The cookbook cited above includes several recipes for roast duck and sweet red cherries, the variety that grows in Alsace being Reverchon or Coeur de Pigeon (Pigeon’s Heart). I use Bing or Montmorency cherries, and you can also substitute peaches or rhubarb. If using rhubarb, just increase the amount of sugar to taste. I use cherries with pits, because they add more flavor, but remember to warn your guests!
Recipe information
Yield
4 to 6 servings
Ingredients
Preparation
Step 1
Put the margarine or vegetable oil in a small saucepan. Sprinkle in the sugar, and stir. Toss in the cherries, coating them well, and simmer for just a few minutes. Add 1/3 cup water and the kirsch, stirring as you bring it just back to a boil. Remove from heat and set aside.
Step 2
Preheat the oven to 375 degrees, and sprinkle the duck with salt and pepper. Put it in a casserole with the onion, shallot, carrot pieces, cayenne pepper, ginger, and bouquet garni. Cook, covered, for about one hour in the oven, removing the fat that accumulates.
Step 3
After one hour, stir the cherries and their sauce into the casserole. Cook for another 20 minutes, or until the legs move easily when wiggled.
Step 4
Just before serving, remove the bouquet garni. Put the carrot, onion, and shallot in the food processor and purée. Stir them into the sauce, and serve.
