Roast duck recipe

[Patrick Bateman]

I never get to do roasts very often as my girlfriend is vegetarian. Haven't done one for ages and Asda sell whole ducks so have to give it a go!

Anyone got any great recipes they've used? I love chinese 5 spice, especially with duck, so this is the front runner so far-

https://www.gordonramsay.com/gr/recipes/crispy-roa...

Also looking at this- https://www.bbcgoodfood.com/recipes/1805644/chines...

Opinions welcome though, any do's/don'ts that aren't obvious etc.

[Shaw Tarse]

Talk to Big Al

[HarryFlatters]

If it was me, I'd break down the duck as you would a chicken for saute.

Legs and wings would get confit, breasts cooked medium and blushing, carcass roasted down to make a jus. Served with puy lentils cooked with bacon, garlic and parsley.

[Patrick Bateman]

It'll be getting done whole, that much I'm certain of.

[Trophy Husband]

Cook it on it's back for a start!

[FurtiveFreddy]

Two ways to roast a duck - hot and fast so the breast is still pink or low and slow so the whole duck is fully cooked and ends up closer to confit.

I have a couple of good recipes for the latter I use for roast duck we have every Christmas and Easter if you're interested...

[Patrick Bateman]

FurtiveFreddy said:

Two ways to roast a duck - hot and fast so the breast is still pink or low and slow so the whole duck is fully cooked and ends up closer to confit.

I have a couple of good recipes for the latter I use for roast duck we have every Christmas and Easter if you're interested...

Crack on!

[227bhp]

Jamie Oliver has a few, this is my favourite: https://grasslandpoultry.com.au/317-2/

[FurtiveFreddy]

Patrick Bateman said:

Crack on!

OK, for any roast duck recipe I'd do this first:

1. Take the wishbone out so it's easier to carve, but that's optional.
2. If you want the skin crispy, get the duck and pour a kettle-full of boiling water all over the skin then pat dry before doing anything else to it.
3. Score the skin lightly all over with a sharp knife to help the rendered fat self-baste the duck

Recipe 1

• Place the duck on trivet in a large roasting tin (needs to be deep enough to catch all the fat that's going to end up in there)
• Salt and season the skin (could be with 5 spice powder if you want to, but don't get too heavy handed with it)
• Roast at 150C breast side up for 1 hour
• Turn breast side down, poke all over with the tip of a knife again and roast for another hour
• Turn breast side up, poke and roast for another hour
• Turn breast side down, poke and roast for another hour
• Turn breast side up, poke and roast at 200C for 10 minutes
• Brush with glaze made from honey, soy sauce, brown sugar/molasses combined and reduced to a thick syrup (this is optional but you can play around with what you put in the glaze to add other flavours)
• Put back in oven at 200C for another 5-10 mins
• Rest and serve

Recipe 2 (Good if you don't have much time the day you want to serve it)

The day before:

• Roast for 2.5 - 3 hours at 150C breast side up
• Baste with the fat from the tin every now and then
• At the end of cooking turn it breast side down and allow to cool
• When cool, transfer to another dish, cover and chill in the fridge

The next day:

• Reheat duck at 190C for 20-25 mins
• Rest and serve

I've got a good recipe for a port and five spice sauce to go with duck as well:

• Put duck giblets in a pan with tyme spig, bay leaf, 2 or 3 sage leaves, 2 star anise, half an onion and a clove of garlic
• Cover with 1 litre of water, bring to boil and simmer for 1 hour
• Strain and keep until you need it

• When you've roasted the duck, pour off the fat and put the roasting tin on the hob
• In the tin, fry half a chopped onion, a chopped clove of garlic and 1/2-1 teaspoon of 5 spice powder for about 10 mins
• Deglaze with 1/2 bottle of red wine and 100ml of port
• Reduce by two thirds then add giblet stock
• Transfer to a saucepan and reduce by about 1/2 then take off the heat

(at this point you could let it cool and chill until just before your're ready to serve

• When ready to serve, reheat sauce and whisk a large knob of butter into the sauce

With roast duck I usually carve off the breasts whole and slice them on a board to serve.
Cooked slow this way, the legs could also be eaten with the breast, but we usually save them and have them the next day. They just need 20 minutes in the oven at 190-200C and they'll be almost as good as if they were confited.

The other thing I do with the rest of the bird is remove any skin I'm not serving and then I can sandwich it between sheets of baking paper and crisp it in the oven or a pan (put another pan/tin on top to keep it flat) - yummy duck crackling!

[Patrick Bateman]

Thanks for that, might just go the more simple route just now.

Have heard of turning any bird so it rests breast side down before but surprised it doesn't seem to be more widespread advice.

[Patrick Bateman]

Just found this in one of my Gordon Ramsay books too-

[Patrick Bateman]

Turned out well in the end-



Pity I couldn't eat much of it fresh, carved it up and had a mix of duck salads for lunch and dug legs for tea.

[FurtiveFreddy]

Lovely. We usually get at least 4 meals for 2 out of a duckling.