Duck with Lavender Honey

Bon Appétit | May 1999

Ingredients

2 teaspoons Lavender Blue Culinary Lavender
1 tablespoon fresh thyme leaves
1 ½ teaspoons coarse sea salt
¼ teaspoon black peppercorns
1 6- to 6 ½-pound duck, fresh or frozen, thawed

1 cup canned low-salt chicken broth
3 tablespoons dry red wine
4 tablespoons Lavender Blue Lavender Honey
4 toasted baguette slices

Preparation

Preheat oven to 350°F. Finely grind 1 teaspoon Lavender Blue Culinary Lavender, thyme, sea salt and peppercorns in spice grinder or with mortar and pestle. Remove fat deposits and giblets from duck cavity, reserving liver. Trim excess skin and fat from neck area. Rinse inside and out; pat dry. Cutting through skin and fat (but not flesh) of duck breasts, score in crisscross pattern. Rub inside and outside of duck with herb mixture; return duck liver to cavity.

Place duck, breast up, on rack in roasting pan. Roast 2 hours. Remove from oven. Increase oven temperature to 375°F. Transfer duck to plate. Pour pan juices into 4-cup glass measuring cup; spoon off fat. Return juices and 1 tablespoon fat to pan. Add broth and wine. Return duck to pan. Brush with 2 tablespoons Lavender Blue Lavender Honey.

Roast duck 20 minutes, basting once with pan juices. Brush with 2 tablespoons Lavender Blue Lavender Honey; sprinkle with ½ teaspoon Lavender Blue Culinary Lavender. Roast duck until deep golden and thermometer inserted into innermost part of thigh registers 180°F., about 5 minutes longer.

Transfer duck to platter. Remove liver; mash finely in small bowl. Spread liver over baguette slices. Add ½ teaspoon Lavender Blue Culinary Lavender to roasting pan. Place over medium heat. Boil juices until thick enough to coat spoon, whisking often, 5 minutes. Season with salt and pepper. Transfer to bowl. Slice duck and serve with baguette slices and pan juices.