So We Roasted a Duck

It's a good thing we got our stimulus. We've been stimulating the economy right and left it seems and not in ways we intended. The latest catastrophe is that our old stove started randomly leaking gas. In all fairness, it was probably the original stove in the house which was built back in the '70s or older, and we'd already jury-rigged a thermostat in the oven to keep it working. It was time.

So we had to get a plumber out to install a shut-off valve on the gas line behind the appliance (yep, that old), so the new appliance could be put in. And a new oven was bought. We are now the proud owners of a really nice gas range with convection oven, and it comes with us when we move!

And to test the new oven, I wanted to roast a turkey, but they didn't have one at the store. They did have a duck. So duck it was!

We'd never actually had it before, and that means we'd never roasted one before. We set it up, stuffed the duck-hole (way too much fun calling it that) with lemon and garlic, and roasted it. We also glazed it and basted it regularly with balsamic and lemon and some honey -- I found a recipe that seemed pretty decent and we rolled with it.

I understand now why they say that duck fat is "the stuff", and we have a decent amount of it in our fridge waiting to be used. What couldn't pour off and save we toasted some bread and sopped up. We used a bit to roast our potatoes in to go with our duck.

But I think it's on the list of "will do again".

a reply to: ketsuko

I did my first duck for a friendsgiving right before Thanksgiving.

I par smoked it for a little while and roasted it to med rare on the breasts with crispy skin.

I for the life of me cannot figure out why duck isn't really popular in the US. If you find it on sale it's not horribly expensive, and it's truly a luxurious meat IMO.

The duck fat like you said is phenomenal. If memory serves me right it has a pretty high smoke point too, so it's fairly versatile.

a reply to: ketsuko
I love duck and goose.
If you can save enough fat next time, try an egg fried in it.

a reply to: butcherguy

Oh, we have enough fat easy for that, and I'll see if I can get my husband to do that some morning this week ...

Thanks!


Hmmm, I'll bet that would be wonderful on some avocado toast.

a reply to: CriticalStinker

I know. It's a bit like chicken thigh x 100 but it's so much more tender. It's really good.

a reply to: ketsuko
Have you ever tried French duck a l'orange from duck breast? It is fabulous. I like to roast it a bit more than the French way but keep it slightly pinkish on the inside, if I can.

If you did not have it yet and liked the sweet juicy taste of the honey lemon glazing, this should be something for you

i LOVE duck, I roast one in the oven once or twice a year. I've found that putting the duck directly on a rack, with a big pan to catch drips on a second rack below it, is the best way to git 'er dun with minimal greasiness and max OMG. I've tried the parboil method for reducing greasiness, it's a joke. But no-container roasting is surefire & is the shiz, it's even going to net you a hell of a lot more of that crispy, delicious skin

Also, tenting the duck is your call, but I highly recommend it -- it cuts down the greasy drip splatter clean-up by a good bit.

a reply to: Nyiah

We got that part covered!

We have a big roaster with a rack that sits in it high enough we can roast vegetables underneath in the drippings of whatever we're roasting, so it worked really well for the duck and what you describe. We didn't tent it though.

a reply to: ketsuko

Absolutely LOVE roasted duck! I've tried many different ways to do it over the years. My favorite is stuffed with chunk pineapple and cherries, then basted in melted butter mixed with a little bit of juice from the pineapple and cherries and a little bit of Kitchen Bouquet. It's also excellent brushed with orange marmalade!

a reply to: Shibari

We almost did duck a l'orange because we do have some very nice homemade beef bone broth stock sitting in our freezer, but I opted for something a bit simpler this time out.

Roast duck and goose are very good tasting, I like them a lot....but you sure get stinky gas from them, and you cannot blame that on a gas leak from your new stove.

a reply to: ketsuko
Really? I found roasting a whole duck and glazing much more difficult than doing the breasts a la orange. I think a lot of it has to do how one approaches it, and preparations and overthinking things, like I did with the whole duck.

Cooking with love makes a huge difference, too! You can all laugh now.. but there is something about how you treat the meal I think. The caution put into preparing the ingredients, the way they are added and treated. In basic words, being aware and in the moment while cooking. Cooking with love!

Duck is amazing.
The best I ever had was a specialty duck restaurant in Korea right on the DMZ. We ate outside and had a huge towering plate of duck cuts brought out and we hand roasted it to taste on the in-table grill. So delicious! yes very fatty but so good. I can see why eating it regularly would be very bad for you though.
I love duck confit. those little legs.
Duck pate is also amazing.

a reply to: ketsuko

a reply to: ketsuko

They didn't have turkey but they had duck? Where the hell are you shopping? lol I see lamb, bison, quail, sometimes rabbit, but I have never seen duck, unless I go to the farmer's market.

I love duck, but don't eat it often (and have never cooked one). It was a special treat when the caterers fixed it for lunch on set.

Sounds good!

a reply to: Liquesence

They also had a goose.

They did have just the bone-in turkey breast, but it's off season for whole birds. So the selection was limited. I wanted a whole bird.

I know where to go to get a whole turkey if I need one, but this was a last minute pickup type thing.

Duck is SPECIAL.

@ 31/2 years old my Mother cooked up a fine Duck for Supper...and my wee little fingers discovered it setting on the cupboard resting.....lol...lol...I tried one tiny fatty sweet succulent little bit no bigger than a raisin...I had never tasted Duck...well to put it frankly I stripped half the duck before my Mother could catch me in the process of just one more little strafing run of the Kitchen with my now greasy little fingers and face.My first act of Larceny.I was driven to it by a Duck....and you know what--- I DONT CARE---- you cannot be denied Heaven when it is already all over your hands chin face and PJs....I would do it all over again if I could.... is a New York second.

Duck Rules.

That sounds really yummy and decadent. I wonder if one could cook a duck in an air fryer. Been thinking of that. The last time I ate duck was at a high end Asian restaurant. I think it was roasted in plum sauce or something. It was super good. I’d love to eat some of that again.

a reply to: ChiefD

Not sure about the Air-Fryer but Moms Roasting Pan seemed to make pure sweet greasy majic of something truly Fowl.

a reply to: ketsuko

i loves duck , mmm tasty duck .................................

sadly - my " cough cough " supply has dried up - and i no longer hunt

by butcher has stopped selling duck too - as his supplier was being erratic

supermarket duck = expensive and poor quality

i miss duck

Who here has had goose?
I never have - and whenever I pass the Canadian Geese nasty poopy bastards on a walk I always mull over bringing my revolver and um helping it along. .

a reply to: ketsuko