Category: Duck + Game

I cook duck more than I cook turkey because I can easily buy it fresh from Chinatown. There’s something about roasting your own duck and waiting for its skin to turn into that right shade of golden brown–mahogany, even.

Ingredients:
1 whole fresh duck, excess fat trimmed, giblets removed
1/4 cup miso
1 cup honey
2 cups soy sauce
1 cup cold black coffee
1/4 cup ginger, finely chopped
1/3 cup brown sugar
1 orange, halved
1 lemon, halved
1 lime, halved

1. Wash duck and dry with paper towels. Using a fork, pierce the duck skin all over to allow the flavor of the marinade to penetrate and the fat to drain.
2. Prepare the marinade. Combine all ingredients in a large bowl except for the citrus. Stir well until miso and sugar are dissolved. Squeeze the citrus juice into the marinade then stuff the cavity of the duck with the citrus halves. Marinate the duck on a plate, cover and refrigerate for 24 hours.
3. When ready to roast the next day, preheat oven to 450º. Place the duck on a rack in a roasting pan. Fold the wings back and tie the legs together. Roast the duck for 20 minutes to caramelize the sugar and set a rich, mahogany color. After 20 minutes, drop the temperature to 325º and roast for another hour.

Related post/s:
Where to buy duck

I love roasting ducks just so I can save the duck fat afterwards. The collected duck fat is great for roasting Brussels sprouts or potatoes and using it as dressing on some bitter greens like endives and watercress. Just transfer it to a ramekin, cover with plastic wrap and store in the freezer until ready to use.

Ingredients:
1 whole fresh duck, excess fat trimmed, giblets removed

For blueberry sauce:
2 cups blueberries
1 Granny Smith apple, peeled, quarted, cored, finely chopped
1/2 of a white onion, finely chopped
1/2 cup brown sugar
1/4 cup white sugar
2 pcs whole star anise
grated zest of 1 lime
grated zest of 1 orange
1/2 cup white wine vinegar

1. Heat oven at 325º. Place duck on a rack of a roasting pan to drain fat. Bake uncovered for 3 hours, periodically draining off collected fat in pan. Raise heat to 400º and roast an additional 30 minutes for crispy skin.
2. Make the blueberry sauce while roasting the duck. In a small saucepan, put all the ingredients together and simmer over low heat. It should be thick but leave some of the fruit chunks for more texture. Adjust the taste by adding sugar and white wine vinegar alternately.
3. To serve, remove ducks from the oven and cut away meat from the rib cage on a carving board, discarding bones.

Related post/s:
Where to get a fresh, whole duck
Serve this duck with some bitter greens
Save that duck fat!