Canard Rôti
A succulent Duck Recipe with perfect crispy skin to make for special holidays or weekend meals and it only needs 15 minutes to prepare. A delicious dinner recipe that goes well with a variety of vegetables and is a great pairing with easy Boulangére Potatoes or Mashed Potatoes. But, tastes like you spent all day on preparation!
Jump to:
- Canard Rôti
- ❤️About This Recipe
- 📝Ingredient List
- 🔢6 Step Instructions
- NOTE:
- Duck Cookery
- How Many People Will A Duck Feed?
- Does Duck Have A Lot Of Fat?
- Can Duck Fat Be Used In Other Cooking?
- How To Carve A Duck
- Ways To Stuff A Duck & Sauce It Up
- What To Serve With Roast Duck
- 🍇Wine Pairing
- 🔄Substitutions
- Top Tip
- ❄️Storage
- ❔FAQ
- More Wonderful Roast Dishes
- 📖 Recipe
❤️About This Recipe
And why it is my favorite meat!
Duck roasted to perfection is many people's favorite meat! Duck is an excellent alternative to chicken and will be well received by all who partake. Preparing duck for special occasions like Christmas, Easter or any other religious or secular festivity is a tradition for many people and a real treat any time you decide to serve it.
Duck meat is darker than chicken or turkey but is still considered white meat. It is a leaner meat because the fat is concentrated around the outer carcass of the bird to keep them warm while in the water and to make them more buoyant. Steps 1 & 2 in the instructions below will be important to follow so the fat ends up in the bottom of your roasting pan and will ensure lean duck breasts.
The breast of a duck is rich, tender, and succulent. It has a stronger taste than industry raised chicken and turkey, slightly gamey perhaps, but nothing like traditional game meats like venison or deer. It easily becomes the favorite of many people when they try it for the first time. Because of its stronger flavor than other types of poultry, it lends itself to a variety of famous preparations that have become popular over the years, like Duck In Orange Sauce, easy Cherry Sauced Duck Breasts, or Duck Hors d'Oeuvres.
📝Ingredient List
- whole duck
🔢6 Step Instructions
Step 1
Pierce the skin of the duck all over with a skewer, be careful not to prick the meat.
Step 2
Place on a rack in the kitchen sink, and pour 2 full kettles of boiling water over the entire duck. Pat it dry with a kitchen towel.
Step 3
Place it on a plate in the fridge for an hour. This process will release the subcutaneous fat layer under the skin to give crispy, not fatty duck.
Step 4
Preheat the oven to a moderate 400°F/200°C/Gas6. Place the duck on a rack or trivet in a deep roasting pan/tin. The duck will release about 1¼ cups/300 grams of fat into the pan.
Step 5
Rub the duck with plenty of sea salt. Roast for 20 minutes per 1 lb/500 grams plus 20 minutes. (This is for an unstuffed bird, if stuffing add 7 minutes per pound.) The internal temperature should be 165°F/74°C.
Step 6
Spoon off the fat 45 minutes into roasting. If you have a lot of smoke spoon off more. Once cooked let the duck rest for 20 minutes before carving.
NOTE:
My duck shown here was a little under 5 pounds so I cooked mine at 400°F for 2 hours. (It was exemplary!)
Duck Cookery
How Many People Will A Duck Feed?
An oven roasted duck makes an excellent choice for a dinner party! So it is just as vital to know how much duck you will need to feed your family or guests to a fancy dinner. Just remember that a 4-5 pound chicken will make a meal for 4-6 people. In comparison, a 4-5 pound duck will feed 3-4 people, which is a common size available when purchasing duck in the supermarkets. Take into consideration the appetites of your dinners and how many sides you plan on serving with the roasted meat. You can always cook 2 or more ducks at once.
Does Duck Have A Lot Of Fat?
Keep in mind that duck has far more fat stored in its body than chicken. In my instructions, I provide a method that works beautifully to reduce the fat that ends up on your plate so you can use it in the kitchen in more beneficial ways. It is important to take these extra easy steps #1 & #2, before slipping the bird in the oven to not only reduce the amount of fat but this method will ensure crisp delectable skin, which is super tasty and desirable.
