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1
Preheat the oven to 450F.
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2
Drizzle 2 tablespoons of the olive oil into a 9 x 13-inch baking dish and use your hand to evenly coat the entire surface.
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3
Set aside.
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4
Bring the orange juice to a boil in a small pot over high heat and reduce by three-quarters, about 5 minutes.
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5
Set aside and allow to cool.
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6
Lay out the fennel rounds in a separate 9 x 13-inch baking dish.
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7
Drizzle with the remaining 2 tablespoons olive oil and 1/4 cup water.
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8
Roast until soft, translucent, and beginning to brown, about 20 minutes.
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9
Place in the refrigerator to cool.
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10
Once they are cool, chop them finely.
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11
Combine the chopped fennel and reduced orange juice with the ground duck, eggs, bread crumbs, bread, and salt in a large mixing bowl and mix by hand until thoroughly incorporated.
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12
Roll the mixture into round, golf ballsize meatballs (about 1 1/2 inches), making sure to pack the meat firmly.
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13
Place the balls in the prepared baking dish, being careful to line them up snugly and in even rows vertically and horizontally to form a grid.
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14
The meatballs should be touching one another.
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15
Roast for 20 minutes, or until the meatballs are firm and cooked through.
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16
A meat thermometer inserted into the center of a meatball should read 165F.
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17
Allow the meatballs to cool for 5 minutes in the baking dish before serving.
