We actually made this for Christmas dinner, but I think it'd be great for New Years too.  Duck is gorgeous and super-yummy and is often overlooked.  It's a great pick for a special family dinner (served 4... so if you want a big family dinner, you could consider doing 2 of them... around 5lbs each). We ordered ours special from our butcher, but most grocery stores carry them frozen if you look hard enough for them.

 

1 Duckling (Long Island), about 5 pounds
Six 1 by 3-inch strips tangerine peel

zest of 1 additional tangerine

1 small onion, halved

Seasalt 

freshly ground black pepper
1 1/2 tablespoons molasses
1 1/2 tablespoons local honey
1/4 teaspoon ground coriander
8 whole black peppercorns, lightly crushed
2 tablespoons fresh tangerine juice
2 tablespoons balsamic vinegar
2 large garlic cloves, crushed and peeled

Remove the giblets and neck from the cavity of the bird and discard  OR make giblet gravy . Trim the neck flap and excess fat from around the cavity. Rinse and dry the bird well. 

 

Heat the oven to 300 degrees F. Pierce the duck's skin all over (including the back), every 1/2-inch, with a skewer or small knife. Season the cavity with salt and pepper and stuff with 3 strips of the tangerine peel and the onion.

 

Set the duck  breast-side-up on a rack in a roasting pan, and pour a cup of water in the pan. Roast the bird for 3 hours, removing the duck from the oven every hour to prick the skin again.

Meanwhile, make the glaze: Combine the zest of one tangerine, molasses, honey, coriander, pepper, tangerine juice, vinegar, and garlic in a small saucepan. Heat, stirring, over medium-high heat until warm. Remove glaze from the heat and set it aside at room temperature while the duck cooks.

Remove the duck from the oven and carefully, pour off the excess fat from the pan.

Raise the oven temperature to 450 degree F. Return the duck to the oven and roast until crisp and brown, about 30 minutes more.

Let the duck rest at room temperature for 10 minutes before carving. Brush the duck's skin with glaze 4 to 5 five times during the resting period. Carve the duck and transfer pieces to warm serving platter. Serve the remaining glaze at the table to drizzle over the duck, if desired.

Enjoy!   Oh, and freeze the carcass!  Duck stock is soooo lovely... and I'll be making that sometime in the very near future.