Martha's Best Traditional Christmas Dinner Recipes | Roast Beef, Roast Duck, and Stunning Sides

duck

🥗Healthier: chicken

💰Cheaper: chicken

Chicken is lower in fat and more affordable.

honey

🥗Healthier: maple syrup

💰Cheaper: corn syrup

Maple syrup is a natural sweetener, while corn syrup is often cheaper.

Make a marinade with 2 tablespoons of garlic, 1 tablespoon of fresh ginger, 2 tablespoons of hot sesame oil, 2 tablespoons of honey, 1/2 cup of soy sauce, 1/2 cup of white wine, and 1/4 cup of hoisin sauce.

Marinate the ducks in a Pyrex glass dish or stainless steel bowl for at least 24 hours, preferably up to 2 and 1/2 days.

Pour the marinade over the ducks, letting some get into the cavity.

Prepare a stuffing with 3 stalks of chopped celery, sliced oranges, and 1 Granny Smith apple, and stuff it into the cavity of the ducks.

Sprinkle the cavity with salt and freshly ground black pepper, about 1/2 teaspoon each.

Loosen the skin on the breast of the duck and insert sprigs of fresh thyme under the skin and in the cavity, along with a lot of parsley.

Truss the ducks using cotton twine, starting at the neck and tying securely.

Prick the underside of the duck with a fork to allow fat to drip out during roasting.

Place the duck on a rack in a foil-lined roasting pan and pour in about 1/2 inch of boiling water to minimize splattering.

Roast in a preheated 400°F (204°C) oven for about 1 and 1/2 hours.

Cooking Techniques

Equipment Needed

Spice Level: