Lemon Zester

Kitchen Counselor: How to roast a duck

19.05.19

Question: A friend of mine has given me a large duck, a bird around 5 pounds. I have never cooked a duck and would like to get some tips on how to go about doing it. I know ducks are fatty and fat is one thing that I generally try to keep to the minimum. I would appreciate some tips. — Anonymous

Answer: Although ducks by nature have a lot more fat than chicken or turkey, especially around the breast, good quality well-bred ducks and geese should have a relatively meaty, and commensurately less fatty, breasts.

Nonetheless, the generous layer of fat under the skin of all ducks makes cooking them different from, and somewhat more difficult than, just roasting a chicken — one reason why duck has remained mostly a restaurant dish. The slightly gamy flavor of its meat may be another. Its growing popularity, however, has started to bring about its migration to our home kitchens as well.

I assume you are intending to cook the bird whole, not cut up, for a family feast, similar to what you would do with a turkey, in which case roasting in the oven is the usual method. Restaurant chefs advise not to overcook a duck, which may cause the breast meat to become dry.

Source: Palm Beach Post