How to Roast a Duck · Gressingham (2024)

FAQs

What temperature should roast duck be cooked? ›

When the duck is fully cooked the internal temperature at the junction of the leg and thigh should be 82°C (180°F) and thighs should come apart easily. Calculate about 60 min/kg. Let the duck rest, covered with a sheet of aluminium foil for about 10 to 15 minutes in order to tenderize the meat.

For the perfect roasted duck Ina Garten recommends boiling the whole bird in a broth of your choice for 45 minutes. This will help cook the bird evenly, then pat dry and move to a 500°F (260°C) oven to crisp up that skin and until the breast reaches an internal temperature of 135–140°F (57–60°C).

- Cover in baking foil, folding to seal the edges to the edges of the tray (this will keep in the steam while in the oven). - Roast for 30 minutes. Remove the foil and bacon, reduce the oven to 200C/400F/Gas 6 and roast for another hour.

This duck is a unique breed that is renowned for its superior taste and higher percentage of breast meat. The breed was first developed when the small but flavourful wild Mallard was crossed with the larger Pekin duck giving a meaty, succulent duck with more breast meat, less fat and a rich gamey flavour.

The worry, with a well-done duck, is that the breast meat will be a little dry. This is solved by roasting slowly, at a low temperature, creating for the entire bird something similar to the confit process that's usually reserved for the legs alone.

While the USDA recommends cooking duck to a safe minimum internal temperature of 165° F (74° C) to avoid the potential risk of salmonella poisoning, restaurants often serve duck medium-rare. Since duck has dark meat and tight muscle fibers, these muscles are often cooked much like beef for tender results.

If you finish the recipe and the duck is too rare, I recommend finishing it meat-side down with a bit of butter in a low-heat pan (rather than putting it back in the oven). Otherwise, you risk overcooking the meat closest to the skin.

All poultry should reach a safe minimum internal temperature of 165 °F as measured with a food thermometer. A whole duck or goose must reach a minimum internal temperature of 165 °F throughout the bird. Check the internal temperature in the innermost part of the thigh and wing and the thickest part of the breast.

Ducks have a thick layer of subcutaneous (under-the-skin) fat that renders (liquefies) as it roasts. For crispy skin and properly cooked fat, you'll need to score the duck, cutting a crosshatch pattern into the skin and fat layer, carefully avoiding the meat.

Unlike chicken, duck breast has a hue and texture akin to that of red meat and is safe to consume medium-rare, so bring on the pink. Perfectly cooked duck breast will have moist and juicy meat, with a luscious and crunchy skin.

Why is my roast duck tough? ›

The Importance of Proper Prep

Vigorously simmering the leg and thigh meat on the stovetop before roasting the birds in the oven jumpstarts these tougher portions so that they finish cooking at the same time as the breast meat.

To get a crispy skin on your duck breasts, cook skin side down in a hot pan on a medium heat until golden brown. Then simply put in the oven for the required cooking time, skin side up.

(You'll need a rack to elevate the duck, but you should be using one for a crisp bird anyway.) The second challenge is to achieve a uniformly brown color. I cheat a little bit here and brush the roasting duck with soy sauce, which works like a charm.

Cook for 8-12 minutes until the skin is brown and crispy. Flip and cook for an additional 1-2 minutes. Once preheated, cook the duck in the oven at 350°F for 5-6 minutes for a medium-rare to medium duck breast. Let duck rest at least 5 minutes before slicing.

Place the duck breasts skin side up on a rack in a roasting tin in the middle of the pre-heated oven. Cook for 15-18 minutes, depending how you like your duck cooked. When the duck is cooked to your liking rest the meat in a warm place for 5-10 minutes before serving.

Unlike other poultry, duck should not be reheated to 165, or you risk overcooking it, making it tough. To re-heat your duck, pre-heat your conventional oven to 350 degrees. If you are using a convection oven, heat to 325 degrees. Place the duck in provided pan uncovered for 15 minutes.