The Best Way to Roast a Duck (Hello, Crispy Skin!)
Duck, Entrees, Holiday, Popular posts — By Jessie on February 11, 2009 at 6:32 pm
Intimidated by roasting a whole duck? Don’t be.
It takes a few hours, but it’s really pretty easy. You just need to know what to do with your bird. It’s kind of a labor of love, but it’s definitely worth it.
With this method, the skin is crispy. The meat is succulent, perfectly cooked, and not at all greasy. And best of all? You’ll wind up with about a cup-and-a-half of duck fat. (More on this in a sec.)
This article demonstrates a step-by-step master recipe for roasting a plain duck, and then shows you how to lacquer it with a mouthwateringly spicy molasses and soy glaze.
So you guys know I have a fair obsession with duck fat
Now, I’ve roasted my share of ducks, but I’m always looking for ways to improve two things (which luckily, are tied together): how crisp the skin is and how much duck fat I get. The method below gets a lot of fat out of the duck, and produces beautiful, crackly skin.
Wait, Mouse. What can I cook with all that duck fat?
Duck fat keeps for months in the fridge. Use it much in the same way you would use rendered bacon fat. Here are some ideas:
+Duck fat is a glorious companion to potatoes. Make some duck-fat hash browns. Add duck fat to mashed potatoes instead of butter.
+Rub a whole chicken’s skin with it before roasting. It’ll add a good, deep flavor to your bird. (A chicken in duck’s clothing? I’ll take it!)
+Slather it on root veggies and roast with garlic, salt, and pepper.
On to the duck!
I don’t buy duck very often. They don’t usually carry it at my regular grocery store, so I make a special trek to Whole Foods for it. That’s just fine. It’s a treat, after all.
How to roast a duck: The basic technique
Here’s the basic technique I use to roast a duck. Roast it as follows for 4 hours at 300 degrees. After 4 hours, glaze and blast it at high heat for a short time.
- Score the skin, cut off excess fat, and poke it all over
- Salt and truss
- Roast at 300 degrees for 1 hour, breast-side up
- Poke, flip, roast for 1 hour, breast-side down
- Poke, flip, roast for 1 hour, breast-side up
- Poke, flip, roast for 1 hour, breast side down
- Poke, flip, blast at 400 degrees for 10 minutes, breast-side up
- Brush with glaze
- Finish at 400 degrees for 5-7 minutes
- Rest, carve & serve
If you’re a meat thermometer kind of person, you want your duck to register 165 degrees F. If you follow the instructions below, you should be just fine.
Read on for step-by-step photo instructions.
Master Recipe: Roast Duck
1 whole Pekin duck, 5-6 lbs.
kosher salt
Sweet & Spicy Glaze
1/4 cup honey
1/4 molasses
3 Tbls. orange juice
1 Tbls. soy sauce
1 1/2 Tbls. Sriracha chili sauce (adjust to taste)
How to roast a duck: Unwrap the bird & deal with the innards
Grab your duck and unwrap it.
Yank out all the little treats that are inside the duck’s cavity and set them aside. Sometimes they’ll be wrapped in paper. Sometimes they’ll be loose. If they’re loose, be sure to get them all out.
I freeze all the innards except the liver, and toss them into stock. (The liver is the brown-ish, squishy looking thing in the upper left part of the picture below.)
Sidebar: What to do with the duck liver
By all means, save the liver and use it in pate or some other yummy thing.
For a simple and rustic cook’s treat, fry the duck liver in a little butter, garlic, salt, and pepper. Mash it up, then spread it on buttered toast. It makes a lovely snack if you like that kind of thing.
How to roast a duck: Score the skin
Preheat your oven to 300 degrees.
When your duck is empty, rinse it under cold water. Pat it dry with paper towels. Set a rack in a deep-ish roasting pan. Put the duck on the rack. (Or, score the skin, then set it on the rack afterward. Up to you.) Sprinkle the cavity with a little kosher salt.
With a very sharp knife, score a diamond pattern into the duck skin on the breast. Slice carefully. You want to cut through most of the fat without cutting into the meat. Luckily, a duck’s layer of fat is fairly thick, so this is pretty easy once you get the hang of it.
Cut on an angle.
Slice through the skin and fat, but not into the meat.
You want your duck to look about like this:
How to roast a duck: Yank out any quills
Your duck might not have any quills. But if you do see any little pointy things poking out of the duck’s skin like this, just pull them out:
How to roast a duck: Trim off any excess skin (and render it, if you like)
Cut off any excess skin at either end of the duck’s cavity.
Now, you can toss that skin. But if you’re like me, and you want to get as much fat out of your duck as possible, save it.
Cut it into smaller pieces. Put it in a pot with a little water. Bring the water to a simmer. Cover the pot tightly and let it simmer for a while. The skin will let out most of its fat. Strain it into a jar and reserve.
How to roast a duck: Poke the duck all over & truss it
Prick the duck’s skin all over with a sharp knife. This is to create small holes that’ll let the fat escape more readily. The more fat escapes, the crisper the skin will be. Only prick the skin, don’t hit the meat.
Cross the legs and tie them together like this with a piece of butcher’s twine.
Fold the wings under the duck. (Please note, my duck here is missing one of his wing tips!)
I didn’t get a good picture of the wing folding for the duck, but here are some pictures of how to fold a chicken wing, which is similar.
Sprinkle the duck with salt and pop it into the oven. Roast just like this, breast-side up, for 1 hour at 300 degrees.
After the first hour: Poke and turn the bird breast-side down
After the first hour, yank the pan out of the oven. The skin will still be pale, and should be just a wee bit crisp when poked.
Prick the skin all over with a knife. When pierced, the skin should let out gloriously molten duck fat. Be sure to get the area around the legs, which is particularly fatty.
Flip the bird over, so it’s breast-side down.
Pop it back into the oven. Roast breast-side down for 1 hour at 300 degrees.
After the second hour: Poke and turn the bird breast-side up
After the second hour, yank the pan out of the oven. The skin will be browner, and more crisp, like this:
Prick the skin all over. Flip the bird breast-side up.
Pop it back in the oven. Roast breast-side up for 1 hour at 300 degrees.
After the third hour: Poke and turn the bird breast-side down
After the third hour, yank the pan out of the oven. Your duck should be noticeably browner and getting kind of crispy.
Prick the bird all over.
Flip it over so it’s breast-side down.
Pop it back in the oven. Roast breast-side down for a final hour at 300 degrees.
While the duck is roasting for its last hour, make the glaze
When the duck is roasting for its fourth hour, it’s time to make the glaze. In a medium-sized saucepan, combine the honey, molasses, orange juice, soy sauce, and hot sauce. Bring to a simmer.
Whisk constantly over medium-high heat for a few minutes, ’til it gets thick and syrupy, like this.
It should coat the back of a spoon fairly thickly.
Set your glaze aside, off the heat, until your duck comes out of the oven.
After the fourth hour: Finish your duck!
Finally! After the 4th hour, yank the pan out of the oven. Crank the heat up to 400 degrees.
Your duck should look about like this:
If you’re saving the duck fat for cooking later, remove it from the pan now. (Pull the duck and rack out carefully and pour off the duck fat….or tip the pan and remove it with a spoon. Be extra careful here, fat burns are nasty.) Do this now, before you add the glaze, so the glaze doesn’t get into the fat.
When you’re done, put the duck back in the pan on the rack. Flip it over, so it’s breast-side up.
When your oven hits 400 degrees, stick the pan back into the oven. Roast like this, breast-side up, for 10 minutes or so. This is to help crisp up the skin a little more.
After 10 minutes, yank the pan out of the oven. The skin should be golden brown and crisp.
Brush the surface with glaze so that your duck is completely covered. (If your glaze has cooled and is too thick to spread, just warm it up on the stove and it’ll liquify right up.)
You want your duck to look about like this:
Stick your pan back in the oven, and roast at 400 degrees for 5-7 minutes, until your duck is a beautiful mahogany color. Keep a close eye on it, and yank it out if it starts to burn.
Your finished duck should look about like this:
Let the duck rest for 10 minutes.
How to roast a duck: Carve, serve, and enjoy!
Transfer your duck to a platter. Carve just like you would a roasted chicken.
So, you wanna buy a duck? (Sorry, couldn’t resist.)
Oh, oh, oh!
If you haven’t already, don’t forget to enter our contest to win Jamie Oliver’s Nintendo DS Game. I have 3 to give away.
Cheers!
Here are some of the best discounts and sales I’ve found this week.
***
Copyright 2008-2009 The Hungry Mouse™/Jessica B. Konopa. All rights reserved.
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53 Comments
Wow! The step by step photos are very much appreciated. I can’t wait to try this.
Thanks so much, hon.
(Let me know how it turns out!)
+Jessie
Hi Jessie!…here’s a Mir from the Netherlands…as always curious for you folks over in the States I found your how to roast a duck…I first checked out all the Chinese recepies..like blow dry the poor duck to extra dry it’s skin before roasting a.s.o….then I found you…dear hungry mouse…right now going to cover it with glaze and…..Thanks a lot for this…be thinking of you..Love Mir
Jessie, I have been waiting for a tutorial like this forever! I have always been terrified to try to roast a duck on my own, but those photos and always amazing instructions have me convinced I can do it now. I love duck and that glaze looks great, such good color on the bird!
