Here is the recipe Dh has used in the past. We have loved it. The glaze is made with orange juice, sriracha, honey, molasses. It is a definite winner. Crispy Skin Roasted Duck

I use Ina Garten's recipe, AnnT pointed me to it, and I like it. The duck is first boiled to removed some fat and then roasted for crispy skin. The best I had, though, was in the smoker!

Remember, Elery and I raised 32 ducks one year, and so I tried them all different ways. I haven't been able to convince him to raise them again, LOL.

Annie

Yeah, this mode for eating all meats rare is a great testament to the quality of our food supply. Duck and lamb are traditionally cooked medium-well. When I see critics on TV talking about temperatures, they're saying medium is overdone, but then the brilliant, national treasure, older chefs say no, it's just right. I like it this way. :)

A whole duck is on my list too, but I don't trust my butcher to order it so would have to drive across town to get it. :( So not into shopping! So I do pieces. The important thing is to slash or prick the skin really well so that the fat has a way to run out as it renders. The next important thing is to use enough heat so that the fat will actually melt. :) I know people who have surgically removed all that insulation that lets the ducks swim around cold lakes, and succeeded well, but if you do that, you have to do something else to keep the flesh moist.

A whole roast duck is different than duck breast. If I'm just cooking a duck breast then I want it rare to medium rare. But if I'm roasting a whole duck or just legs, I want the meat fall apart tender. And it depends on what cut of lamb I'm eating as to whether I want it rare or well done. Rack of lamb and loin chops are always rare/medium rare. A leg of lamb can be prepared two ways. Rare/medium rare or slow roasted until it is fall apart tender. No in between for me.

"Yeah, this mode for eating all meats rare is a great testament to the
quality of our food supply. Duck and lamb are traditionally cooked
medium-well."

I don't know if you're serious or joking but I disagree with both comments.

The food supply in the US is arguably the most tainted/contaminated and least inspected of the world's developed nations. As for done-ness of meat, my experience with duck (mostly in Europe and in better restaurants here) is that it's cooked to medium or less. Lamb is best medium rare. I exclude the UK, where only since the past few decades has the influx of Continental chefs reversed the traditionally practice of cooking all food long enough so as to be sure all taste had been removed and it could be eaten by toothless persons.

Harrumph!

LOL, snidely, I likewise often find myself unsure if your posts are serious, but you did make me recall a favorite quote from A Year in Provence: "But of course, he said, it is well known that the English kill their lamb twice; once when they slaughter it, and once when they cook it."

Disclaimer - I liked the wording but have no opinion on the subject itself.

IMHO, there is only one kind of meat that is best eaten raw, no exceptions, ie. fish in sushi.

I find it interesting that people insist that you should eat certain meat medium, rare, or whatever.

It is absolutely acceptable to me if you like your prime ribs well done without being insulted. I certainly enjoy my egg yolks not runny, and my duck breast well done.

dcarch

The Chinese has perfected crispy skins on pork, chicken and duck. It is interesting to study their techniques on youtube.

Duck is all about crispy skin with minimum fat.

dcarch

Tishtosh, I'm thinking that sauce with sriracha will go over well...DH puts it on everything. That method (except for the poking and turning is much like a slow roasted chicken recipe that we like.

Annie and Ann, I assume you can skim the fat off and use it and the broth, yes?

Thanks for the suggestions. It's on the agenda for next weekend...method will depend on mood and whatever else is going on.

The server was quite offended when I didn't properly appreciate my rare duck breast. I got the "You are a peasant" look as he turned his nose up and walked away, lol.

Hi maybe too late, but we had a couple of roast ducks for New Years Day & I spatchcocked them (cut along backbone, butterfly & flatten, popping the hip joints), then seasoned liberally w/ a dry rub (mine fave is coriander, salt & pepper & rosemary) & pricked all over & roasted until done (used instant read thermometer: 170 - 175F). Also pricked during cooking. They came out great & no soggy skin. Be prepared for a LOT of rendered fat - I used a rack & I saved & used the fat to make biscuits & flatbread.

I don't remove the backbone like this recipe because we like the crispy tail. I simply cut along one side of it.

http://solidgoldeats.com/spatchcock-whole-duck/

I use the recipe that tishtoshnm posted, and I like it very much. I used my own chili sauce instead of Sriracha, however, but I like Sriracha also. I end up with a lot of duck fat, which I save and use to make tamales.

Your duck looks perfect Lars.

Lars, that DOES look perfect and Elery would love it. I won't eat Sriracha for any purpose, to me it tastes like vinegar and hot peppers, but Elery puts the stuff on everything, even scrambled eggs. I could always peel off the skin, which is fine by me.

KatieC, like you, I'm a peasant. I don't want that duck breast very rare, I want it at least medium. We'll just be peasants together. I do skim the fat from the broth, but there never seems to be a lot. I refrigerate it overnight and that makes it easier, but some of the fat ends up in the roasting pan anyway, where it can be drained.

Annie

Here's a recipe from Joy of Cooking that I use often. Simple and delicious.

1 duckling, 4 ½ to 5 ½ lbs,
thawed

Salt

Preheat the oven to 250˚ and place an oven rack in the
center of the oven. Remove the duck from
its plastic wrapper and rinse under cold water, then pat dry with paper
towels. Rub a little salt in the cavity,
and sprinkle a little on the skin.
Remove any excessive fat from around the opening and the neck. With a sharp paring knife or a skewer, make
20 or 30 small incisions in the skin into the fat. Hold the knife parallel to the skin so you
penetrate the skin into the fatty layer,
but you don’t want to penetrate the flesh.

If you have a v-rack for a
roasting pan, place the rack in the pan and place the duck, breast side down, on
the rack. (But if you don’t have a v-rack, don’t worry. Just place the duck breast side down in the
pan.) Place the pan in the oven and
roast for 3 hours. Yes, three hours. Every hour check the duck and prick the skin
a little more to let more fat escape.
After three hours, drain the fat out of the pan (don’t discard it—it’s
great to cook with) and turn the oven up
to 350˚,
and turn the duck breast side up. Roast
for another 45 minutes. Remove to a
platter and let the duck sit for 10 minutes before carving. You can make a gravy out of the juices and
bits in the pan if you want.

If you don’t have a v-rack, you can cook the
duck without one but the skin won’t be as crispy. It’ll still taste great, though.

Serve with whatever wine you like; the meat is hearty enough to stand up to a
full bodied red like a Pinot Noir or Cabernet,
but if you prefer a lighter red like a Zinfandel or a good white, go for
it.