cooking a whole duck

so as i have to defrost it i should defrost for 24 hrs then 'dry out' for another 24?

There's another dicky duck thread here


Edited to say that there's surprisingly little meat on the average shop bought duck. A whole duck is enough for two of us as a main meal. For Chrimbo dinner I would strip all the meat/skin off the breast and take to the table on a plate with the legs and thight seperate. Because of the heat and amount of time cooking the drumsticks are usually a bit burnt and crispy so maybe you could try covering the legs with foil for the majority of the cooking time.

aliasojo wrote:

Maybe you should edit the title of your thread sarah.

Something entitled 'Duck hints' just makes me want to shout........'swim, swim for your lives' :rotfl:



Sorry.......I'm bored.

:rotfl: it make me want to shout "DUCK!!!!!!"

I always 'blot' duck with kitchen roll or a clean tea towel to absorb any excess moisture from it. If you can bear it, try and give it a little rub inside too (sorry, sounds rude!). I !!!!!! the skin all over with a skewer and then rub salt and fresh black pepper into the skin. During cooking, I tend to remove the bird from the oven a couple of times to drain the fat off

As far as sauce goes, either make an orange sauce or - and this is the one I always use when I'm busy with other things and don't want to faff around - Morello Cherry sauce (as pink-winged suggested). All you do is take 12oz morello cherry jam (the best you can buy) and 150ml red wine, mix them together in a saucepan and simmer on the hob for 10-20 minutes. This amount usually serves 6-8 people in our house, and you can make it in advance and just reheat to serve. I don't bother sieving mine, as I like it just as is. I sometimes add a tiny amount of freshly grated ginger to give it an extra zing, but it's nice enough on its own and it's a doddle to make.

Sometimes Jay-Jay........I think OldStyle just isn't the place for you. :rotfl: