King Tut’s Duck with Fig and Date Sauce

Delicious roast duck with a sweet, complex sauce that’s reminiscent of cranberry sauce

---

City/Region: Egypt

Time Period: c. 1323 B.C.E.

---

When the tomb of King Tutankhamun was opened 100 years ago, among the gold and jewels and other wonderful things, there was a stash of food for Tut to munch on in the afterlife. This included all kinds of mummified meat, including duck and other birds, and baskets of fruit and vegetables. Using ingredients that were available in his tomb along with some educated guesswork, I’m making roast duck with a sauce of figs and dates. The duck is delicious and the sauce is fantastic. It’s kind of like cranberry sauce with the pieces of fruit in it, but it’s not as sweet and the flavor is complex and rich from the wine. A perfect recipe for the holidays!

The ancient Egyptians didn’t leave behind written recipes, so this recipe is pieced together from depictions on tomb walls and the ingredients that were found in King Tut’s tomb. Boiling or roasting over an open fire were popular ways to cook poultry in ancient Egypt, but I’m opting for roasting in the oven as the only open fire I have is a burner on my stove, and I don’t think that would go very well.

---

Ingredients:

Duck

• 1 whole duck, about 5 pounds (2 kg)
• A few stalks of fresh herbs, I used marjoram and dill
• 5 cloves garlic, chopped into large pieces
• 6 green onions, chopped into large pieces
• Salt, about 2 tablespoons
• 1/4 cup (84 g) honey

Sauce

• 1 to 2 tablespoons olive oil
• 1 cup minced green onion
• 1 1/2 cups (350 ml) red wine
• 2 tablespoons red wine vinegar
• 15 figs preserved in honey, cut into small pieces, or fresh figs
• 15 dates, pitted and cut into small pieces

Instructions:

1. For the duck: Preheat the oven to 425°F (220°C).
2. Remove the giblets and trim off the excess skin at the neck. Make sure the skin is dry, then score the skin of the breast in a crosshatch or diamond pattern. Each cut should be about 3/4” apart and you want them shallow enough to cut only the skin, not the meat beneath. Make a few more shallow cuts on the underside of the duck wherever it is fatty.
3. Rub about 2 teaspoons of salt inside the cavity of the duck, then rub another heaping tablespoon on the outside. Make sure the salt gets into the cuts (not something you say every day).
4. Stuff the cavity with the herbs, green onions, and garlic. Tuck the extra skin over the end of the cavity and truss the legs with kitchen twine.
5. Trim off the wing tips or tuck them under the duck so they don’t burn.
6. Optional: For an extra crispy skin, put the duck in the fridge uncovered or very loosely covered for 8 to 12 hours so that the skin gets nice and dry.
7. Line the bottom of a roasting pan with crumpled aluminum foil (this will catch the fat and keep it from burning). Lightly oil the roasting rack, then place the duck on it, breast side up.
8. Roast the duck for 15 minutes at 425°F (220°C), then lower the temperature to 350°F (175°C). Roast for 15 more minutes, then turn the duck over so that the back is facing up. Roast for 15 to 20 minutes, then turn it over so that it’s breast-side up again. Baste the duck with the honey (it’s easier if the honey is slightly warmed). Return the duck to the oven for another 10 to 20 minutes. Baste once more if you wish. The remaining time depends on how big the duck is and how you like your duck cooked. The breast meat should be at least 130°F (55°C).
9. For the sauce: While the duck cooks, you can go ahead and prepare your sauce. Heat the olive oil in a saucepan over high heat, then add the green onions and cook for 5 minutes.
10. Pour in the wine and bring it to a simmer. Lower the heat to medium and cook for 5 minutes, then add the vinegar, salt, dates, and figs. Cook until it reduces by half, about 10 to 15 minutes. Take the sauce off the heat. It will thicken slightly as it cools.
11. Let the duck rest for 10 minutes after taking it out of the oven, then serve it forth with the fig and date sauce.

---