Best 3 Crispy Roast Duck Recipes

CRISPY ROAST DUCK

Steps:

• Preheat oven to 250 degrees F.
• Trim ducks: with a sharp knife, cut away excess fat and skin from both ends of ducks. (Render fat for another use or discard.)
• Salt cavity of each duck. Prick each duck all over with a fork, about 30 times. Place them on a rack set in a large roasting pan and roast 1 hour. Prick ducks all over and turn on one side. Repeat pricking ducks all over and turn onto second side. Repeat two more times. After four hours, increase heat to 350 degrees F.
• Continue to roast 30 to 90 minutes more, pricking and turning once, according to taste: 1) For very juicy, slightly crisp ducks: Roast 15 minutes, prick and turn, and roast 15 minutes more. 2) For juicy, crisp ducks: Roast 30 minutes, prick and turn, and roast 30 minutes more. 3) For slightly drier, very crisp ducks: Roast 45 minutes, prick and turn, and roast 45 minutes more.
• Remove ducks to a carving board and let them sit 15 minutes, loosely covered. Simply cut ducks in half and serve half a duck per person; or carefully remove breast and legs from bone, making sure to keep skin intact, and cut them into 1/2-inch wide pieces. Generously season with salt and pepper before serving.

CRISPY ROAST DUCK WITH LAVENDER HONEY

Steps:

• Make the glaze: in a small bowl, combine the honey, boiling water, and pepper; stir to blend and set aside.
• Preheat oven to 275°; season ducks with salt and pepper.
• With a kitchen fork, prick skin about ¼ inch deep all over, particularly in the fatty area around the thighs and wing area; do not pierce the meat.
• Place duck breast-side down on a rack in a roasting pan; pour boiling water over them; roast for 2 hours.
• Turn the duck breast-side up and brush with the glaze.
• Roast for another 1 to 1 ¼ hours, or until the legs wiggle easily; transfer to a carving board and let cool.
• Using heavy poultry shears, quarter the ducks-cut the backbones out to make this easier.
• Place the duck quarters in plastic bags and refrigerate.
• About 45 minutes before serving, preheat the oven to 375°; place the duck, skin-side up on a rimmed baking sheet and roast for 30 minutes, or until the duck is cooked through and crisp.
• Meanwhile, make the sauce-in a small skillet, melt butter over med-highheat.
• Add in shallots; saute for 2 minutes or until softened.
• Add in demi-glace, honey, and vinegar; turn up heat to high, and reduce the sauce to a light glaze, about 3 minutes.
• Whisk the remaining 1 tablespoons butter into the sauce to thicken it and add a sheen; season with salt and pepper.
• Place the duck on a platter and spoon over a little sauce; serve the remaining sauce on the side.

CRISPY ROAST DUCK WITH MUSTARD AND GREEN PEPPERCORN SAUCE

Steps:

• Preheat the oven to 450 degrees F.
• Remove the neck and giblets from the cavity of the ducks and reserve. Cut the wings off the ducks and reserve. Rinse the ducks under cold running water and pat dry with paper towels. Using the tip of a sharp paring knife, prick the ducks all over, inserting knife at an angle to pierce just the skin, not the flesh.
• Season the ducks well with salt and pepper. Place them on a rack in a shallow roasting pan and roast until browned and crisp, 1 1/4 hours. Remove the roasting pan at 30 minute intervals, drain off the fat, and again prick the skin.
• While the ducks are roasting, rinse the neck, giblets, and wings and pat dry. Cut the wings and the neck into several pieces. Heat the oil in a large saucepan over medium-high heat. Add the neck, giblets, and wings. Cook, stirring often, until golden brown, 8 to 10 minutes. Reduce the heat to medium and add the onion, carrot, and garlic. Cook until the vegetables are lightly browned and softened, 5 to 8 minutes. Increase the heat to medium-high and pour in the wine. Bring to a boil, stirring to pick up any browned bits on the bottom. Boil until almost all of the liquid has evaporated. Add the celery, thyme, black peppercorns, bay leaf, tomato paste, and stock. Reduce the heat to medium and simmer, skimming off any scum that rises to the surface, until the ducks are ready to come out of the oven.
• When the ducks are done, transfer to a carving board, cover loosely with foil, and let rest for 15 to 20 minutes.
• While the ducks are resting, strain the stock and discard the solids. Measure the liquid. If there is less than 2 cups, add water to measure this amount and pour into a small saucepan. If there is more than 2 cups, return to the saucepan and boil until reduced to this amount.
• Bring the liquid back to a simmer over medium-high heat. Combine the flour and butter in a small heatproof bowl and use a fork to work it into a smooth paste. Add a little of the stock to the paste and whisk until smooth. Pour the flour mixture into the saucepan and simmer, whisking, until slightly thickened, 2 to 3 minutes. Stir in the green peppercorns. Remove the saucepan from the heat, stir in the mustard, and season the sauce with salt and pepper. Cut the ducks into serving pieces. Spoon a small amount of the sauce over the duck and serve warm with any remaining sauce on the side.