Dark Duck Broth

I make a variety of duck stocks, broths and consommes, and this is the darkest, heartiest one. You roast the duck or goose bones, and roast the veggies, too. Tomato paste and a touch of red wine and vinegar add more weight — I picked up the vinegar tip from Paula Wolfert’s The Cooking of Southwest France, which has a ton of excellent duck and goose recipes.

Make this broth when you have a day off, as it takes all day. The good news is you will be rewarded with a gallon or more of rich stock that is a perfect base for stews, soups or wintertime risottos or polenta. It’s definitely good enough to be drunk as a clear soup, too.

Makes about a gallon

• Carcasses of 4-6 wild ducks, 2-3 wild geese or 1-2 domestic ducks or geese – include wingtips, neck, innards and feet if possible
• 1 sliced onion
• 4 chopped garlic cloves
• the tops from 1 fennel bulb
• 1 large carrot, cut into discs
• 1 chopped celery stalk
• 1 large sprig rosemary
• 10-12 sage leaves, chopped
• 1/4 cup red wine vinegar
• 1 cup red wine
• 1 tablespoon black peppercorns
• 1 tablespoon juniper berries (optional)
• 1 tablespoon dried or fresh thyme
• 2 tablespoons tomato paste
• Salt
• Cheesecloth

1. Salt the carcasses and various duck bits — except for the feet, if using — well and arrange in a large roasting pan. Put in a 375 degree oven and roast until well browned.
2. If you have duck feet, chop them with a cleaver or heavy knife to break the skin and expose the joints and bones. There is collagen in the feet that will seep into the water and give the finished broth more body.
3. When the duck bits are browned, put into a large stockpot and cover with cold water. Add the feet and the peppercorns, juniper berries and rosemary. Turn the heat to medium and cover. Do not let this boil.
4. Meanwhile, put the carrots, fennel tops, onion, garlic and celery in the roasting pan and stir to coat with the fat that has rendered from the duck bits. If you are using domestic ducks or fatty wild ones, you may have too much oil — if you have a pool of fat at the bottom of the roasting pan, drain off all but about 1/4 cup. You can strain the fat and reuse it (it’s great to roast potatoes in!)
5. Put the veggies back in the oven and roast until browned.
6. When the veggies are browned, put the tomato paste, vinegar and red wine in the roasting pan and, using a wooden spoon, scrape up any stuck-on bits. Bring the roasting pan to a boil over a burner and reduce the vinegar and wine by half. Turn off the heat and reserve.
7. By this time the stockpot should have come to a simmer. Uncover and simmer gently — no boiling! — for 2-4 hours.
8. When this time has elapsed, add the contents of the roasting pan and the remaining ingredients, except for the salt. Stir well and simmer for another 90 minutes to 2 hours.
9. Turn off the heat and strain the stock. Start by using tongs to fish out the big stuff. Then use a skimmer or strainer (an Asian spider skimmer is ideal for this) to get the rest of the stuff out.
10. Now set up a fine-mesh sieve over another large pot; you might need more than one pot, so get another ready. Put a piece of cheesecloth into the sieve and pour the stock through it. You might need to rinse the cheesecloth once or twice to clean it up. This step is vital to making a clear broth. Don’t skip it!
11. Your broth is ready now. Salt it to taste, adding a little at a time. You can further concentrate flavors by simmering the strained stock for as long as you’d like. Check every 15 minutes or so.
12. Pour into Mason jars and refrigerate for up to 2 weeks, or freeze for up to 9 months.

More Duck and Goose Recipes