With its rich tender meat and crispy skin, roast duck is perfect for a special occasion, especially when you’ve only got a few guests or family members round. But how do you cook a duck? Here’s our step-by-step guide so you can have a perfect roast duck every time…
How many people will a roast duck serve?
A roast duck serves 3-4 people (depending on the weight), so it’s an ideal alternative to turkey if it’s just for you and a few guests for Christmas.
Where can I buy a whole duck?
You’re likely to find duck breasts and legs in most supermarkets regardless of size, but whole birds tend to be found in larger stores or need to be bought at a butcher.
How do I prepare a duck for roasting?
To allow the fat to to be released during the cooking process, prick the duck skin all over with a fork. You can also score the skin covering the breast (make sure not the cut into the meat) with a sharp knife - ask your butcher to do this if you’re not confident. Weigh it so you can calculate the cooking time (see below). Pat the skin of duck dry with kitchen towel. Generously season the whole bird with salt and pepper and massage it into the skin.
How do I make duck skin crispy
By drying the duck skin with kitchen towel, scoring/pricking it, seasoning with salt and cooking in a hot oven, this combo works its magic to make the skin crispy, drawing out moisture and releasing fat. Sometimes you might see an instruction to pour boiling water over the whole bird to shrink the skin, especially popular in Chinese cookery. We’ve found this isn’t essential and can be difficult to do safely, so you don’t have to attempt it if you feel you can’t.
The skin should crisp up nicely by itself with proper cooking, but for an extra crispy finish, you can mix a generous pinch of salt into a spoonful of baking powder and lightly sprinkle it over the skin, then rub it briefly to make sure it sticks. Check no clumps remain, as these will still be visible after roasting.
Duck with rhubarb and sloe gin
How can I add more flavours to duck
The classic flavour combinations that work well with duck are usually acidic, sweet fruits that cut through the unctuous fatty meat. Cherry, plum and orange are staple flavourings, and you can pair this easily by using a cherry/plum jam or orange marmalade as a glaze, after the skin has crisped (or serve it alongside, mixed with roasting juices). Tart cranberry sauce also works wonders when served alongside, perfect for Christmas. Another easy way to flavour duck is to put a halved small orange in the cavity before cooking.
Spices can also transform a duck and make it feel less rich, and can also be layered with the fruit element too. The warmth of five spice or star anise are magical when married with duck. Chilli - dried or fresh - complements it too.
How long should I cook a duck and at what temperature?
Calculate the cooking time based on the weight - 20min per 450g (1lb). Preheat the oven to 200°C (180°C fan) mark 6.
How should I roast a duck?
Sit a trivet in a roasting tin so that it doesn’t sit in fat that renders out during cooking. Start the duck breast-side-down for the first hour of cooking – this will ensure that the breast meat is basted by the fat that renders out of the bird, and will stop it drying out during roasting. Turn it breast-side up for the remaining cooking time and baste with the fat in the roasting tin a couple of times in that duration.
How do I know when a roast duck is cooked?
The skin should be crisp and golden and the legs will feel loose in their sockets if wiggled, but the safest test to know if a duck is cooked is to pierce the thickest part of thigh with a skewer - the juices should run clear. You can also use a meat thermometer in the same part of the bird - the temperature should read 75C at least.
How long should roast duck rest for?
Transfer the duck to a board sat inside a tray and let it rest for 20min, covered in foil, before serving. The tin will catch any juices that can be added to whatever sauce or gravy you are serving alongside.
What can I do with the duck fat?
Remove the trivet from the tin and, whilst the fat is still warm and liquid, carefully tip it into a warmed sterilised jar (make sure the jar isn’t cold so the hot temperature of the fat doesn’t shock and crack the glass). You can use the fat to make amazing roasties or for any time you’re frying poultry. It can be kept in its sealed jar, in the fridge, for up to 6 months.
Roast duck and orange sauce
How do you carve a roast duck?
Ducks have a longer shape than chicken and turkey, so need to be carved differently.
To carve at the table, remove the wings, then carve the breast meat in long slices, then detach the legs and halve them, separating drumstick and thigh.
If you’re not a carving pro, you might find it easier to do this in the kitchen without an audience. Warm a platter in a low oven. Remove the wings and legs from the bird and then halve as previously described. Place on the platter still in the oven, covered loosely with foil so they keep warm. Use a knife to separate the breast from the carcass, working from the centre of the bird outwards to shear the meat away from the bone. Cut the breasts cross-wise, into rounds and place all the meat on the prepared platter and serve.
What are the best sides to go with duck?
Roast potatoes and root veg are delicious with duck, but if that sounds like too much, boiled or steamed vegetables are great too. Try shredded spiced cabbage, a simple mash, or some glazed carrots.
What can I do with leftover duck meat?
Any leftovers can be shredded and stored for up to 2 days, well covered, in the fridge (or frozen for up to 1 month). We love it in these noodles, mix the meat with plum sauce and serve it with Chinese pancakes and cucumber, or turn it into a salad (just substitute the veggie duck for the real thing). Just make sure that the duck is piping hot all the through when reheating it, and never reheat cooked duck more than once.
Recipe
- Pat skin of duck dry with kitchen towel. Generously season whole bird with salt and pepper and pat into skin.
- Put duck breast side up on a trivet in a roasting tin so that duck doesn’t sit in fat that will render out during cooking.
- Cook at 200°C (180°C fan) mark 6 for 20min per 450g (1lb), basting frequently. To test if duck is cooked, piece thickest part of thigh with a skewer - juices should run clear. Transfer duck to a board and let it to rest for 20min, covered in foil, before serving.
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