Tuesday, January 11, 2022

Wendell's Roast Duck


Wendell saw this recipe in the Crave section of the Star Advertiser a few weeks ago and decided to make it.  It came out soooo goooood, but Wendell said that he didn't think he'd make it again because it was pretty humbug.

Wendell bought the duck frozen from Foodland.  It was about $$$$28 for a 5-pounder.

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I ate mine like this.
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Crisp Roast Duck

Ingredients:

1 (5 to 6-pound) whole duck

1 tablespoon plus 1 teaspoon kosher salt

2 teaspoons black pepper, freshly ground

2 large garlic cloves, finely grated, passed through a garlic press or finely minced

1  tablespoon chopped thyme or rosemary leaves, or a combination, plus more sprigs for the cavity

1 tablespoon lemon or orange zest, or a combination, finely grated

1 1/2 teaspoons ground coriander or a spice mix, such as garam masala or baharat (optional)


Directions:

Bring a full kettle or medium pot of water to a boil (at least 2 quarts). Meanwhile, remove giblets and neck from the duck cavity and reserve for another use. Trim any excess fat from around the duck cavity and the neck. Place duck, breast side up, on a rack in the sink. Pour half of the boiling water all over the top of the duck to tighten the skin. Flip the bird and pour remaining boiling water over the back.

Once the duck is cool enough to handle, using the tip of a very sharp paring knife, prick duck skin all over to help release the fat, especially where the skin is thickest, and be careful not to pierce the meat. It can be helpful to hold the knife nearly parallel to the bird. After piercing the skin, use the knife blade to score the duck breast in a crosshatch pattern (making deep cuts into the skin only, and not into the breast meat). Flip the bird and score the back as well (you don’t need to prick the back). You may need to sharpen your knife along the way, as it’s much easier to make clean cuts into the skin with a sharp knife. Using a clean kitchen towel or paper towels, thoroughly pat duck dry, including inside the cavity.

Season the duck all over, including cavity, with salt and pepper. In a small bowl, combine garlic, chopped herbs, citrus zest and coriander, if using, and make a paste. Rub garlic paste all over duck, inside and out. Place duck, breast side up, on rack in a roasting pan, stuff cavity with herb sprigs and refrigerate, uncovered, for at least 4 hours and up to 24 hours.

When it’s time to cook the bird, heat the oven to 450 degrees. Roast for 30 minutes. Remove the pan from the oven and carefully prick duck skin all over the top of the bird using a sharp paring knife. (You don’t need to prick the back of the duck.) Reduce the oven temperature to 350 degrees and continue roasting until skin is golden brown and crispy, and the internal temperature at thickest part of the thigh reads 165 degrees on an instant-read thermometer, about 1 hour to 1 hour, 45 minutes longer. Using tongs, gently tip duck to drain any liquid from the cavity. Transfer bird to cutting board to rest for at least 10 minutes. Carve and serve.

Total time: 2 1/2 hours, plus at least 4 hours resting; serves 4.

8 comments:

Anonymous said...

Wow! Kudos to Wendell for even trying. I buy my roast duck from Fongs, Ewa end of Oahu Market. Mo betta than Nam Fongs but don't tell anyone. I don't want them to be all crowded!
v

Anonymous said...

Looks onolicious, but too much work!

Izsmom

Kathy said...

Wow this looks crazy delicious! I bookmarked the same recipe in the newspaper the other week, but it sounded like a lot of work heheh. Looks worth it ^_^

K and S said...

looks ono but yeah looks time consuming

jalna said...

V, LOL, luckily I don't have too many readers. I think your secret is pretty safe. Do you remember back in the day when people would bring back San Francisco duck as omiyage?

Izsmom, I agree.

Kathy, I think it was so worth it.

Kat, he was in the kitchen for quite awhile.

Anonymous said...

oh, yah! SF duck. Used to have How May brand duck frozen at the supermarket too. I forget if was Foodland or Times but now can find good kind at "my secret place" LOL.
v

Chet Colson said...

Hey, if Wendell doesn't make again, at least you folks got to eat it.

jalna said...

V, ho, you got good memory. Gonna google "How May" now.

Chet, true, glad he tried once at least!