Discussion
Having been tempted by a half price whole Gressingham duck in our local Tesco, I'm now wondering how best to cook it, having never cooked duck before........
Should I just follow the basic on-wrapper instructions (prick all over, cook on a rack for 20 mins/50g+ 20 minutes) — or is there a better/tastier way of preparing it?
Should I just follow the basic on-wrapper instructions (prick all over, cook on a rack for 20 mins/50g+ 20 minutes) — or is there a better/tastier way of preparing it?
OK Our method, Take one duck make sure it's empty. 
Place said duck in a large Le Creuset casserole cover with water, add 1 Table spoon of light Soy sauce, and two tea spoons of 5 spice powder.
Place on heat and bring to the boil, reduce heat and simmer for about 5 minutes, roll/turn the duck over and simmer for another 5 minutes.
Remover Duck and drain, on a wire rack for about a few hours (we leave it in the oven with a drip tray, with the door ajar) During this drying time frequently brush with a marinade of dark soy (3 Tables Spoons) and sugar (3 Tea spoons of any sort).
Roast for about 180 degs for about hour and a half (put a little water in the drip tray) to keep the fat from splashing too much.
Strip of the skin and shred meat from bone with a fork.
Serve with the obligatory pancakes, spring onions, thinly sliced cucumber and dips of hoisin and / or plum sauce.
We have only ever cooked duck at home this way, probably the number of occasions in the last 35+ years runs into the humdreds.
Place said duck in a large Le Creuset casserole cover with water, add 1 Table spoon of light Soy sauce, and two tea spoons of 5 spice powder.
Place on heat and bring to the boil, reduce heat and simmer for about 5 minutes, roll/turn the duck over and simmer for another 5 minutes.
Remover Duck and drain, on a wire rack for about a few hours (we leave it in the oven with a drip tray, with the door ajar) During this drying time frequently brush with a marinade of dark soy (3 Tables Spoons) and sugar (3 Tea spoons of any sort).
Roast for about 180 degs for about hour and a half (put a little water in the drip tray) to keep the fat from splashing too much.
Strip of the skin and shred meat from bone with a fork.
Serve with the obligatory pancakes, spring onions, thinly sliced cucumber and dips of hoisin and / or plum sauce.
We have only ever cooked duck at home this way, probably the number of occasions in the last 35+ years runs into the humdreds.
Looks good to me! I don't have a "large Le Crueset casserole" but I'm sure my biggest stainless steel one will do the job.
Now to the question of the giblets........
If it was a chicken, I'd simmer them for about an hour with a quartered onion, carrot chunks & garlic. Strain, chill & skim off the fat before using it as stock for a soup. Does duck stock make good soup? Also, would it make sense to cook the giblets in the liquid use to cook the duck & freeze in portions (given the amount of spice) to add a 'little extra' to homemade soup?
Now to the question of the giblets........
If it was a chicken, I'd simmer them for about an hour with a quartered onion, carrot chunks & garlic. Strain, chill & skim off the fat before using it as stock for a soup. Does duck stock make good soup? Also, would it make sense to cook the giblets in the liquid use to cook the duck & freeze in portions (given the amount of spice) to add a 'little extra' to homemade soup?
My method is similar to Big Al's however I use honey insead of sugar.
I also skewer my duck in a few places to try and infuse and bast several times during cooking also.
A lot of fat comes from a duck so the wire rack in the roasting tray is essential.
(Retain it though as duck fat with a little five spice is a fantastic starting point for roast carrot's & potatoes)
I also skewer my duck in a few places to try and infuse and bast several times during cooking also.
A lot of fat comes from a duck so the wire rack in the roasting tray is essential.
(Retain it though as duck fat with a little five spice is a fantastic starting point for roast carrot's & potatoes)
prand said:
Big Al. said:
We have only ever cooked duck at home this way, probably the number of occasions in the last 35+ years runs into the humdreds.
Sounds absolutley delicious and relatively simple! I must give this a go sometime. Cheers!Easter hols soon, I sense some duckie will be on the menu
Plotloss said:
Big Al. said:
We have only ever cooked duck at home this way, probably the number of occasions in the last 35+ years runs into the humdreds.
