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The Amazing Five-Hour Roast Duck

Source of Recipe


From "The 150 Best American Recipes"






List of Ingredients



• 1 Peking (Long Island) duck
  
• Salt and freshly ground black pepper
  
• 2 Tbsp chopped garlic
  
• 1 small handful thyme sprigs
  






Instructions



1. Position a rack in the middle of the oven and preheat the oven to 300° F. Cut the wing tips off the duck (not necessary, but more elegant). Likewise, remove the giblets; save those and the tips for another use (like stock), if desired. Dry the duck well with paper towels. Remove any loose globs of yellow fat from the two cavities. Rub the large cavity with salt and pepper and garlic, and put the thyme inside. With a small, sharp paring knife, make dozens of slits all over the duck, piercing the skin and fat but being careful not to pierce the flesh. The easiest way to do this is to insert the knife on the diagonal, not straight in.
   
   
2. Put the duck, breast-side up, on a rack (a wire cake rack is fine) set on a jellyroll pan, and put it in the oven. Every hour for 4 hours, take the pan out of the oven, pierce the duck all over with the knife, and turn it over. Each time, pour off the fat in the pan.
   
   
3. After 4 hours, increase the oven temperature to 350° F. Sprinkle the duck with salt and pepper, and cook for about 1 hour longer, or until the skin is crisp and browned. Let rest for 20 minutes before serving.
   
   Makes 4 servings.
   
   






Final Comments


• For Chinese Duck:
Put peeled, chopped fresh ginger in the cavity and brush the duck during the last hour of cooking with a mixture of hoisin sauce, toasted sesame oil, and a little honey.

• For Thai Duck:
Put chopped fresh lemongrass, fresh cilantro and garlic in the cavity and brush during the last hour with a mix of Thai curry paste, unsweetened coconut milk and lime juice.