(your posts are seriously subtracting days from my diet’s expiration date)
-emily
@ChicagoDining
Heee, oh I’m so glad it’ll help!
*quacks at you*
+Jessie
Finger duckling good! I love me some duck!
Regards,
CCR =:~)
I love duck so this is very useful information! Crispy skin…sigh!
Lovely! A perfectly-cooked duck is a beautiful thing!
Wow. That’s just stunning. I’ve always wanted to roast a duck, I’ll definitely try this method when I manage to get one.
Wow, I’m practically drooling at the sight of this duck. It looks stellar!
Great tutorial! Duck is my favorite.
Your one winged duck looks awesome! I love to order duck when we go out. I’m not sure where I would get one, Whole Foods hasn’t opened yet in Charlotte. This will be on my list to try! What’s the purpose of scoring duck? Is it also to release fat?
Oy! Now that’s a day’s long work!!!
When do you have time for all this EXQUISITE ART, Jessie?!?!?!
Gabi
Thanks, guys! It’s definitely a labor of love, but oh my goodness the results are yummy!
Zena–You’re right on. Scoring the skin helps release the fat as the duck cooks.
You could try ordering one online, but you’ll likely pay a lot more than if you found one in person. D’Artagnan sells a whole Pekin duck for about $27 (http://www.dartagnan.com/item.asp?item=FDUPE002)
If you do order a duck online and want to use this method, be sure to get a Pekin duck, which are nice and fatty. Lobels.com sells a whole Muscovy duck, but it’ll be much leaner, so I’m sure you’d need to adjust cooking time.
Gabi–I have a time machine. (Just kidding, but wouldn’t that be cool?
) Thanks, honey pie!
+Jessie
That is one magnificent bird! Thanks for the step-by-step.
Great technique. I’ve always roasted for a much shorther period of time at a much higher heat, and never seemed to get the crispy skin you get in Chinatowns the world over.
Would it be better if you hung the bird for a couple of hours to let it air dry thoroughly before cooking?
Thanks, honey pie!
Hmmm, not sure about the hanging, but that’s an intriguing idea. Let me poke around and see if I can find some info.
+Jessie
This looks amazing Jessie. Not sure where I would get the four hours free to roast the duck but what a treat.
Heh, yeah it’s definitely something you need to plan for. Good Sunday afternoon project if you can find the time.
+Jessie
What a great post. Probably the BEST post on preparing a duck that I have EVER read!
Thanks a million. My wife, Dr. E., and I really appreciate your sharing of your obvious outstanding culinary talent.
DocChuck
Oh gosh, thank you so much!
So glad it’s helpful to you guys.
Cheers!
+Jessie
Wow that looks amazing. Love how detailed you got with the photos! It’s been a while since I’ve roasted a duck because the steam/roast method I’ve used in the past is so fussy. I’ll have to try your method.
I use duck fat as a substitute for butter and even spread it on toast. Also great to deep fry things in. Oh and the best thing to do with it? Gently poach the liver in it’s own fat then sprinkle a little sea salt on it and spread it on bread.
Hehe, thank you, thank you! Honestly, I think duck is just a fussy thing to cook, not matter how you do it. All the poking and prodding and flipping. Totally worth it once in a while, though.
And duck fat! On toast! You’re a genius!
Cheers!
+Jessie
Beautiful photos and very concise instruction. Exactly what I was looking for, since I deem duck a bit intimidating but am readily seduced by the flavorful meat and fat. Thank you very much.
Thanks so much Artemas!
So glad it’ll be helpful to you. I’m with you. Love, love, love duck.
Cheers!
+Jessie
Duck fat rocks! I always have a tub of it in the freezer.
Thanks for a comprehensive guide.
I just made this duck yesterday for Easter and it turned out great! It was so easy thanks to your detailed instructions and photos! And it was yummmmy
I found the duck and I’m gonna try this today. Wouldn’t have the courage if not for the great pics! I’m keeping my fingers crossed and I’ll let you know the results!
*quacks at you*
Happy to be of service! Let me know how it goes!
+Jessie
Nice job, very informative & helpful. I was wondering if I use a duck that has been boned out, should I decrease the cooking time?
Thanks again for this excellent presentation.
You really helped this night owl learn how to roast a duck… Just finished a beautiful bird with your help. She’s resting now, and I can’t wait to taste it; it smells divine! I’m a fan of duck, love the taste, but have only ever made smoked duck (under the supervision of a friend who has done it many times before).