Can Duck Fat Be Used In Other Cooking?
An added bonus to all that tasty duck fat released while cooking is that you can save it to roast potatoes or searing meats, make salad dressings, and add richness to vegetables. It's also great for frying, baking, and making confit (any sort of preserved food, whether it's meat, fruit, or vegetables by long slow cooking in a liquid). When baking pastry half the butter can be replaced with duck fat for a lighter, flakier, and tastier result!
How To Carve A Duck
- Don't try to carve a duck, joint it. Remove the legs just as you would a chicken.
- Then take the breasts off the bone, which will make the duck go much further.
- To separate the breasts ease your knife along the breast bone to remove it, then it will be easy to slice the breast.
This will give four good servings of tender meat without any fattiness and there are still the legs and bits here and there, which you can make tasty Rillettes De Canard for your appetizer table.
Ways To Stuff A Duck & Sauce It Up
- Stuff the duck with this stuffing from my Roasted Goose Recipe.
- Fill the duck cavity with apples that have been cored and quartered or pitted plums.
- Stuff your duck with my Pilau Rice Recipe.
- Make Duck L'Orange Sauce instead of gravy or exquisite Cherry Sauce.
What To Serve With Roast Duck
- Green Beans With Onions are a very simple and quick side dish.
- Garlic mashed potatoes are always a winner.
- Simply surround your duck with a variety of root vegetables like potatoes, carrots, parsnips, and of course onions and garlic, roasted alongside the duck.
🍇Wine Pairing
- Sweet white wine, Reisling, Moscato, White Zinfandel, or Eiswein
- Pinot Gris, a spicy, fruity (orange perhaps or buttery and honey)
- Pinot Noir
🔄Substitutions
The substitutions to make here are with Roasted Goose, Roasted Chicken, or Roasted Turkey.
Top Tip
Important to follow the first and second steps to have the most delicious, crisp skin.
❄️Storage
- A raw duck will stay fresh in the fridge no longer than 1-2 days.
- Cooked duck will keep for 3-4 days in the refrigerator well-wrapped.
- Cooked duck can be frozen tightly wrapped for 2-3 months.
Information about storage and safe handling Duck and Goose from Farm to Table
❔FAQ
To roast a duck at 400°F/200°C/Gas6 multiply 20 minutes per pound and add 20 minutes.
If you are roasting your bird at 400°F/200°C/Gas6 you do not have to cover it with foil. The higher temperature will seal the outside to keep the moisture inside.
More Wonderful Roast Dishes
- Roasted Lamb Shoulder With Piment d’Esplette
- How To Cook Venison Roast Tender And Juicy
- Roast Leg Of Lamb a French classic for Easter, but tasty all year.
📖 Recipe
Crispy Roasted Duck Recipe
Ingredients
- 1 whole duck
Instructions
- Pierce the skin of the duck all over with a skewer, be careful not to prick the meat.
- Place on a rack in the kitchen sink, and pour 2 full kettles of boiling water over the entire duck. Pat it dry with kitchen towel.
- Place it on a plate in the fridge for an hour. This process will release the subcutaneous fat layer under the skin to give crispy, not fatty duck.
- Preheat the oven to a moderate 400°F/200°C/Gas6. Place the duck on a rack or trivet in a deep roasting pan/tin. The duck will release about 1¼ cups/300 grams fat into the pan.
- Rub the duck with plenty of sea salt. Roast for 20 minutes per 1 lb/500 grams plus 20 minutes.
- Spoon off the fat 45 minutes into roasting. If you have a lot of smoke spoon off more. Once cooked let the duck rest for 20 minutes before carving.
Judith says
Duck is very close, if not my favorite meat to eat! This recipe produces a divine crispy skin that you will want to savor with every bite! Buy 2 if you want to feed more than 2 people who are average eaters. And serve with roasted potatoes and vegetables cooked alongside the bird in the oven. It is definitely worth it! 😋