While Thanksgiving dinner is usually a massive affair, celebrated with friends and family alike, sometimes it’s nice to have a quiet holiday meal with just yourself, and your special someone.  During this season, eating turkey is almost guaranteed. And, let’s face it- not many couples can devour an entire turkey dinner between the two of them! So, this holiday season, leave the turkey for Mom to make, and try something a little different.

This year, my hubby and I have a minimum of three turkey dinners lined up- one at his parents’, one at my dad’s, and one at my mom’s. Not to mention any invitations that may pop up from our friends. That being said, we obviously have no need for any additional turkey feasts! We did, however, still want to have a romantic Thanksgiving meal for two; we decided duck was the way to go.

Duck is an excellent alternative to turkey. For one thing, it is obviously quite a bit smaller than a massive gobbler. It also isn’t as played out as chicken, so it maintains the same special-occasion-feeling that turkey offers. A perfectly roasted duck, served with all the familiar Thanksgiving trimmings is the perfect holiday option for two- believe me, you won’t miss the turkey at all!  Because this is a special occasion, put some extra care into your purchases when shopping for this meal. I started out with a four-pound, free-range duck. I always try to buy my meat and poultry from reliable sources, where I know the animals were raised properly. An ethically raised and fed animal is by far more delicious than anything else out there. I knew that a four pounder wouldn’t be finished in one sitting, but I enjoy leftovers (hey, leftovers are part of Thanksgiving, right?).

Make sure to put the duck in the oven well ahead of anything else, as it takes the longest to cook. I start it in a hot, 400F oven for about 10 minutes, and then reduce the heat to 375F. This creates an extra-crispy skin in the beginning, and then the reduced heat allows the duck to roast slowly and fully develop its flavours.  To complete my Thanksgiving dinner for two, I accompanied my bird with some traditional sides- stuffing, honey carrots with beets, and roasted maple pepper squash. I kept the stuffing traditional, using chunks of different types of bread I had on hand. At this time of year, I always recommend holding on to any left over bits of baguettes and crusty breads, as stuffing is the perfect way to use up stale bread. If you don’t have any old bread, new bread works just as well. Just pick a nice loaf of your favourite artisan bread, and cut it into bite-size chunks. Some nice additions to this stuffing would be dates, cherries or walnuts, although I chose to leave them out this time.

I started off by sautéing finely diced carrots, celery and onion with some garlic in a hot sauce pan with a drop of olive oil, some butter, and a pinch of salt. Once the vegetables sweat a little, add the chunks of bread and allow it to soak up all the fragrant goodness. Chicken stock, white wine and a bit of cream are also added, too add moisture to the stuffing and provide extra flavour and richness. Once the bread has absorbed the liquid and cooked for a few minutes, pop it into an oven-proof container and bake it at 375F for about an hour.
My honey carrots and beets are a classic favourite in my house. They have all the colours of fall, and are deliciously sweet and slightly salted. Likewise, roasted maple pepper squash is a fall classic. It is sweet, colourful and easy to make. The nice thing about these two sides is their simplicity. The squash is simply cut in half, and roasted with maple syrup and butter, at the same time as the stuffing and duck. The carrots can be cut ahead of time (or, use baby carrots to save prep work!), as can the beets, and are done in a sautee pan with a bit of butter and a drizzle of honey. Not only are these sides incredibly easy to prepare, they are the perfect side for any autumn meal.  With a bit of planning, and some good ingredients, this holiday-inspired meal will be delicious and easy to make! So this year, why not try Thanksgiving for two?
Holiday Roasted Duck

You will need:

• 1 whole duck, 2-4 lbs
• 8 sprigs thyme
• ½ tbsp butter
• Salt and pepper to taste
• 3 stalks celery
• 2 carrots
• ½ onion, sliced

Method:
1. Preheat oven to 400F
2. Pat duck with a paper towel, to absorb any liquid that may be on its surface.
3. Gently rub duck with butter. Fill the cavity with thyme.
4. Line the bottom of a roasting pan with the celery, carrots and onion. These will flavour the duck as it cooks.
5. Place the duck on top of the vegetables, and sprinkle with salt and pepper.
6. Place in the oven for 10 minutes, and then reduce the heat to 375F. Allow to cook for at least another hour, until juices run clear.
7. Allow to rest at least 15-20 minutes before slicing and serving.

Traditional Stuffing

You will need:

• 1 cup bread, cut into chunks
• ½ tbsp butter
• 3 sprigs thyme, leaves removed and chopped lightly
• 1-2 cloves garlic, minced
• 2 carrots, diced finely
• 2 stalk celery, diced finely
• ½ onion, diced finely
• 2 tbsp each, chicken stock and white wine
• 1 tbsp heavy cream

Method:
1. In a large pan, over medium-high heat, heat butter with a drop of olive oil. Add thyme, garlic, celery, carrots and onion. Sweat veg for about a minute.
2. Add the bread, and mix well, allowing bread to absorb the flavours of the vegetables.
3. Add white wine and chicken stock. Continue to cook for another 2 minutes.
4. Add cream, stirring well to ensure everything is incorporated.
5. Remove from heat immediately, and place stuffing into an oven-proof container. Bake at 375 for 45 minutes to an hour.

Roasted maple pepper squash

You will need:

• 1 pepper squash, sliced in half and seeds removed
• 2 tsp chicken stock
• 1 tbsp butter, divided in two
• 2 tbsp maple syrup, divided in two
• Salt and pepper to taste

Method:
1. In each half of squash, fill the middles with 1 tsp of chicken stock, and butter and maple syrup.
2. Bake in 375 F oven for at least an hour.
3. When cool enough to handle, slice each half of squash into 3-4 sections, and serve immediately.

Honey carrots and beets

You will need:

• 2 large carrots, sliced
• 1 beet, skin removed and sliced to about the same size as the carrots
• 2 tbsp honey
• 1 tbsp butter
• ¼ cup water

Method;

1. Heat water over medium high heat in the bottom of a pan. Add carrots and beets, and allow to cook for about 5 minutes (this will soften them up).
2. Once water has almost entirely evaporated, add butter and gently toss with the veg. Add honey.
3. Allow to cook another 10-15 minutes. Adjust sweetness to your liking (you may add more honey if you wish)
4. Season with salt and pepper. Serve immediately.