1 tbsp. water

Instructions

Cooking the Duck:

  1. Firstly, season the duck with salt and pepper.
  2. In a frypan over medium heat, add the oil. Once the oil is hot, fry the duck until it is slightly browned all over. I have also put it right into the crockpot without browning it and it turned out incredible, so don’t feel stress if you skip this frying, although it adds flavor.
  3. In your crockpot, add the onion, garlic, carrots, bay leaves, rosemary, orange juice, orange zest, chicken stock, and optional madeira wine or sherry. Stir until well combined.
  4. Place the duck on top and stuff the duck with the sliced oranges and squeeze a little juice inside. I place breasts down.
  5. Baste the duck with the sauce.
  6. Cook on low for 8 hours.
  7. Gently remove the duck from the crockpot when you’re ready to serve. Scrape the fat off the top of the liquid and save for cooking. Or keep it on the crockpot and later add the Duck bones to make an excellent broth.  I remove the carrots and onions and serve on the side. They are very soft and some of my guests prefer them this way. Personally, I don’t eat them, just use them for flavor. If you’re keto you can avoid them.

Making the Gravy:

  1. In a bowl combine the arrowroot-starch and water until it dissolves. Pour into the sauce and stir to combine. Add to a simmer pot.
  2. Cook on high until thickened (5-10 minutes), stirring or whisking frequently. Add salt and pepper as desired.
  3. Serve this gravy with the duck.

I often serve this dish with a lovely mix of stir-fried collard greens and a dash of coconut aminos, or broccoli with grated ginger and garlic. It can also be paired with a tart cranberry sauce.

Bon Appetit!