The amount of times you've done it since last year probably runs into the hundreds 
in fact we're having it again at the weekend! dougc on another duck thread said:
Roast it. Prick the skin all over first to get the fat flowing out, season and stick it on a trivet made out of its own neck and giblets and some halved red onions. Stick a couple of halved oranges and a bashed up piece of ginger up its arse. 200 degrees for about 1 and a half hours should do it. About half way through, drain off the fat and use it for roasties. Once cooked, take the duck out, scoop out the ginger and orange and cover the bird to rest. Drain off the fat from the roasting tin and add the orange and ginger and any juices from the duck. De-glaze the tin with some white wine and chicken stock. Crush in the oranges and ginger for flavour. Reduce and strain the bits out before serving it up with the bird.
I feel hungry now.
I still feel hungry.I feel hungry now.
We like our roast duck slow roasted until the skin is crunchy all over and the bones are almost soft enough to eat. This means it needs cooking a little slower and longer...say two hours or so.
I rub salt into the skin as well as pricking it to help the fat run. I also finely chop rosemary and rub that in.
Baste frequently to keep the duck moist.
The giblets I boil to make stock. That stock I then reduce a bit and I will go on to use it to make gravy from the burnt bits at the bottom of the roasting dish.
The neck I discard but the rest gets whizzed in the food processor to a fine paste and is added to the gravy...which is then a thick giblety sauce.
Even my wife who doesn't like offal will happily have that poured on...
Good for Sunday roast.
I rub salt into the skin as well as pricking it to help the fat run. I also finely chop rosemary and rub that in.
Baste frequently to keep the duck moist.
The giblets I boil to make stock. That stock I then reduce a bit and I will go on to use it to make gravy from the burnt bits at the bottom of the roasting dish.
The neck I discard but the rest gets whizzed in the food processor to a fine paste and is added to the gravy...which is then a thick giblety sauce.
Even my wife who doesn't like offal will happily have that poured on...Good for Sunday roast.
mrsshpub said:
Looks good to me! I don't have a "large Le Crueset casserole" but I'm sure my biggest stainless steel one will do the job.
Now to the question of the giblets........
If it was a chicken, I'd simmer them for about an hour with a quartered onion, carrot chunks & garlic. Strain, chill & skim off the fat before using it as stock for a soup. Does duck stock make good soup? Also, would it make sense to cook the giblets in the liquid use to cook the duck & freeze in portions (given the amount of spice) to add a 'little extra' to homemade soup?
ORNow to the question of the giblets........
If it was a chicken, I'd simmer them for about an hour with a quartered onion, carrot chunks & garlic. Strain, chill & skim off the fat before using it as stock for a soup. Does duck stock make good soup? Also, would it make sense to cook the giblets in the liquid use to cook the duck & freeze in portions (given the amount of spice) to add a 'little extra' to homemade soup?
chop giblets seperately very finely
put pan on low heat, ad giblets (the hard ones) and simmer for a few minutes
add finely chopped Bramley apple, some shallots (if you have marzipan and/or nuts leftover from xmas thats how you get rid of them- just add as well) and some finely chopped rosemary
Salt, pepper, macis
dash of sweat port or cream sherry
when all soft and guey add liver and let settle (careful gets drie easily)
Put on crusty bread and eat with appropriate red whilst duck smolders in oven
Some good advice already.
Dry the skin off after washing/rinsing, and then rub salt into it...both will help it crisp up!
Trivet is a very good idea...even if you just use a wire-mesh cake-cooling rack inside the baking tray. Otherwise it just sits in it's own juices!
Use the drained-off fat for the roast spuds / parsnips / etc. that you're serving with it. Or save it for the weekend's roasties...
Dry the skin off after washing/rinsing, and then rub salt into it...both will help it crisp up!
Trivet is a very good idea...even if you just use a wire-mesh cake-cooling rack inside the baking tray. Otherwise it just sits in it's own juices!
Use the drained-off fat for the roast spuds / parsnips / etc. that you're serving with it. Or save it for the weekend's roasties...
Hi Oliver
This looks good and has got the
from shpub:
When you say 'simmer', is that in a bit of stock or do you just 'stew' the chopped giblets in their own juices?
Do you carry on cooking after you've added the chopped liver or just let the liver cook in the residual heat from the rest of the mixture?
