cooking a whole duck 14 June 2005 at 7:55PM edited 30 November -1 at 1:00AM in Old Style MoneySaving 135 replies 14.8K views

fizzel81

today in sommerfield i bought a duck (a cause it was half price and b its something i have always wanted to have a go at)

anyway i have never attempted duck before, do you cook it like a chicken any tips would be most appreciated?
it also has giblets in it i assume these will be in a bag? is there anything that can be done with them or do you just throw em

many thanks Fi x

wigginsmum

Make sure you put it on a rack in the roasting tin - it's unbelievably fatty. Rub it all over with salt as this will crisp up the skin.

I should imagine you could make giblets gravy just as you can with chicken.

Debt_Free_Chick

fizzel81 wrote:

it also has giblets in it i assume these will be in a bag? is there anything that can be done with them or do you just throw em

:eek: :eek: :eek: :eek: :eek: :eek: :eek:

Fry liver in butter and spread onto toast - delish

Use giblets to make a stock - either for the gravy or any sauce you choose to make. Or simply to freeze and make a sauce or gravy at a later date.

Chuck 'em? You get banned from OS for even thinking about it

Pink.

Hi fizzle,

Leave the duck uncovered for 24 hours before cooking to allow the skin to dry out before rubbing in the salt, this should help it to crisp. Duck is very very fatty so it's important to have the duck raised out of the roasting tray to allow the fat to drain off....if you don't have a wire rack rest it on some scrunched up tin foil. Save the fat for making yummy roast potatoes.

Preheat the oven to 220 degrees and roast for 20 minutes. Then turn the oven down to 180 degrees and cook for 2 and a half hours. You may have to drain the fat off a couple of times during this bit. Once the duck is cooked allow it to rest in a warm kitchen for at least 10 minutes.

I make a sauce using morello cherry jam and any good red wine. Combine the two in a saucepan (1 part jam to three parts wine) and reduce over a lowish heat, then use a fine sieve to strain it.

Here are some older threads that might help:

Cheap duck!!!!

Bought a duck for £3.99....

duckling

Duck hints

Pink

kaya

or you can put it in a tin on a rack, put boiling water in the bottom, cover with tinfoil and place in the oven for an hour, this steams the fat from the duck before roasting and part cooks it, remove after an hour and push the back of a knife over the skin, you will see the fat come from the skin and drop into the water below, this is stock/fat for your roasties, place it back in the tin/oven again and brush with honey every 10 mins, if it starts to burn cover with foil, honey glazed steamed and roast duck, luverlly jubberly

hex2

Whatever you do you should cook it from fridge cold to help crisp the skin.

I have used the method putlined by pink-winged many times and it is my fave although I will try the honey steamed version next - thanks Kaya

fizzel81

thank you.
will be cooking monday now so i can dry the skin first i just need to make sure ive not gone into labour 1st

lynzpower

hi there

I got a whole gressingham duck from sainsburys last week on offer, and me & the OH are going to have this for our tea chinese style. Ive got the pancakes and the sauce and know about how to do the galze, so Im all set

Does anyone have any idea how long it will take to roast - I know when I do legs they take ages? ANyone know?

jennybb

The best way I have done duck is a la Nigella (How to eat "Soft and Crispy duck")

She is not precise about times - but poaches the duck first in water (30 - 45 mins) it can be done in advance then put in the fridge until you want to roast it. It smells a bit unpleasant while poaching. Be careful not to split the skin when taking it out of the pan. When you want to roast it, put in hot oven - again she is vague about precise timings - 30 - 40 mins.

I have done duck often like this and it works well.

Mindy_2

I have a duck in my freezer which I brought fresh from the supermarket a couple of months and put into the freezer (it was a good price).

Does anyone know how I should cook it - or have a good recipe?