Slow Roasted Duck
Last week, I got a friendly reminder email from my good friends at KOL Foods who kindly supplied the duck for this recipe. This recipe was due and I panicked a little. I think I replied to that email saying something along the lines of “Crap… I’ll defrost it tonight. What am I doing with it again?”.
You see, this is just the third time I’ve ever cooked duck. Each time, I feel like it’s a strange new ingredient that I’m not quite comfortable with yet.
Until now.
I can’t quite take credit for the moment of clarity. That goes to some of my friends, enthusiastic about food, who I discuss recipes, food and blogging with on a number of Facebook groups (like this one that I moderate).
This slow roasted duck is a combination of this Food 52 recipe suggested by Yael of Nosherium and this Bundt Pan Rotisserie Chicken posted by Busy in Brooklyn just a couple of days ago.
I love the simplicity of the recipe combined with the brilliance of roasting the duck in a standing position so I could collect all the fat as it rendered off the bird. I also have a beautiful ceramic standing roaster that my wife gave me for my birthday a few years ago.
What I didn’t take into account was how much more fat renders off a duck, than a chicken. The end result were vegetables poached in duck fat, rather than roasted. This was easily resolved by removing the parsnips and carrots from the fat and roasting them or broiling them before serving. Next time I make this, I think I’ll use my standing beer-can chicken rack in a braiser or large roasting pan.
Slow roasting the bird allowed the duck to cook perfectly, and in terms of seasoning, I just used a little salt. I pierced the skin of the duck with the tip of a paring knife thirty or forty times to allow the duck to cook in it’s own delicious
This recipe is simpler than the Duck L’Orange I smoked in 2013, and much less involved that the delicious Paleo Duck Confit Sliders I shared this time last year, and a dish that won the seal of approval from everyone in the family. Even from my 18 month old daughter who started quack when I offered her another taste of this slow roasted duck.
I’ve only ever cooked organic duck so I can’t compare the flavor to conventionally raised duck but I can tell you that this is delicious. I’m a massive fan of the folks at KOL Foods and have many recipes using their fish, meat and poultry.
KOL Foods only sell organic and grass fed animals which means they have eaten nothing but their mother’s milk and fresh grass from the time they were born. Organic certification means their meat is hormone free which makes it much better for you.
Plus it tastes delicious.
But don’t take my word for it. Try this for yourself.
Slow Roasted Duck
Ingredients
- One KOL Foods Organic Duck
- Salt
- Two large parsnips
- Two large carrots
Method
- Heat the oven to 250F.
- Pierce the skin of the duck thirty or forty times with a paring knife.
- Peel and dice the carrot and parsnips.
- Sprinkle the duck with salt and place it on the roasting stand or bundt pan surrounded by the vegetables
- Roast for three hours at 250F then turn the oven up to 350F and roast for a final 30 minutes.
One final reminder. Keep all that duck fat that renders off and freeze it. It will keep for months and it’s excellent for cooking with!