1985 TANGERINE-SAUCED ROASTED DUCKLING with BAKED ONIONS and YAM CHUNKS

1 duckling (about 4 1/2 to 5 pounds), thawed if frozen
2 or 3 whole onions (each about 3-inch diamter), unpeeled
About 1 1/2 pounds yams, peeled and cut into 2-inch pieces
Tangerine Sauce ( recipe follows)

Remove giblets from body cavity of duckling and reserve for sauce. Pull out and discard lumps of fat. Rinse bird with cold water, drain, and pat dry. Fasten neck skin to back with a skewer.

Place duckling breast down on a folding meat rack set in a 12- by 15-inch roasting pan. Roast in a 375-degree oven for 1 hour. Using a bulb baster, siphon fat from pan (or spoon out).

Turn duckling breast up; protect hands with potholders. Add onions and yam chunks to roasting pan, around or under the roasting rack; turn vegetables to coat with drippings.

Continue roasting, turning vegetables several times, until yams are tender when pierced, onions give readily when gently squeezed, and duckling skin is brown and crisp and begins to pull from leg boen, about 1 hour longer. Lift duckling and vegetables from pan and keep warm. Skim fat from pan; reserve the drippings for sauce.

To serve, cut duckling into quarters with poultry shears; garnish with thin strips of tangerine peel. Cut onions in halves and serve to eat from skins, along with yams. Spoon Tangering Sauce over individual servings. Serves 2 with some leftovers.

Tangerine Sauce

1 1/3 cups water
Duck neck and giblets (but not liver)
1 small onion, quartered
1 bay leaf
Duck drippings in roasting pan (see preceding recipe)
1 1/2 teaspoons slivered tangerine zest (orange part of peel only)
3/4 cup tangerine juice (about 2 large tangerines)
1 1/2 tablespoons honey
2 teaspoons cornstarch mixed with 2 teaspoons water
Salt and pepper

In a 1- to 1 1/2 -quart pan, combine water, duck neck and giblets, onion, and bay leaf. Cover and simmer 1 hour. Pour through wire strainer; discard seasonings and measure broth. Broil broth, if needed, to reduce to 1/4 cup. (If made ahead, cover and chill as long as overnight.)

To duck drippings in roasting pan, add tangerine zest, broth, tangerine juice, honey and cornstarch mixture. Boil over high heat, stirring, until sauce thickens, about 1 minute. Season to taste with salt and pepper.

From Sunset Entertaining for All Seasons