Perhaps this will be the year you break out of your ham rut.
Perhaps this will be the year you break out of your ham rut.
Not that there’s anything wrong with a spiral-cut-honey-roasted-maple-slathered-pineapple-adorned ham. It’s just that as main courses at an Easter feast go, they tend to be kind of… Meh. Truth is, the best part of a monster sweet-roasted ham is the leftovers. We want those sandwiches and hashes the next day. But for the big meal itself? Been there too many times.
So we offer this delicious alternative. Get yourself your usual ham, but get a smaller one. Roast it up the day before or the day after Easter. Now you’ve got your lunches and breakfasts covered. But for Easter dinner, how about trying something new, such as this duo of roasted ducks?
The process is the same as roasting any other bird, with one exception. Because duck is so fatty, we give it a quick boil before roasting to render off some of that fat. Once the ducks are boiled and patted dry, you pop them in a roasting pan and mostly ignore them. To dress up our ducks, we created an intensely citrusy tomato chutney. It’s deliciously sweet and perfect for cutting through the richness of the duck.
Most grocers only sell frozen whole ducks, so think ahead and shop early so they have time to thaw for a day in the refrigerator.