Everyday Roasted Duck Recipes

ROAST DUCK

Steps:

• Line bottom of oven with foil to catch any spatters. Preheat oven to 425 degrees with rack in second-lowest position. Rinse duck in cold water; pat dry with paper towels. Trim excess fat and skin from neck and body cavity. Clip wing tips. Place wing tips and neck in a large roasting pan fitted with a rack.
• Prick surface of skin all over with a paring knife. Score skin of breast in a crosshatch pattern. Season inside and outside of duck with pepper and 1 tablespoon plus 1 teaspoon salt.
• Place duck, breast side up, on rack in pan. Roast for 50 minutes.
• Remove pan from oven. Set duck on rack in a sink or over a towel to catch drips. Spoon off excess fat from pan; strain, and reserve 1/4 cup if making roasted vegetables. Tilt duck to drain, pouring juices from cavity into roasting pan. Return duck, breast side down, on rack to pan. Roast for 50 minutes.
• Flip duck, breast side up, and roast until duck registers 165 degrees on an instant-read thermometer, about 50 minutes more. Let stand for 15 minutes before carving. Spoon off fat from roasting pan (reserve if desired). Carefully tilt duck, and pour accumulated juices from cavity into pan. Reserve neck and wing tips in pan with juices if making pan sauce. Serve duck with roasted vegetables, and drizzle with pan sauce.

ROAST DUCK

Steps:

• Unwrap the ducks and allow them to sit at room temperature for 20 minutes. With a fork, prick the skin without piercing the meat. This will allow the fat to drain off while the ducks cook.
• Meanwhile, in a very large stock pot which can hold the 2 ducks, heat the chicken broth with 1 tablespoon of kosher salt until it boils. Add the ducks very carefully and bring the stock back to a boil. If there isn't enough stock to cover the ducks, add the hottest tap water to cover. If the ducks float to the top, place a plate on top to keep them immersed. When the stock comes back to a boil, lower the heat and simmer the ducks in the stock for 45 minutes.
• When the ducks are finished simmering, skim off enough duck fat from the top of the stock to pour a film on the bottom of a 14 by 18 by 3-inch roasting pan. This will keep the ducks from sticking when they roast. Carefully take the ducks out of the stock, holding them over the pot to drain. Place them in the roasting pan, pat the skin dry with paper towels, and sprinkle with 1 teaspoon of salt and the pepper. If you have time, allow the ducks to sit at room temperature for 30 minutes to allow the skin to dry.
• Meanwhile, preheat the oven to 500 degrees F. (Be sure your oven is very clean or it will smoke!) Roast the ducks for 30 minutes. Remove from the oven and allow them to rest, covered with aluminum foil, for 20 minutes. Serve warm.

ROAST DUCK

Steps:

• A day before roasting, remove the giblets and neck from the cavity of the bird and discard. If necessary pluck any stray pinfeathers off the duck with tweezers. Trim the neck flap and excess fat from around the cavity. Rinse and dry the bird well. Set the duck on a rack on a baking sheet, and refrigerate, uncovered, for 24 hours.
• 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 orange zest and the onion. Set the duck 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 remaining orange zest, molasses, honey, coriander, pepper, orange 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. (If desired reserve this fat for frying potatoes or wilting greens.) 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.

ROAST DUCK

Steps:

• Preheat oven to 500 degrees.
• Trim duck of all visible fat. Using a fork, prick the skin all over without piercing the meat; season with salt and pepper. Place duck on a rack set in a roasting pan and transfer to oven; roast for 40 minutes. Reduce heat to 400 degrees and continue roasting until juices run clear when thigh is pierced, about 30 minutes more. Remove from oven and let cool.
• Reserve any duck fat from roasting pan. Store in an airtight container, refrigerated, up to 2 weeks. Remove skin from duck and discard. Remove meat from bones; discard bones. Shred meat and serve or store in an airtight container, refrigerated, up to 3 days.

EVERYDAY ROASTED DUCK

Steps:

• Recommended equipment: kitchen twine, heavy-duty flameproof roasting pan with a flat wire roasting rack, a fat-separating measuring cup (2 cups or larger), poultry shears or heavy knife for splitting the bird.
• Arrange an oven rack in the middle of the oven; preheat to 400°.
• Remove all clods of fat from the duck cavities, and trim any loose flaps of skin; rinse the bird, including the giblets and neck; pat dry with paper towels.
• Sprinkle a teaspoon of salt inside the belly cavity; and push in the rosemary sprigs.
• With the breast side up, twist and fold the wing tips so they stay under the bird.
• Cross the legs over the cavity opening and tie the ends tightly with kitchen twine.
• Chop the duck neck into two or three pieces and scatter in the bottom of the pan, along with the giblets, under or around the wire rack.
• Set the duck, breast side up, on the roasting rack in the pan.
• Whisk the wine, lemon juice, and olive oil vigorously together until emulsified, and pour this all over the duck skin; sprinkle the remaining 2 teaspoon salt over the bird, making sure that the sides are moistened and salted as well as the breast.
• Roast the duck for an hour, breast up, then baste it all over with the pan juices, using a bulb baster or large spoon--tilt the roasting pan carefully to scoop up the liquid.
• Continue to roast for another 1 to 1 1/2 hours, basting the bird every 30 minutes or so, until it is dark gold and very crisp all over.
• Remove the duck to a platter, take out the rack and gather the giblets and neck pieces onto the platter, too.
• Carefully pour the hot juices from the pan into a fat separator and let the fat gather on top.
• Pour the good juices out of the separator into the roasting pan (if you don't have a separator, spoon off all the fat first, then pour in a cup or more of stock, so you have at least 1 1/2 cups liquid to deglaze the pan and cook into a sauce).
• Set the roasting pan over med-high heat on top of the stove, and bring the liquids to a boil, vigorously scraping up all the caramelized bits on the bottom of the pan.
• Let the juices reduce until slightly thickened and flavorful, then turn off heat.
• In the meantime, cut up the duck into small pieces to serve family-style; pile the cut pieces on a serving platter, along with the roasted neck and giblet morsels.
• Keep warm, and when the sauce is ready pour the pan sauce all over.

