Super Easy Roasted Duck

Our belated New Years Day dinner ... we had so many leftovers from Christmas week and News Years Eve that we could NOT in good conscience cook another major meal. That being said, I couldn't wait to try this really easy recipe for roasted duck. My plans are to have slices of the breast with our roasted potatoes and green beans with almonds for dinner this evening and THEN pull the rest of the meat from the carcass and make stir fried rice with duck and bacon at the beginning of the week.

I know! You're probably saying to yourself, "WHAT ? How much fat can this woman shove into her system !" Let me just say that I think it's okay to splurge, especially after you've been eating salad and veggie soup, and butternut squash soup and cauliflower rice. So, there.

Here is the easiest roasting technique for duck that I've ever come upon. It comes straight out of the New York Times cooking column and before that from Mark Bittman. Take a look.  Add some hoisin sauce to the final baste. That's what gives the duck that wonderful deep brown glistening crusty skin. I used Asian aisle duck sauce in a small bowl on the table for dragging the bites of duck breast through. I also used copious pepper on the skin and poured some of the fatty juices from the pan over top the carved meat once it was carved from the breast. You can do whatever you like ... I think a cranberry orange relish or a pear chutney would be good with the carved meat also. Get creative and enjoy !

Simple Roasted Duck

Serves 2

Oven: 450 degrees F

Ingredients:

1 -  4 to 5 lb. duck, innards removed, washed out and patted dry

black pepper

1/3 to 1/2 c. soy sauce ( I use low salt and GF tamari sauce)

2 tbsp. hoisin sauce

Roasting the Duck:

1. Preheat the oven and place the shelf in the center of the oven. Place a rack in the bottom of a small roasting pan. Add enough water to just come below the level of the rack. The duck must be above the water.

2. Trim any extra fat out of the duck. Tuck the wing tips in under the back of the duck and tie the leg tips together with some butcher's twine.

3. Brush the duck all over with some of the soy sauce. Then sprinkle plenty of black pepper all over the duck.

4. Lay the duck on the rack breast side down and roast in the preheated oven for 30 minutes. 

5. At the end of 30 minutes, remove the duck from the oven and flip it to a breast up position. Poke the breast skin all over with a meat fork, baste again with the soy sauce and return to the oven for 20 minutes. 

6. Brush with more soy sauce sauce and roast for 10 more minutes. 

7. Add the hoisin sauce to the last of the soy sauce and baste one more time. Roast another 5 minutes or so until the duck is glistening and deeply golden brown. 

8. Remove the duck from the oven and test the internal temp in the thigh. It should be at least 155 degrees F. Cover with foil and a towel. Let rest for 10 minutes before carving.

9. Spoon some of the pan juices over the carved meat and serve with an orange duck sauce for dragging bites of meat through.

10. Enjoy the simplicity !