One of my most memorable roast duck meals with in Lyon, France. I was in France with two other CIA instructors, cooking a dinner for expats with the local, French chefs. We dined at Paul Bocuse's restaurant one night and Chef Bocuse came to our table to greet us.
He announced he would be roasting a duck for us in the hearth that evening! Can you imagine-the room fell silent and all of the diners looked at us (rather jealousy)...
Three of my favorite duck preparations, each showcasing a different culinary tradition are:
Peking Duck (China)
A highly refined preparation where the duck is air-dried, roasted until the skin is exceptionally crisp, and traditionally served with thin pancakes, scallions, cucumber, and hoisin sauce. The focus is on lacquered skin and precise carving. I had this meal several times in Beijing with some of the amazing Campbell Soup leadership team.
Duck à l’Orange (France)
A hallmark of French cuisine, this dish pairs roasted duck with a bittersweet orange sauce made from a gastrique (bitter, caramelized sugar), vinegar, citrus, and stock—highlighting the balance of richness and acidity.
Confit de Canard (France)
Duck legs are salt-cured, slowly cooked in their own fat, and then crisped before serving. Originally a preservation method, confit delivers deeply savory flavor and meltingly tender meat. I enjoyed duck confit many times with Beaujolais while in France.
Roasted Duck
Roasted duck is global classic. To me, the objective is preparing a delicious, crispy skin with tender, moist meat.
Proper roasting allows the generous layer of fat beneath the skin to slowly render, basting the bird as it cooks and creating exceptional depth and moisture. Traditionally seasoned simply with salt and aromatics, roasted duck pairs beautifully with both savory and sweet accompaniments—roasted yams, root vegetables, cabbages and greens to fruit-based sauces—making it a timeless centerpiece in both rustic and refined cuisines.
Roast ducks, Pekin style are served as street food in many SE Asian cities
Duck necks, giblets and parts are very popular in Asian stores.
Prep Time: 3o min
Cooking Time: 60 min
Ingredients
Yield: 2 portions
Ingredient Amount
1 ea. Whole Duck (leave in the refrigerator for one day, uncovered, to dry the skin)
1 ea Spanish Onions, halved or quartered
2 ea Carrots, peeled and bcut into large pieces
2 ea Celery stalks, washed and cut into large pieces
2 Tbsp Lemon, halved
1 ea Bay leaf
3 ea Fresh Herbs (thyme, parsley, rosemary)
2 Cups Chicken veloute
tt Kosher Salt and Black Pepper
Step 1
Preparing the Duck
Place the vegetables into a large casserole pan, season with salt and pepper.
Take any giblets, neck etc.. from the cavity of the duck. Place in the pan with the vegetables.
Season the inside of the duck with salt and pepper; place the lemon and herbs into the cavity of the duck, season the skin with salt and pepper.
Optional-truss the duck with butchers twine
(trussed chicken on the left; twine goes across front, legs and under frame to protect the breast)
Place the duck onto the vegetables or onto a rack, above the vegetables.
Place into a preheated oven (350° F) and roast for one hour. Check to be sure the skin isn't browning too quickly-you can tent a small square of foil over the skin to protect it-but you want the skin brown and crispy.
Step 2
When the duck reaches an internal temperature of 165° F and is golden brown, take the duck from the oven and let rest for 20 minutes, tented with foil to keep it warm. (you can simply place the rack with the duck on it, onto a sheet pan)
Place the vegetables into a bowl and hold warm. These are healthy and delicious!
Add chicken veloute to the roasting pan and stir the fond with the veloute to create a delicious pan gravy. (with the roasted neck and giblets); season and strain the gravy.
Step 4
To serve the duck, Remove the legs first. Move one leg gently away from the body and cut through the skin between the breast and thigh. Bend the leg outward to expose the hip joint, then 'pop' the hip out and cut cleanly through the joint to remove the thigh. Repeat on the other side. The legs don't have a lot of meat so I serve one leg, one thigh and half a breast per person.
To remove the breasts, run your finger over the top of the breast in the center, cut the breast with the knife slicing down either side of the center breast bone.
(from top down to wing)
Next, move the breast away from the rib cage, and slide the knife blade alon the rib bones, pulling/ peeling the cooked breast from the frame.
Repeat on the opposite side.
Slice the breasts into three pieces and serve the breast skin-side up, the skin should be crispy and brown.
Roasted duck is excellent with fruit such as berries, citrus, peaches, pineapple and even watermelon.
