• 5 pounds duck bones or a mix of duck bones and chicken bones. Try to keep it 50/50 if you’re mixing birds
• 1 large yellow onion
• 2 carrots
• 2 ribs celery
• 10 sprigs thyme
• 5 black peppercorns
• 1 fresh bay leaf
• 5 quarts water

1. Preheat oven to 450f/233c
2. Lay your duck parts on a sheet tray and roast in the oven until a deep brown. This part determines most of the flavor of your stock so don’t be shy. This should take around 20 minutes. When the duck comes out cut your mirepoix into similarly sized pieces and roast until you have decent color, around 15 minutes.
3. Place the duck into a stockpot and cover with water. Bring to a boil then drop down to a gentle simmer. The ideal temperature for stock is 205f/96c. Which visually should look like a steady stream of small bubbles. But this temperature is key for pulling collagen from the bones and turning it into gelatin which will add body to your stock and sauces.
4. After about 30 minutes of simmering you should see a lot of foam and impurities rise to the top, skim all of that off. It will make your stock cloudy and change the flavor slightly.
5. Continue to simmer for an additional 2 1/2 hours, skimming every once in a while.
6. At the three hour mark add your mirepoix, thyme, bay leaf, and peppercorns. Continue to simmer for an additional three hours for 6 hours total.
7. Strain through a fine mesh sieve and cool.
8. Store in the fridge for 1 week or freeze for three months. This should yield close to three quarts of stock.

Duck sauce with apples

• 2 quarts duck stock
• .5 lb duck bones or duck neck
• 5 shallots
• 1 bulb garlic
• 3 sprigs thyme
• 1 small fresh bay leaf
• 1/4 cup apple brandy
• 1 granny smith apple
• 1 tbsp butter
• salt and apple cider vinegar to taste

1. Peel and slice your shallots around 1/4 inch thick. Take your garlic bulb and shave off the root with your knife, there’s a lot of dirt that can hide in there. Then cut the top off the garlic exposing the cloves underneath.
2. Preheat a large saucepan or saucier over medium heat and add a few tablespoons of neutral oil.
3. Once the oil shimmers and smokes slightly, add the duck bits and brown them on all sides.
4. Add the garlic bulb cut side down and cook until it’s golden brown and flip it over. Add the shallots and sauté until the shallots begin to turn translucent, around 4 minutes.
5. Deglaze with the apple brandy and cook until the brandy is nearly dry. Add the duck stock, thyme, and bay leaf. Bring to a simmer and skim any foam or fat that rises to the top.
6. At this point I like to place my pot slightly off center from the burner, the bubbles will push all of the fat that rises to the opposite side. Making it very easy to skim. Grab a rubber spatula and clean the sides of the pot every now and then, some of the sauce will cling and stick to the sides and you want to work that back into the sauce before it burns. Also it tastes really good.
7. Simmer for around 40 minutes, skimming and cleaning the sides every now and then, then peel and core your apple. Cut the apple into large pieces and drop it into the sauce. Continue to simmer for another 30 minutes or so until it starts to thicken up, loosely coating a spoon.
8. Strain into a smaller pot and finish reducing it in there. It’s easier to skim with no stuff in there in the final stages. And once the sauce gets thick it’s going to cling to all the vegetables and aromatics so you’ll lose a bit of sauce.
9. Once the sauce is nappe or coats a spoon, whisk in the cold butter. Adjust your seasoning with salt, and acidity with apple cider vinegar. If you’re kind of stuck on the consistency you can grab a plate and pour a bit of sauce onto it, if it free flows and appears watery, keep reducing your sauce. If when you pour your sauce it holds a nice circle and is nice and shiny, it’s ready to be buttered out and seasoned.