Crisp Roast Duck (2024)

FAQs

What is the secret to crispy duck skin? ›

Completely defrost the duck in the refrigerator for 1-2 days, if using frozen. Once defrosted, rinse and pat dry. For best results, let the duck sit uncovered in the refrigerator overnight. This will help to dry and crisp the skin.

The trick for getting the crispy skin is to score the fat (not the flesh) lightly all over the breast-side of the bird, then just season it and put it in the oven as it is. The duck takes 3 hours and 40 minutes to cook, and during this time, you'll turn it over every hour.

Slice your duck and it should be super red like you would want your steak. Pour sauce over this. if you want to really knock it out of the park, turn your oven on broil and put the duck skin side up directly under so it starts to crisp, and it will flame up. This will crisp the skin and will only take another minute.

The boiling water helps pull the skin taut, making it easier to score in a crosshatch pattern. That, in turn, allows the fat to render out as everything roasts. The result is a perfectly cooked duck with pink, juicy meat and burnished, crunchy skin.

The real trick here is to score the skin prior to cooking, which will let the fat render a little faster. Then, it's as simple as starting to cook that duck skin down – and probably for much longer than you'd think!

Cover and roast in oven for 2 hours. Remove the aluminium foil and continue cooking uncover for 30 to 40 minutes to make the skin crispy and brown.

Broil. Preheat your oven to broil and transfer your duck to the oven. Allow the duck to broil for 2-3 minutes to finish rendering the fat, caramelize the glaze, and give the skin a nice, crisp exterior.

As we roast the duck, the fat will melt and run out of the holes in the skin, basting the meat as it cooks. There's one more step to the crispy-skin solution, but we'll get to that in a bit.

A simple salt brine makes almost any duck a delight to serve on the upcoming holiday table. In many cases, soaking or marinating your meat only masks the flavor. It does not change it.

Nowadays, Peking duck is prepared from the American Pekin duck (Anas platyrhynchos domestica).

Why do you cook duck in a cold pan? ›

Starting the duck breast in a cold pan, and then cooking low and slow, gives the fat more time to render, while the meat becomes tender and juicy.

Prick the skin around the duck legs. Season the duck all over with salt and pepper. Place the duck on a rack in a roasting tin and roast in the middle of the oven for 40 minutes per KG plus 10 minutes extra. When the duck is cooked cover with foil and rest for 10-20 minutes before serving.

Here's a fact for you – duck and goose are way higher in fat than other poultry such as chicken and turkey. That's why we're always recommending chicken and turkey in the 'nice' section, but crispy duck has to be considered 'naughty'.

The breasts are covered in a thick layer of fat, which needs to be melted (rendered) during cooking to ensure the skin crisps up. The most efficient way to melt the fat is to score dry duck breasts through to the fat layer, then cook skin-side down in a frying pan.

Pan-fried duck breast recipe

Season well, then set aside to bring the meat to room temperature. Put the breasts skin-side down in a cold frying pan and slowly heat the pan. This will melt the fat and help the skin to crisp up without burning.

You can also get a nice crust on chicken by starting it out in the oven: follow your recipe, or heat the oven to between 400° to 450°F, place a rack in the top third (the hottest part) of the oven, and slide a pan of chicken pieces in, skin side up. The skin will be crisp by the time the chicken is cooked through.

Open the pores of the duck's skin by directing hot air all over it from a hand-held hair dryer. Blow dry each duck for about 8 minutes and wipe off the fat as it is released. Place each duck, breast side up, on the rack of a roasting pan. Roast the ducks in a 450-degree oven for 1/2 hour.