• Duck
• 1 5 lb. duck with giblets (remove the giblets and trim off excess skin and reserve)
• 1 cup Apricot Orange Glaze
• salt and pepper to season
• Glaze
• 1/2 cup apricot preserves
• 1/2 cup orange marmalade
• Sauce
• 2 Tbsp. olive oil
• all giblets and reserved skin
• 1/2 cup Merlot
• 6 cups water
• 1 each bay leaf
• 1 tsp. whole black peppercorns
• 1 tsp. salt
• 1/2 cup Apricot Orange Glaze
• 1 Tbsp. cornstarch disolved in water

1. Glaze
2. Place both ingrediants in a saucepan and heat until melted and combined.
3. Duck
4. Remove the duck from it's wrapper and place it in a pan in the refrigerator for one hour, uncovered, this will allow the skin to dry slightly and the result will be a crisper skin.
5. Pierce the skin all over with a small sharp object such as a skewer, this allows for the fat to release from under the skin while roasting.
6. Season all over and in the cavities with salt and pepper and place on a rack in a roasting pan into a 375° preheated oven and roast for one hour.
7. Brush or spoon the glaze over the entire exposed part of the duck and continue roasting for 15 minutes or until 160° internal temperature is achieved.
8. Remove the duck from the oven and allow it to rest for 10 minutes before carving.
9. Sauce
10. While your duck is resting in the refrigerator, you can begin the sauce.
11. Place the olive oil into a two quart sauce pan and heat to smoking.
12. Add the giblets and reserved skin and saute until well browned.
13. Deglaze with the Merlot and add the water.
14. Add the bay leaf, peppercorns and salt and bring to a boil.
15. Reduce to a simmer and cook for one hour, ocasionally skimming the fat from the top of the stock.
16. Strain the stock and reserve the liquid, you can discard the giblets if you wish.
17. Return the liquid to the pan and reduce to two cups volume.
18. Add the glaze and heat to a simmer.
19. Add the cornstarch and water mixture and thicken slightly

I make Christmas dinner every year for some of my wifes family. Every year I make something different. This one turned out extra well. This makes a wonderful holiday meal. Use the sauce as an accompaniment for the duck.