ROASTED DUCK

Steps:

• Preheat oven to 375 degrees F (190 degrees C).
• Rub salt, pepper, and paprika into the skin of the duck. Place in a roasting pan.
• Roast duck in preheated oven for 1 hour. Spoon 1/4 cup melted butter over bird, and continue cooking for 45 more minutes. Spoon remaining 1/4 cup melted butter over duck, and cook for 15 more minutes, or until golden brown.

DUCK ROASTED IN SALT

Steps:

• In a small saucepan, warm marmalade over medium heat until liquified. Remove the pan from heat, and pass the liquid through a fine sieve set over a small bowl. Stir in 4 sprigs of thyme, grated ginger, and pink peppercorns; set the glaze aside.
• Preheat oven to 400 degrees. Rinse duck inside and out under cold running water; pat dry. Season cavity with pepper, and stuff with onion, carrot, celery, ginger rounds, remaining 2 sprigs thyme, bay leaf, rosemary, and 1 cinnamon stick. Using kitchen twine and a trussing needle, sew cavity closed, and tie the legs together.
• Pour 1/3 of the salt into a Dutch oven slightly larger than the duck. Place duck on salt, and brush duck generously with the glaze. Place the remaining 2 cinnamon sticks on top of the salt. Cover duck completely with remaining salt.
• Roast duck until a meat thermometer inserted into thickest part of thigh registers 165 degrees, about 2 hours 15 minutes.
• Remove the pot from the oven; let it stand 30 minutes to cool. Carefully invert the pot onto a large cutting board. Break salt away from duck; brush off any excess salt. Remove skin. Transfer duck to a cutting board, carve, and serve.

SLOW-ROASTED BALSAMIC-GLAZED DUCK

Steps:

• Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Fit a large roasting pan with a rack. Place ducks on rack and prick duck skin all over with the tines of a fork, taking care not to pierce the flesh. Season ducks all over with sea salt; let stand 30 minutes.
• Meanwhile, chop duck wings and neck; set aside. Heat oil in a large heavy-bottomed saucepan over medium-high heat. Add duck wings and necks and cook, stirring, until browned. Separate and peel garlic cloves from 1 head of garlic; reduce heat to low and add fennel and garlic cloves. Cook, stirring, until vegetables are softened. Add stock and cook until reduced by half, about 40 minutes. Strain into a small saucepan; skim fat from surface. Set sauce aside.
• Halve remaining head of garlic and crush slightly. Divide lemon, thyme, and garlic evenly between duck cavities. Transfer duck to oven and roast, turning every 25 minutes, until duck begins to brown. Meanwhile, mix together vinegar and lemon juice. Once duck starts to brown, begin basting with vinegar mixture and cook until duck skin is dark brown and meat begins to come away from the breastbone, 2 to 3 hours total.
• Remove from heat and let duck stand for 15 minutes. Meanwhile, reheat sauce over medium heat until warmed through and reduced to desired consistency. Carve duck and serve with sauce.

ROAST DUCK WITH CHERRIES

Steps:

• Preheat oven to 350 degrees.
• In a small bowl, stir together cloves, ground star anise, and ground cinnamon. Place potatoes, carrots, onion, turnip, and sweet potato in a roasting pan large enough to hold the duck; sprinkle half the spice mixture over the pan and season with salt and pepper. Drizzle with 3 tablespoons olive oil and mix to coat.
• Rinse duck in cold water and pat dry. Rub duck all over with remaining spice mixture and 3 tablespoons olive oil; season generously, inside and out, with salt and pepper. Place duck, breast side up, on top of vegetables in roasting pan. Add neck and organs, along with thyme, bay leaves, and 2 cinnamon sticks. Cover pan tightly with parchment paper-lined aluminum foil; transfer to oven and cook for 2 hours.
• Meanwhile, in a saucepan, combine cherries, red wine, sugar, remaining cinnamon stick, and whole star anise. Place over low heat and cook until cherries are soft and wine has reduced to a syrupy consistency, about 30 minutes. Reserve about 3 tablespoons of syrup for glazing the duck. Transfer remaining syrup to a small serving bowl; set aside and keep warm.
• Carefully uncover duck and baste with pan juices. Add garlic cloves to pan and re-cover with parchment paper-lined foil. Return duck to oven and continue cooking until meat starts pulling away from the bone, about 2 hours more.
• Uncover duck and brush with reserved cherry-wine syrup. Return to oven and roast until skin is crispy and dark, rich brown in color, about 15 minutes.
• Carefully transfer duck to a large serving platter. Let stand, uncovered, while preparing the vegetables. Transfer vegetables to a large bowl. Remove meat from the neck and add to vegetables, discarding bones. Thinly slice remaining organs and add to the vegetables; mash vegetables and meat together and season with salt and pepper.
• Transfer vegetable mixture to a serving bowl and serve immediately along with duck and cherry-wine syrup.