Crisp Roast Duck Recipe – NYT Cooking – The New York Times

The Duck
​​Crisp Roast Duck

Ryan Liebe for The New York Occasions. Food Stylist: Barrett Washburne.

A golden-skinned roasted duck is a festive main course for any special meal. In this recipe, the bird is doused with boiling water before being scored all over. 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 along with pink, juicy meat and burnished, crunchy skin. Serve the bird as is, or with some kind of sauce — either sweet or pungent — such as cranberry sauce, salsa verde or a spicy soy dipping sauce. And save the duck fat at the bottom of the pan. It will keep for at least three months in the refrigerator and is excellent on roasted vegetables, especially potatoes.

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Ingredients

Yield: 4 servings
  • 1 (5- to 6-pound) whole duck
  • one tablespoon plus 1 teaspoon kosher salt (Diamond Crystal)
  • 2 teaspoons freshly ground black pepper
  • two large garlic cloves, finely grated, passed through a garlic press or even finely minced
  • 1 tablespoon chopped thyme or rosemary leaves, or a combination, plus more sprigs for the cavity
  • 1 tablespoon carefully grated lemon or orange zest, or perhaps a combination
  • 1½ teaspoons ground coriander or even a spice mix, such as garam masala or baharat (optional)

Preparation

  1. Bring a full kettle or medium pot of water to a boil (at least 2 quarts).

  2. Meanwhile, remove giblets and neck from the sweet cavity plus reserve for another use. Trim any excess fat from around the duck cavity and the throat. Place duck, breast side up, on a rack within the sink. Pour half of the particular boiling water all over the top of the sweet to tighten the skin. Flip the parrot and pour remaining boiling water over the back.

  3. Once the sweet is cool enough to handle, using the tip of a very sharp paring knife, prick duck skin all over to help release the fat, especially where the skin is thickest, and be careful not to pierce the meat. It can be helpful to hold the knife nearly parallel to the bird. After piercing the skin, use the knife blade to score the particular duck breast in a crosshatch pattern (making deep cuts into the pores and skin only, and not into the breasts meat). Flip the parrot and rating the back as well (you don’t need to prick the back). You may need to sharpen your blade along the way, because it’s much easier to make clean cuts into the skin with a sharp cutlery. Using a clean kitchen towel or paper towels, thoroughly pat duck dry, including inside the cavity.

  4. Season the duck all over, including cavity, with salt and pepper. In a small bowl, combine garlic, chopped herbs, citrus zest plus coriander, if using, and make a paste. Rub garlic clove paste all over duck, inside and out. Place sweet, breast side up, upon rack in a roasting skillet, stuff hole with herb sprigs, plus refrigerate, uncovered, for a minimum of 4 hours and up to 24 hours.

  5. When it’s time to cook the bird, heat the oven in order to 450 degrees. Roast for 30 minutes. Remove the pan from the oven and carefully prick duck epidermis all over the top of the bird using a sharp paring knife. (You don’t need to prick the back of the duck. ) Reduce the oven temperature to 350 degrees plus continue roasting until pores and skin is golden brown and crispy, and the internal heat at thicker part of the thigh reads 165 degrees on an instant-read thermometer, about 1 hour to 1 hour 45 minutes longer. Using tongs, gently suggestion duck to drain any liquid from your cavity. Transfer bird in order to cutting board to rest for at least 10 minutes. Carve and serve.

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