A Bit About Duck Meat
If you have never cooked duck, you are in for a different type of experience, not hard, just different. I want to share with you some tips to help you get started. Knowing this bird is fatty, you should cook it pretty quickly as the fat can go rancid, spoiling the bird. Grocery stores carry frozen farm-raised ducks, but if choosing a recently killed bird, wild or domestic, it should be cooked within 3 days.
A duck may be one of the fattest meats you will ever cook. When purchasing this bird, know they have heavier bones than a chicken and that the fat weight will dissolve during cooking. You will have less meat weight to share than other birds, so plan for a whole duck to serve four or less at the table.
You will want to render the fat away from the bird while cooking. For me, the easiest way is to prick the skin and fat about every inch or so, all over the duck with the sharp tip of a knife. Do not go deep enough to prick the flesh. Even wild ducks are fatty, just not as much as farm-raised ducks.
The duck needs to melt the fat into a drip pan while cooking without allowing the meat to sit in the fat. My favorite way is to use a rotisserie whether in the oven, grilling, or smoking as the cooking method. The fat can be saved as a delicious seasoning. When the fat is gone, the duck’s skin will be nice and crispy in texture with a sexy golden brown color.
You will experience a gamey flavor more intense than chicken or turkey meat. However, duck pairs well with fruit flavors such as orange, lemon, or berries. BBQ duck with an Asian sauce using ginger is another way to go. I don’t find the heavier taste hard on the palette at all as I view duck as a special treat.
BBQ Duck Recipes
Herb Whole Duck Recipe
Ingredients
- Whole Duck
- Sea Salt
- Freshly Ground Pepper
- Lemongrass
- Spring Onion
- Fresh Lemon
- Fresh Rosemary Sprigs
Directions
- If frozen, thaw in the refrigerator.
- When thawed, remove the neck and wings with a sharp knife. Use paper towels to dry the skin, leave overnight uncovered to allow the skin to finish drying.
- Remove any visible excess fat and any liquid in the cavity.
- Set up the grill for using a rotisserie rack. Preheat the grill to high.
- Rub salt and pepper into the skin, sprinkle into the cavity.
- Chop the lemon in slices.
- Mince the spring onions and lemongrass.
- Stuff the cavity with the lemon slices and the other seasonings.
- Place duck on the rotisserie, then put a drip pan underneath to catch the fat.
- Turn grill down to low heat and close lid.
- Cook about 20 minutes per pound.
- Duck is ready when the juices are clear and the skin is crispy and brown.
- Remove from the grill and allow to rest for about 15 minutes before slicing or removing the legs and breasts.
- Serve immediately.
Hint: It is best to place the fire to one side, not directly under the duck and drip pan, as to prevent flare-ups or excessive smoking from the fat.
This is the best roast duck recipe but requires some prep and for the best results will take a couple of days but well worth it.
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BBQ Duck Recipe
Ingredients
- Whole Duck
- Sea Salt
- Freshly Ground Pepper
- Lemongrass
- Spring Onion
- Fresh Lemon
- Fresh Rosemary Sprigs
Instructions
- If frozen, thaw in the refrigerator.
- When thawed, remove the neck and wings with a sharp knife.
- Use paper towels to dry the skin, leave overnight uncovered to allow the skin to finish drying.
- Remove any visible excess fat and any liquid in the cavity.
- Set up the grill for using a rotisserie rack.
- Preheat the grill to high.
- Rub salt and pepper into the skin, sprinkle into the cavity.
- Chop the lemon in slices.
- Mince the spring onions and lemongrass.
- Stuff the cavity with the lemon slices and the other seasonings.
- Place duck on the rotisserie, then put a drip pan underneath to catch the fat.
- Turn grill down to low heat and close lid.
- Cook about 20 minutes per pound.
- Duck is ready when the juices are clear and the skin is crispy and brown.
- Remove from the grill and allow to rest for about 15 minutes before slicing or removing the legs and breasts.
- Serve immediately.
Nutrition
Chinese Roast Duck Recipe – Hong Kong Style
Ingredients
- Whole duck
- Honey (malt sugar can be substituted)
- Rice vinegar
- Chinese red color (optional)
- Warm/hot water
Stuffing
- Vegetable oil (Do not use Olive Oil)
- Finely chopped spring onion
- Finely chopped fresh ginger
- Bakers sugar
- Chinese rice wine or dry sherry
- Yellow bean paste
- Hoisin sauce
- 5 spice powder
Directions
- Thoroughly clean the duck.
- Remove the tips of the wings and any visible lumps of fat inside the vent.
- Place the bird into a pot of boiling water for several minutes to blanch.
- Dry well after removing, tie closed the neck with string and rub the bird with salt.
- Heat a saucepan with oil, add stuffing ingredients and bring to a boil while stirring.
