Duck

The friendliest place on the web for anyone that enjoys cooking.
If you have answers, please help by responding to the unanswered posts.

Kevin86

Senior Cook
Joined
Dec 2, 2014
Messages
399
Location
Ontario
My niece raised a couple ducks and they thought uncle would be the best person to give them to, very sweet of her. So they pulled them out of the freezer and now we have one thawing out for tomorrow.
Tomorrow is our holiday so lazy and cozy around the house so I’m thinking a simple herb coated roast low and slow.
My sister and her kids also tried spaghetti squash in the garden for the first time this year and they got a huge yield and some of them are the size of watermelons! You have to love fall.

But any recommendations for any of that would be fun to see.

Thanks
 
This is a recipe by one of our local celebrities, it's pretty good and if you have oranges around, not difficult and delish.

hmm, kept getting a download error but if you'd like the recipe I can copy it out.

Stefano's Duck a'Orange

ps
don't forget duck is very fatty so remember to prick the skin to release the fats
 
Last edited:
Do save the fat. I don't remember ever cooking a duck, but I roasted goose, another (traditionally) fatty bird, for winter solstice for many years. I quit that tradition when the geese available at the supermarket became too lean to collect a decent amount of fat. I used to put a tiny amount of water at the bottom of my roasting pan, so the fat wouldn't burn. It happened to me once. It was probably solids in the drippings that burnt and not the actual fat, but it left a burnt flavour in the fat. The water would be evaporated by the time the bird was roasted. Once there is a nice layer of fat in the pan, the risk of burning it seems to be gone.
 
The recipes I've used for duck call for scoring the skin and fat on the breast side down to the meat, and slitting the joints of the legs and thighs, to allow the fat to render out. Pour it off into a bowl or glass jar occasionally. Use it to make sautéed potatoes and other dishes that need a flavorful fat.
 
Last edited:
Just did another nice roast duck. Enough meat for 3 meals and a big pot of soup about 1L of stock out of the roast pan and I took the carcass and made 3 1L jars of stock. So we got a ton out of a duck that was about 5lbs.
 
I have a couple geese in the freezer I need to cook up. I suppose I do it the same as duck.

I heartily suggest you spatchcock your geese, Cook the breast meat and legs separately.
I did a goose at Christmas, whole. Will cut hte next ones up. If the breast is done the legs are not, if the legs are done, the breast is overdone.

I'm talking domestic geese - not wild.
 
I should have been more specific. You can cook them at the same time but being separate you can start by putting the legs in first and then later the breast.

I also suggest you use a deep roasting pan. The fat spatters ALL over. that was one thing I did right. Much easier to control the fat and clean up.
 
Yeah, mine are American Buff. They usually weigh about 8 to 9 lbs . This year, for some reason, more like 7 to 8 lbs. but still tasty!

Next one I cook I will spatchcock and probably disjoint. Then maybe cook the breast like I do duck breast. Haven't figured the legs yet - but there's lots of ideas 'out there'. :yum:

Anyways, I say that now and when I go to do it, will probably come up with something different.
My life's decisions are always 'wax on left' wax off right'. :LOL:
 
Looks beautiful Jon!
Yes, ours was a little tough too. Still delicious. My neighbour gave me a little pot of rillettes she had made with her leftovers. Also very delish!

I've looked up several recipe - that's on my bucket list... to make a GOOD one.
 
I honestly just treated it like a roast chicken with some liquid in the roast pan. Gives me so many options after
 
Ah looks pretty good. I used a deep roasting pan with liquid go low and slow and let it melt apart. Then it’s kinda like over done in a slow cooker. Might fall apart but never dry or tough
 
Back
Top Bottom