In search of tips for cooking a whole duck

[znfdl]

Last night I roasted a whole duck, it was moist but chewy.

My Preparation:
1. Soaked in a apple cider - ginger brine for 24 hours
2. Rinsed the duck under cold water.
3. Let it sit for 15 minutes to warm up.
4. Roasted using a vertical roaster 15 minutes at 450F; remaining time at 350F
5. I let the bird sit for 15 minutes prior to carving

Any suggestions to improve my technique is appreciated.

[vertical_doug]

Was it wild duck or farm? Wild duck is pretty hard to get rid of the chewy.

However, for a bonus, you next time you roast a either a duck or a goose, you should save the fat from roasting and make goose lard butter.

Instead of using the juices in the roasting pan for gravy, strain it. Finely chopped a onion and lightly braise in light butter until a golden brown. turn the heat very low and add finely chopped apples into the onions. Let this sit for about a minute (longer and the apples turn to mush) add the duck (goose fat) and briefly stir. You want the apple onion butter mix to be about 50/50 with the duck fat. Put in a jar and cool. It will not get hard as butter, more a soft fatty texture.

When you come in from a cold day skiing, snow shoeing, shoveling snow, some of the duck lard butter, spread a heavy nut bread, sprinkle some salt and take a bite. The flavor will explode when it hits the mouth.

[znfdl]

Farm raised duck. I am thinking that next time, I will break down the duck and cook the leg meat separately from the breasts.

[robin3mj]

To get a nice crispy skin, I typically cook it at a lower temp to start, then crank the heat up for 15 mins at the end.

[benito]

did you score the fat?

the brine sounds tasty.

[Cookietruck]

we break down the duck
sear the skin in a skillet over flame then throw it all in the oven to roast...

[Too Tall]

we break down the duck
sear the skin in a skillet over flame then throw it all in the oven to roast...

Thanks for saying that. I've had mixed luck. Duck breasts, yeah that works. The rest, not so much. That said I think the closest I've come to doing justice to a duck breast was all pan seared.

[JoB]

If it's just for two people, I would:

break it down into two breasts/legs/wings;
cook one breast in a dry pan, cure the other with salt for prosciutto (Ruhlman has instructions on his blog);
render fat, confit legs and wings, roast some potatoes in duck fat and eat that (or turn the meat into rillettes);
along the way, collect the bones and make stock out of the carcass when it's all done.

Thanks for saying that. I've had mixed luck. Duck breasts, yeah that works. The rest, not so much. That said I think the closest I've come to doing justice to a duck breast was all pan seared.

[znfdl]

The brine is great. Next time I will break down the duck and comfit the legs and wings

[Britishbane]

The brine is great. Next time I will break down the fuck and confit the legs and wings

Having a good Wednesday morning? Love it!

[steve garro]

Last night I roasted a whole duck, it was moist but chewy.

My Preparation:
1. Soaked in a apple cider - ginger brine for 24 hours
2. Rinsed the duck under cold water.
3. Let it sit for 15 minutes to warm up.
4. Roasted using a vertical roaster 15 minutes at 450F; remaining time at 350F
5. I let the bird sit for 15 minutes prior to carving

Any suggestions to improve my technique is appreciated.

Definitely remove feathers, innards, head & feet next time, it makes a HUGE difference!



And duck breast is best Med Rare!


- Garro.

[caleb]

And duck breast is best Med Rare!


- Garro.

Server last time I ordered duck: "I'd ask you how you want it cooked, but if you were to tell me anything other than rare you'd have to talk to the chef yourself."

[znfdl]

Having a good Wednesday morning? Love it!

ooops :)

Definitely remove feathers, innards, head & feet next time, it makes a HUGE difference!



And duck breast is best Med Rare!


- Garro.

Steve, feathers add fiber.

[summilux]

If you are looking for crispy skin, I can vouch for the method described in the link below for making Peking Duck. You air dry the duck in the fridge for a day with a baking soda/salt covering, separate the skin from the meat, pour boiling water over the carcass and then roast upright.

The method works but unless you are actually making Peking Duck, I'm with JoB. Break it down, confit the legs and pan sear the breast to medium rare. Render the fat and saute potatoes in it. Celeriac (Celery root) is also a good saute choice.

The Food Lab: How to Make Peking Duck at Home (From Scratch!) | Serious Eats

You could also deep fry the bird, which is how most restaurants make Peking Duck in NA.

[Mark Kelly]

Server last time I ordered duck: "I'd ask you how you want it cooked, but if you were to tell me anything other than rare you'd have to talk to the chef yourself."

I'd tell the "chef" to go back to school. No fowl is safe if not fully cooked. Campylobacter in waterfowl

[Too Tall]

Oh you are no fun.

I'd tell the "chef" to go back to school. No fowl is safe if not fully cooked. Campylobacter in waterfowl

[Mark Kelly]

I'm not a complete killjoy, I'll happily eat raw fish and very rare meat (but not pork): I even used to prepare steak tartar au gueridon at a pretentious restaurant in Sydney where I worked during my uni days.

Fowl, however, are treated as toxic until rendered safe. They are filthy things; ducks eat strained mud.

[Too Tall]

What can I say Mark? Let's just agree that if ICBM contrails paint the sky, my dog died and best gal left me I'd eat Fugu...or rare duck.

I cannot see her tonight
I have to give her up
So I will eat Fugu.

I'm not a complete killjoy, I'll happily eat raw fish and very rare meat (but not pork): I even used to prepare steak tartar au gueridon at a pretentious restaurant in Sydney where I worked during my uni days.

Fowl, however, are treated as toxic until rendered safe. They are filthy things; ducks eat strained mud.

[steve garro]

IMG_9823.JPG

So I will eat Fugu.

Careful what you ask for, I could get you a lifetime supply..........here, this one should do it..........and pass the rare duck!


- Garro.