- When ready, add the mixture to the duck’s cavity and sew the opening shut.
- Blend honey, red food coloring, and vinegar into the warm water.
- Brush the mixture on the duck skin, creating several coatings.
- Using an S-hook, hang the duck with the head down for at least 4 to 5 hours to overnight in a cool and airy place to dry.
- When ready to cook, preheat the oven to 400F.
- Hang the duck from the top rack, head down.
- Place a tray of boiling water on the bottom of the oven.
- After 25 minutes, reduce the heat to 350F and cook for another 30 minutes, basting several times with the honey-vinegar mixture.
- Allow resting at least 15 minutes before slicing.
This recipe features the White Pekin Breed of duck that has a milder flavor (less gamey) than Muscovy or Mallard.
A Smokers Version of A Peking Duck Recipe
Ingredients
- 1 duck
- 1 onion – small is okay
Sauce
- Orange (sliced one half with peel)
- Orange juice (from the other 1/2 orange)
- Honey
- Wine vinegar
- Dry sherry
- Soy sauce
Directions
- Rinse the duck thoroughly both inside and outside.
- Remove any visible fat from the inside.
- In a pot, bring to a boil one gallon of water on the stove.
- Using a sharp fork, prick the skin of the duck all over, mostly in the fatty areas.
- Pour the boiling water over the bird.
- Gather the onion and the orange slices, then place into the duck’s cavity.
- Chill the bird uncovered overnight to allow to dry.
- When ready to cook, preheat the smoker.
- Using a small saucepan, mix the sauce ingredients, bring to a boil.
- Remove and let cool for around 10 minutes.
- Divide the sauce in half. Chill one half as a serving sauce when ready to eat.
- Glaze the duck after placing in the smoker.
- Every 30 minutes, glaze the duck with the sauce.
- The bird is ready when it reaches 170F internally (about 3+ hours).
- Remove when ready and allow to rest around 10 minutes before carving.
- Reheat chilled sauce and place beside the duck when served.
This is a quickie duck favorite served either as a main course or as a starter.
BBQ Duck With Apricot Kebabs Recipe
Ingredients
- Duck breasts
- Dried apricots
- Salt
- Pepper
- Cointreau or Grand Marnier Liquor
Directions
- Soak both the dried apricots and the bamboo skewers in water for an hour.
- Taking the duck breasts, remove the skin along with the fat.
- With a sharp knife, cut the breast meat into cubes about one inch.
- Alternating meat and fruit, thread onto soaked skewers.
- Preheat the grill.
- Season the prepared kabobs with salt and pepper.
- Grill over medium heat for about 15 minutes.
- Rotate the kabobs several times for even cooking.
- In the final five minutes, coat the kabobs with the liquor of choice.
Hint: Do not coat the kabobs with the liquor too soon as the sugar in the alcohol might burn and ruin the kabob.
Duck, Duck, No Goose
A lot of people may shy away from duck dishes but I love the taste of the meat. Game birds have been a part of my life since I was little, as I was raised in a house with hunters, and acquired the taste for different meats. Another trick you could use for the best taste, is to use a Chicken & Turkey Poultry Roasting Rack, it’s a pretty cool device!
These recipes are favorites of mine that are reserved for special occasions. Whether smoked, grilled, or cooked in the oven, duck is delicious. Try roasting potatoes in rendered duck fat for a special treat. Remember, duck fat can be frozen.
Frequently Asked Questions
It’s best to thaw whole poultry birds before cooking them, which includes duck. If you try to cook it from frozen, it will become overcooked on the outside and raw on the inside. It’s best to thaw duck in the refrigerator. In general, it will take 24 to 48 hours to thaw a whole duck.
A whole duck will take about 20 minutes a pound to cook. Large ducks can weigh as much as 12 pounds, but most ducks weigh from 5 to 9 pounds. That means you should plan on 2 to 3 hours to grill a whole duck.
Pekin duck is rich and meaty, and it has dark brown flesh as opposed to other poultry with lighter, pink flesh. Many people describe its flavor as similar to a steak or other red meat. Other varieties of duck taste similar to chicken or turkey, but with a heavier flavor that’s richer and fattier.
Duck has a heavier, richer flavor than other poultry items, but you can serve duck with most side dishes that go well with turkey or chicken. If you’re flavoring the duck with Chinese seasonings for a traditional Peking duck, we suggest roasted vegetables and a side of rice. If you’re using American seasonings, try mashed potatoes or quinoa salad.
The smoking time for duck largely depends on the temperature of the smoker. In general, if you’re smoking between 225 to 250 degrees Fahrenheit, it will take about four hours to fully cook a smoked duck. You’ll know when it’s done when the meat reaches 165 degrees on an instant read meat thermometer.
