cooking a whole duck 14 June 2005 at 6:55PM edited 30 November -1 at 12:00AM in Old Style MoneySaving 135 replies 14.9K views

Pal

Never tried it but apparently if you tip boiling water all over the duck and then leave it to dry for 24 hours before roasting, the skin will be really crispy.

Personally I think the main thing with duck is to roast/fry/grill it very hot and fast so that the inside is still rare while the outside is crispy.

thriftlady_2

You can definitely make stock with the bones ,I reckon it'd be delicious in lentil soup.I saw Nigella on telly cook duck and she pricked it all over with a fork before roasting I did this last time I cooked duck and it worked well,but you do have to put the duck on a rack.

I've just been making my cranberry sauce,you're absolutely right about the bought stuff being like jam. :santa2:

frizz_head

Oh god, I haven't laughed so much in ages - this and the pigs head thread! Aliasojo and Jay-Jay - you should be on the stage! Very very funny - really made my afternoon!

P.S. I'm leaving now!:o

Sarahsaver

Have I missed something? :rolleyes:

Ticklemouse

If you want the skin really crispy you can "blow dry" the skin with a hair dryer. I saw this on tv where a top chinese restaurant dries the skin out with a really hot dryer. I've tried it once but it only sort of worked as my hair dryer at the time was a bit of a half-hearted affair that sort of blew warmish air at you, if it was in the mood

Noozan

If you want it like the duck you get in chinese restaurants:

Put about 1.5 litres of boiling water, tbsp honey or golden syrup, tbsp rice wine or sherry, tbsp red wine vinegar into a large pan and bring to boil. Keeping the liquid at boiling point, hold the duck over the pan and baste it with the liquid for about a minute until it has been well covered.

Hang the duck somewhere cool to dry out the skin (Overnight is best)

Cook duck at 200 degrees, directly on the oven shelf, put a roasting tray underneath to catch the fat. You will need to empty the fat several times during cooking or it will s-m-o-k-e :snow_grin

If you get a wire coat hanger and bend it so that it fits inside the bird with the hooky bit hanging out, you will find it easier to hold and hang.

ocemeer

How about using a jar of cherris (from lidl) to make a sauce. we just did the same duck stuffed with haggis and cherries served with a cherry sauce. (just add a splash of booze some stock and thicken slightly, i used arrowroot). When the hoards have finished place giblets and carcass in a stock pot with usual veg and herbs and simmer away. if you reduce it and freeze in ice cube bags make great stock for every thing.

MissMuppet

now I need to know how to cook it...? Never cooked one before!!

Alternatively I just found out my OH threw the lunch away I made him and went to the pub instead, so any ideas on how to cook the duck so that it's so hard he will break his teeth on it.... :mad:

Curry_Queen

There was a recent thread here about cooking ducks which has some great tips in it

FunkyFairy

I always cook it on a rack about the roasting tin.

That way i can cook the potatoes underneath in the fat and they taste yummy.