This looks good and has got the
from shpub:cramorra said:
chop giblets seperately very finely
put pan on low heat, ad giblets (the hard ones) and simmer for a few minutes
add finely chopped Bramley apple, some shallots (if you have marzipan and/or nuts leftover from xmas thats how you get rid of them- just add as well) and some finely chopped rosemary
Salt, pepper, macis
dash of sweat port or cream sherry
when all soft and guey add liver and let settle (careful gets drie easily)
Put on crusty bread and eat with appropriate red whilst duck smolders in oven
......but I need clarification on a couple of points:put pan on low heat, ad giblets (the hard ones) and simmer for a few minutes
add finely chopped Bramley apple, some shallots (if you have marzipan and/or nuts leftover from xmas thats how you get rid of them- just add as well) and some finely chopped rosemary
Salt, pepper, macis
dash of sweat port or cream sherry
when all soft and guey add liver and let settle (careful gets drie easily)
Put on crusty bread and eat with appropriate red whilst duck smolders in oven
When you say 'simmer', is that in a bit of stock or do you just 'stew' the chopped giblets in their own juices?
Do you carry on cooking after you've added the chopped liver or just let the liver cook in the residual heat from the rest of the mixture?
I did a whole Gressingham duck for the first time ever for Valentines day.
I just pricked the skin sparingly, rubbed it in rock salt, and put it in the oven for a couple of hours. I left it in for half an hour over the recommended time to crisp it up, which it did nicely.
Dusted the rock salt off and tore it to pieces in a very undignified manner. Lovely and moist inside and I cut the crispy skin into thin slices.
Infact it left me thinking why the proceedure for 'proper crispy Chinese duck' is so complicated when I pulled it off just as well without the need for slow cooking/steaming/deep frying.
Bosh. Beautiful.
I can't say it appeals as part of a roast, but as a Chinese feast with all the gubbins the whole lot went in one sitting between the two of us and the dog...
I just pricked the skin sparingly, rubbed it in rock salt, and put it in the oven for a couple of hours. I left it in for half an hour over the recommended time to crisp it up, which it did nicely.
Dusted the rock salt off and tore it to pieces in a very undignified manner. Lovely and moist inside and I cut the crispy skin into thin slices.
Infact it left me thinking why the proceedure for 'proper crispy Chinese duck' is so complicated when I pulled it off just as well without the need for slow cooking/steaming/deep frying.
Bosh. Beautiful.
I can't say it appeals as part of a roast, but as a Chinese feast with all the gubbins the whole lot went in one sitting between the two of us and the dog...
Edited by bazking69 on Wednesday 25th March 10:25
mrsshpub said:
Hi Oliver
This looks good and has got the from shpub:
When you say 'simmer', is that in a bit of stock or do you just 'stew' the chopped giblets in their own juices?
Do you carry on cooking after you've added the chopped liver or just let the liver cook in the residual heat from the rest of the mixture?
It is really very niceThis looks good and has got the
from shpub:cramorra said:
chop giblets seperately very finely
put pan on low heat, ad giblets (the hard ones) and simmer for a few minutes
add finely chopped Bramley apple, some shallots (if you have marzipan and/or nuts leftover from xmas thats how you get rid of them- just add as well) and some finely chopped rosemary
Salt, pepper, macis
dash of sweat port or cream sherry
when all soft and guey add liver and let settle (careful gets drie easily)
Put on crusty bread and eat with appropriate red whilst duck smolders in oven
......but I need clarification on a couple of points:put pan on low heat, ad giblets (the hard ones) and simmer for a few minutes
add finely chopped Bramley apple, some shallots (if you have marzipan and/or nuts leftover from xmas thats how you get rid of them- just add as well) and some finely chopped rosemary
Salt, pepper, macis
dash of sweat port or cream sherry
when all soft and guey add liver and let settle (careful gets drie easily)
Put on crusty bread and eat with appropriate red whilst duck smolders in oven
When you say 'simmer', is that in a bit of stock or do you just 'stew' the chopped giblets in their own juices?
Do you carry on cooking after you've added the chopped liver or just let the liver cook in the residual heat from the rest of the mixture?
You correctly assumed that it means just searing in its own juices if it becomes to dry ju just add the apple earlier (as some fluid will come out of this...)
I will let the liver just cook in the residual heat of the cast iron pan so it will become like a pate, rather then fully cooked (as it can become a bit chwey other wise)
Another very imporatnt tip is salt a nd peeper to taste ONLY at the end (as salt will make liver hard if given to early)
I always finish it of to a nice sweet aroma, so sometimes won't need alot of salt/hardly any
Enjoy
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