Rob Olson’s Crazy-Good Slow-Roasted Duck

Delta President Rob Olson is a passionate waterfowl scientist, a nut-so duck hunter and - as it turns out - a great wild game cook.

Rob’s always been as secretive as a morel mushroom hunter when it comes to sharing his duck recipes, but we managed to pry this one out of his recipe file.  Rob calls it “crazy good”, and he’s right.

He starts by injecting the breasts of whole, plucked ducks with marinade.  He prefers a teriyaki-flavored marinade, but any good marinade will work. You’ll need a meat syringe to do the job. Refrigerate the birds overnight, covered, after injecting.

Next, sprinkle the birds inside and out with Cajun seasoning and stuff the cavity with apples, onions and/or oranges.

Place the birds breast-side down on a rack in a roasting pan and pour half a bottle of red wine - enough to cover half an inch - in the roaster. You could also use a good homemade duck stock or a 50-50 mix of chicken broth and beef broth for the braising liquid.

Cover the roaster with aluminum foil, crimping the edges carefully so the steam can’t escape, and bake in a 250-degree oven for three hours. If you like to crisp the skin, uncover the birds a little early, turn them over and rub some garlic-infused butter on the breasts.  Increase the heat to 400 until the skin is nicely browned.

To make gravy from the braising liquid, add some chopped mushrooms, garlic and salt and pepper, and stir in a thickening agent like a roux or cornstarch.  Serve with wild rice and the same wine used in the recipe.