On the weekend, you have more time and energy to prepare a meal that will wow your loved ones with its exceptional flavour. In comparison to a roast chicken, a roast duck is more flavorful and luxurious. You can get through the richness of the duck and savour every mouthful with your choice of crispy potatoes and salad by adding some sweetness from the cherries and freshness from the celery.
Crispy roast duck tips
You should try to get a large duck and have the butcher butterfly it if at all possible. The skin may be made crispier by coating it in salt and then chilling it, uncovered, for at least a few hours and preferably overnight. While this will certainly dry up the skin, it will also assist to intensify the flavour, improve the fat’s ability to render, and result in very crispy skin. Under no circumstances can the drained fat be discarded. The fat generated from ducks is excellent for use in a variety of alternative culinary applications. We recommend using it to cook some par-boiled potato wedges, which, when done, will be the best potatoes you’ve ever had.
It’s time to give your taste buds a great pleasure, so gather the family around the table. Try this cherries and celery flavoured roast duck recipe for a delicious meal.
Crispy roast duck recipe
Course: Main
Cuisine: Global
Difficulty: Easy
Servings: 6 servings
Prep time: 20 minutes
Cooking time: 1 hour 20 minutes
Ingredients
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2kg whole duck
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salt and pepper
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60g butter
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2 tbsp. oil
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1 head celery
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bouquet garni (usually parsley stalks, bay leaves and thyme)
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1 litre stock or water with stock cube
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250g canned cherries
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1 small bunch watercress
Method
- Remove the back bone and wishbones for the duck so that you can flatten it out. Season the duck well with salt and pepper. Melt the butter with the oil and heat gently.
- Fry duck for 10 minutes, turning often to brown evenly. Remove the duck and keep to one side.
- Wash the celery, remove outer stalks and leaves. Cut into strips, dry and fry for 15 minutes in the remaining fat. Drain and keep to one side.
- Return duck to pan, add bouquet garni and stock, season well, cover and cook for 50 minutes.
- Pour off liquid add the cherries and cook with duck and celery for further 10 minutes in top of oven, uncovered, to brown.
- Skim off excess fat from liquid. Boil juices rapidly for 10 minutes and pour around duck. Garnish with water cress. Serve very hot.