1small white onion peeled and sliced into quarters
4garlic cloves
Maple Glaze
½cuppure maple syrup
1teaspoonground paprika
½teaspoonsalt
½teaspoonpepper
½teaspoongarlic powder
½teaspoononion powder
1pinchcayenne pepperor to taste
Instructions
Completely defrost the duck in the refrigerator if needed.
Preheat your oven to 425°F.
Remove the giblets, neck and any extra fat from inside the duck cavity. Pat the inside completely dry using paper towels.
Without cutting the meat below the fat, use a sharp knife to score the skin of the duck breast in a criss-cross or diamond pattern. You can cut into the fat, but if you cut into the meat it will dry out. This helps release the fat from under the skin which you need to do with duck. Only cut the skin where there is a lot of fat, do not score the legs.
Salt the inside of the cavity, then stuff with the onion and the garlic.
Truss the legs together.
Place the duck breast side up in the rack of a large roasting pan. You can also use a baking sheet with a wire rack in the middle.
Roast the duck for 10 minutes at 425°F, then lower the heat to 350°F.
While the duck is cooking combine the ingredients for the maple glaze in a small saucepan and heat until it boils. Remove and leave the sauce in the pan to cool slightly.
After the first hour at 350 °F, using a basting brush baste the duck with some of the maple glaze. Keep cooking, basting every 10 minutes, until the duck is fully cooked - the internal temperature at the junction of the leg and thigh should be 180°F. This can be around another 30-45 minutes.
Remove from the oven and tent with foil for 10-15 minutes before carving.
Notes
Don't skip the tenting with foil as it helps keep the duck juicy!