I wish the skin had been a wee bit crispier. I wonder if I didn’t prick the skin enough, or perhaps my bird was too big (closer to 6 pounds than 5). I scored my bird but I messed up a bit and scored all the way through the skin to the meat, so after that I was a bit timid in scoring the remainder of the bird. The skin’s a little less crackly toward the neck area, but she’s crisp, for sure!
I’m always cooking new things, because I like to entertain (and eat, heh) so thank you so much for this tutorial!! The photos and step by step instruction made the experience really easy, fun, and headache free!
Oh fabulous! I’m glad it worked so well for you. Thanks for stopping by and reporting in.
I’m guessing that fatty part near the neck was pricked a little less.
Cheers!
+Jessie
I tried this recipe last night with a 7lb bird I got from my local farmer’s market and it turned out amazing! Thank you for the photos and the step by step instructions!
One quick tip: it is much much easier to prick the bird after the first hour. The skin proved quite tough to prick when it’s raw. After the first hour, it dries a bit and becomes so much more easier to prick.
Cheers!
Izzy
Dear Mouse,
Thank you for the wonderfully detailed instructions and photos. I’m considering using this method on a wild duck, perhaps basting it with a red wine. Any suggestions?
Hehe, you’re very welcome!
One word of caution for you. I used a Pekin Duck for this recipe–not a wild duck. I’ve never cooked a wild duck before, but my understanding is that they’re much less fatty than Pekins. I did a quick poke around the internet, and Epicurious actually recommends barding or basting them as they cook. I’d hate to see you dry your bird out.
You might try some kind of red wine butter sauce. I think you definitely want to make sure you get some extra fat on it. Bacon would probably also be good, but might be too overwhelming a flavor.
I’d love to know what you do and how it turns out! Very curious about wild duck.
Cheers!
+Jessie
Thanks for the heads up. Now, off to find a recipe for red wine butter sauce…
Cheers!
James.
Let me know how it all turns out! Dying to know how it works with a wild duck.
Cheers!
+Jessie
This looks great!
I will definitely use these instructions.
Thanks for your work! Cheers!
I am suprized the neighbors didn’t call the police whilst I was devouring this incredible duck for Thanksgiving. Why would they call the police? The moans and sounds of OMG filled the house when I finally sat down to eat this incredible duck. Because of a whole bunch of reasons, I preferred to spend Thanksgiving alone this year. This crispy skin duck fit the “I’m indulging myself to the nth degree this year” criteria.
What a pure taste treat for me. Both dogs give it two paws up as well. It was accompanied by red skin smashed potatoes, roasted brussel sprouts, butternut squash ( all grown by a good friend) and a dynamite bottle of Navarro Vineyards Deed End Pinot Noir 1999. Life doesn’t get any better!!
So my question is, what should I do with the left over duck? Any ideas?
Again…thank you!!
Tried this recipe before and was in love with duck for the first time! Going to make it again this weekend. Thank you!! I just can’t get into using the fat tho…is it bad for your health?
Nadine,
I slather a bit of the duck or chicken fat on veggies or potatoes before oven roasting. The flavor is incredible. You’ll be glad you saved the fat. Remember, everything in moderation!
B.
Can you freeze the extra duck fat? How long can it last?
Never mind, I see that it lasts indefinitely frozen.
Thanks so much for making this guide, it’s always helpful to see photos of how these things should look.
I have always loved duck and have been waiting for them to at least go on sale so I could afford the couple needed for a meal able to feed our family of 7. Last week our local grocery which stocks the same brand duck you used in your photos decided they were a slow seller. They are getting rid of all of them. I could not afford them when they were selling at $15-17 each. Now they are selling them for $1.50-3.00 each. They are frozen which is perfect because I am stocking up my freezer. My mouth was watering looking at your photos. I am not even going to check anyone elses recipe. You have won me over. Great pictures. I can smell and taste each one.
Oh wow, yeah…you’d need a couple of ducks to feed a table of seven. That’s a great price on sale, though. Let me know how it goes?
Cheers!
+Jessie
My husband is a duck hunter, but he does not like to eat it. I have only found a couple of ways that I can fix it where he enjoys it. I happen to love duck. Your roasting technique looks wonderful. I may have to give your version a try. Our wild ducks will be much smaller than the domestic duck you used, but I think I can adapt it okay. Thanks for sharing. I would love for you to join me for Crock Pot Wednesday whenever you can. There’s a giveaway going on.
Oh, seriously…love duck!
One word of caution: Wild ducks are supposed to be much less fatty than Pekin ducks (the kind of duck you usually find in American markets). If that’s the case with yours, just keep an eye on him when he’s in the oven. If he starts to look like he’s drying out, you might even want to baste him with a little melted butter. Let me know how it goes?
Cheers!
+Jessie