Balinese-style roast duck recipe (2024)

FAQs

How to roast a duck perfectly? ›

Prick the skin around the duck legs. Season the duck all over with salt and pepper. Place the duck on a rack in a roasting tin and roast in the middle of the oven for 40 minutes per KG plus 10 minutes extra. When the duck is cooked cover with foil and rest for 10-20 minutes before serving.

We cook it on a medium low heat so that the fat can render out and also sear the skin. If you don't do this you'll find that the duck breast skin can become chewy and we don't want that. I prefer to use a cast iron skillet for cooking since I can pop it into the oven once the skin side is done cooking.

The boiling water helps pull the skin taut, making it easier to score in a crosshatch pattern. That, in turn, allows the fat to render out as everything roasts.

For the perfect roasted duck Ina Garten recommends boiling the whole bird in a broth of your choice for 45 minutes. This will help cook the bird evenly, then pat dry and move to a 500°F (260°C) oven to crisp up that skin and until the breast reaches an internal temperature of 135–140°F (57–60°C).

Roast (whole duck: 2 ¼ hours for ducks weighing 1.75-2 kg, 2 ¾ hours for ducks weighing 2.5-3 kg; breasts, 30 mins). Dry fry, grill or barbecue (3-4 mins on each side). Stir fry (cubes or strips, 5-7 mins).

Combine the smoked paprika, garlic powder, cumin, chili powder, five spice powder, dry mustard and some salt and pepper in a bowl. Using a sharp knife, score the skin of the duck so it has a 1/4-inch diamond pattern. Rub the spice mixture all over the duck.

I do not cook a duck or goose without first soaking it overnight in brine. Those of us who have discovered how much better the Thanksgiving turkey tastes after a brine bath for 24 hours know that the bird will not only cook a little faster but it will also be more moist and flavorful than an unbrined bird.

But because duck breast is thinner than chicken or turkey breast, it cooks through even more quickly than they do, making it even more of a challenge to get the tougher legs and thighs to turn tender and succulent before the breast overcooks and dries out.

Roast on a rack.

For especially fatty duck, you'll benefit from starting the cooking process with the breast side down for the first 40 minutes or so, before flipping it breast side up for the rest of the roast, to ensure even browning and fat rendering all around.

Remove duck from the refrigerator about 20 minutes before cooking to ensure uniformed cooking. Remove duck from packaging and take out the neck and giblets from the cavity. Rinse under cold running water both inside and out, then pat dry using paper towel to get a more crispy skin. Season.

Should I sear a duck before roasting? ›

The journey towards perfectly roasted or baked duck breast entails commencing with a searing process. This initial step sets the foundation for achieving the ideal oven-roasted duck breast—a tantalizingly golden and crisp exterior juxtaposed with a succulent, flavorful interior.

His tricks involve a simple salt and pepper seasoning. It's important to start the duck breast cold so the breast releases its own fat in the pan. It's then seared on a high heat and finished in the oven. Ramsay also shows you a nice trick for confirming the duck is cooked.

About 2 hours before you want to roast your ducks, take them out of the fridge and sit them breast-side up, on top of a wire rack sitting over a deep roasting tin, to come to room temperature; they really mustn't have any chill about them.

When the cake tester feels warm, my duck is perfectly cooked. If it's cold to the touch, keep cooking. If it's hot to the touch, the meat has overcooked. Err on the side of undercooking, though — you can always slide the meat back under the broiler to continue cooking to your liking.

Cover and roast in oven for 2 hours. Remove the aluminium foil and continue cooking uncover for 30 to 40 minutes to make the skin crispy and brown. When the duck is fully cooked the internal temperature at the junction of the leg and thigh should be 82°C (180°F) and thighs should come apart easily.

Duck legs are traditionally 'confit', this means they are salted overnight and then submerged in duck fat and cooked slowly so they are preserved by the fat. Because the cooking method is low and slow the meat remains succulent and doesn't dry out, and the fat isn't absorbed so the meat isn't fatty.