Slow Roast Duck Recipe - Slow Roasted Duck | Hank Shaw (2024)

FAQs

What temperature do you cook a duck roast? ›

For the perfect roasted duck Ina Garten recommends boiling the whole bird in a broth of your choice for 45 minutes. This will help cook the bird evenly, then pat dry and move to a 500°F (260°C) oven to crisp up that skin and until the breast reaches an internal temperature of 135–140°F (57–60°C).

We cook it on a medium low heat so that the fat can render out and also sear the skin. If you don't do this you'll find that the duck breast skin can become chewy and we don't want that. I prefer to use a cast iron skillet for cooking since I can pop it into the oven once the skin side is done cooking.

The journey towards perfectly roasted or baked duck breast entails commencing with a searing process. This initial step sets the foundation for achieving the ideal oven-roasted duck breast—a tantalizingly golden and crisp exterior juxtaposed with a succulent, flavorful interior.

Roast on a rack.

For especially fatty duck, you'll benefit from starting the cooking process with the breast side down for the first 40 minutes or so, before flipping it breast side up for the rest of the roast, to ensure even browning and fat rendering all around.

Cover and roast in oven for 2 hours. Remove the aluminium foil and continue cooking uncover for 30 to 40 minutes to make the skin crispy and brown. When the duck is fully cooked the internal temperature at the junction of the leg and thigh should be 82°C (180°F) and thighs should come apart easily.

The boiling water helps pull the skin taut, making it easier to score in a crosshatch pattern.

But because duck breast is thinner than chicken or turkey breast, it cooks through even more quickly than they do, making it even more of a challenge to get the tougher legs and thighs to turn tender and succulent before the breast overcooks and dries out.

"Browning, or caramelizing, meat before putting it into a slow cooker isn't 100 percent necessary, but it is well worth the effort for the most flavorful and full-bodied end result," he says. "The caramelized surface of the meat will lend rich flavor and color to the finished dish."

Rub the duck generously with flaky sea salt, then lay, breast-side down, on a rack over a roasting tray. Roast the duck for 3 hrs, pricking again every now and then. Turn the oven up to 180C/fan 160C/gas 4 and turn the duck over, roast for 30 mins and then rest for 10 mins.

Should I brine my duck before roasting? ›

I do not cook a duck or goose without first soaking it overnight in brine. Those of us who have discovered how much better the Thanksgiving turkey tastes after a brine bath for 24 hours know that the bird will not only cook a little faster but it will also be more moist and flavorful than an unbrined bird.

While washing meat and poultry to remove dirt, slime, fat or blood may have been appropriate decades ago when many slaughtered and prepared their own food, the modern food safety system doesn't require it. Meat and poultry are cleaned during processing, so further washing is not necessary.

Use this on salads or as part of your favourite duck recipe. Remove your whole duck from the refrigerator at least 30 minutes before cooking.

The trick for getting the crispy skin is to score the fat (not the flesh) lightly all over the breast-side of the bird, then just season it and put it in the oven as it is. The duck takes 3 hours and 40 minutes to cook, and during this time, you'll turn it over every hour.

This'll get you a perfect medium-rare breast; if you prefer your duck cooked to medium or well-done, give it some more heat on both sides, cooking until the internal temperature is about 140°F (60°C) for medium and 155°F (68°F) for well-done.

Foolproof method

Pre-heat oven to 190°C (375°F). Take the duck breast out of the refrigerator and leave at room temperature for approximately 15 minutes before cooking. Pat dry with a paper towel. Trim excess fat from around the duck breast.