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56
Cherry Porter Glazed Duck with
Pickled Persimmons
Wood-fired rotisserie duck is the real star here, but the deeply layered glaze and brightly
flavored fresh pickles deserve high praises. Tart cherry juice and a rich American porter are
reduced with honey and spices for a glaze you'll want to make over and over again. The
persimmons add crunch and a sweet-tart profile for an amazingly well-rounded combination.
Serves 4
For the Pickled Persimmons
1 cup filtered water
2 cups apple cider vinegar
1 cup honey
4 teaspoons kosher salt
2 ripe persimmons, thinly sliced on a
mandolin
For the Cherry Porter Glaze
12 ounces Founder's Porter
12 ounces Knudsen Just Tart Cherry
juice
½ cup honey
¾ cup light brown sugar
¼ teaspoon ground cinnamon
½ teaspoon freshly-grated nutmeg
1 Culver duck, about 5 pounds
Kosher salt
Freshly-ground black pepper
KalamazooGourmet.com
+1.800.868.1699
Directions
To make the pickled persimmons, combine the water, vinegar, honey, and salt in a
saucepan. Bring to a simmer over medium heat. Place the persimmons in a non-
reactive, heat-resistant bowl. Pour the liquid over the persimmons, making sure
all of the fruit is submerged. Cover the bowl tightly and allow the fruit to pickle
for 30 minutes. Drain off and discard all of the liquid. Refrigerate the pickled
persimmons until serving time.
Prepare the glaze by combining all ingredients in a saucepan. Whisk together
and bring to a simmer over high heat. Reduce to medium heat. Continue
simmering, stirring frequently, until the glaze is thick, about 20 minutes. Use care
not to burn the sugars. Remove from heat. Separate out a small amount to serve
with the finished entrée. Reserve the rest in the pan for glazing the duck.
Prepare a wood fire for rotisserie roasting using medium-high indirect heat.
To prepare the duck, first trim the wings and remove excess fat and skin from
the tail and neck areas. Truss the bird, securing the legs together and the wings
close to the body. When setting up your rotisserie spit, most people's instinct is
to run the spit through the cavity, but there is another way. Duck should ideally
be cooked until the internal temperature of the breast is 135°F and the thigh is
165°F. One cooking method is to partially cook the duck, then cut it up to finish.
That is not ideal for the rotisserie. What does work is to run the spit sideways
through the rib cage, leaving the tail end of the duck much further from the spit
than the breasts. Now the parts of the bird will cook unevenly, exactly like you
want! After inserting the spit, position the forks and tighten them securely. I
recommend using pliers to tighten the hand screws so that the forks don't loosen
while you cook.
Once the fire is ready, mount the spit into the grill. Turn on the rotisserie motor.
Ensure there is no direct heat beneath the duck by arranging your coals around
the sides and away from the center. When roasting duck, it is almost always
a good idea to place a pan below to catch the fat and lessen the chance of a
grease fire.
Once the skin is starting to brown, begin basting generously with the glaze (you
may need to warm it back up if it has gotten too thick). Roast until the thigh meat
has cooked through (165°F), about 90 minutes of total roasting time, basting
frequently.
Remove the spit from the grill, and the duck from the spit. Carve and serve with
the pickled persimmons and some extra glaze.
57
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