If you can roast a chicken, then you can roast a Duck. The only difference in preparation is that a Duck has a thick fat layer under the skin, so you should pierce or slice into the skin. This will cause the fat to render and drain, resulting in less fat when you bite into the duck pieces, and the Duck skin will be crisper.
Some recipes call for pouring boiling water over the raw Duck for even more crispy skin. I haven't tried that yet.
Cooked Duck is more intense in flavor than chicken - it's like having all dark meat.
Duck is more expensive than chicken, so I seldom buy it. I do like a change of pace, roasting Duck instead of turkey during the Thanksgiving and Christmas holidays when Duck prices drop a little bit.
All I do to cook a Duck is to pierce the skin, sprinkle on salt and pepper, then roast it for about an hour and a half at 350 degrees. Of course, slice into the thigh to check for doneness and no red juices. If you have a thermometer, the temperature should be around 180 degrees in the thickest part of the thigh meat, where it connects to the duck carcass.
Finally, allow the Duck to rest outside of the oven for 5 or 10 minutes. This allows the juices to redistribute into the flesh for a moist bird.
For a delicious Duck Gravy, click here for my Chicken Giblet Gravy; it's the same recipe using the neck, heart, liver, and gizzard.
Orange Sauce packages are often included. Follow the package directions to make it. My recipe does not have an Orange Sauce.
Check out my simple Roast Duck recipe video below. And don't forget to save the Duck fat, it is a flavorful oil for making amazing French Fries.
Roast Duck - VIDEO Play it here, video runs 1 minutes, 43 seconds.
My YouTube video link for viewing or embedding, just click here.
Ingredients
- 1 Whole Duck
- Salt and Pepper - about half a teaspoon. Add as much as you like.
Directions
Remove from the Duck cavity any giblets and a plastic orange sack.
Poke or slice the breast skin with a knife or fork.
Season the Duck all over with salt and pepper to taste.
es. Duck will render out a lot of fat, and the fat will splatter when hot.
Bake the Duck at 350 degrees for about an hour and a half to reach the desired doneness.
The internal temperature should be about 180°F at the thickest part of the leg and thigh joint.
Let the Duck rest for about 5 to 10 minutes, then serve. This will give the juices time to redistribute, resulting in a moist roasted bird.
When the roasting pan has cooled, you can remove the Duck fat - it makes delicious French Fries (recipe, here).
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