Roast Herbed Duck

Ingredients

• 1 tablespoon dried rosemary
• 1 tablespoon dried sage
• 1 tablespoon crushed juniper berries
• 1 teaspoon nutmeg
• 5 bay leaves
• 1 5- to 7-pound duck, rinsed and dried
• Salt and freshly ground black pepper
• 1 cup dry white wine
• Sweet watermelon-rind pickles

4 servings

Preparation

1. In a small bowl, combine rosemary, sage, juniper berries, nutmeg and bay leaves. Crush herbs together until mixed and broken into small pieces.
2. Sprinkle duck with salt and pepper to taste. Place on a platter and rub well, inside and out, with herb mixture. Cover and refrigerate for 48 hours.
3. Heat oven to 350 degrees. Roast duck for 20 minutes a pound (2 hours for a 6-pound duck). Transfer duck to a platter, cover and keep warm. Remove any burned pieces from roasting pan, and place pan over a medium flame. Add wine, and stir to deglaze pan. Pour wine sauce into a heat-proof measuring cup and allow it to settle, then pour off and discard most of the fat.
4. To serve, cut duck into serving pieces. Arrange on a warm platter, and pour wine sauce on top. Serve hot, with watermelon-rind pickles passed separately.