Cooking Heritage Duck the French method, a Rarer Bird
This recipe requires a higher heat and less cooking time. Most recipes are for Pekin ducks, a bigger fatter duck that has to cook for longer periods of time.
We don't recommend the longer roasting method because heritage birds are not as big and don't require the longer intense style of roasting and poking and roasting and poking again and again. People say it's dry after the longer type of roasting method especially with a heritage bird.First to help render the fat, Pour a small sauce pan of boiling water over the bird to quickly tighten up the skin, drain excess. Pat it dry.
Now proceed with 1-7.
1.Score each side of the breast of the skin only, not the meat.
2.Salt and pepper to taste.
3. If you're going to sprinkle with herbs or stuff with fruit or stuffing now.
4. Oven set to 375°, breast side down for half an hour
5. Flip the bird over for an additional 15 minutes at 425°
6. Brush the bird generously with a *glaze. Roast again for 10 minutes until deep golden.
7. Rest the Bird once cooked for 10 minutes. A duck is properly cooked when the temperature of the meat at the thickest part of the thigh or breast has reached 160°F (75°C). This may be checked with a meat thermometer.
Stuff with fruit
* Glaze- A glaze in cooking is a coating of a glossy, often sweet, sometimes savory, substance applied to food typically by dipping, dripping, or with a brush.
For Duck use a sugar based with fruit, sautéed shallots in duck fat in a pan with vine with a dark fruit like berries or cherries. Add red wine vinegar to taste, and some stock from the pan. Boil these ingredients. Wipe on the bird and watch careful until golden brown. This could be 5 to 10 minutes only.
<--Ancona duck stuffed with plums
Flavors to use (add to taste)
◦Berries, plums and prunes
◦Chilis and red peppers
◦ Ginger and five spice
◦Cherries and rhubarb
◦Poached pear, blueberries
◦Fig & orange
◦Juniper, bay, thyme, rosemary,
◦Star anise, cardamom, all spice
◦Cinnamon and cocoa/coffee, for smokey flavors
◦Ginger and…
◦ Lemongrass and honey
◦Black tea marinade: Make a quart of tea, seal the bird up with the tea in a bag
Remember to save the duck fat make stock with the bones!
Sides to serve with the duck
- Use the Duck Fat for veggies to help complement the entrée.
- Potatoes are amazing in duck fat roast them in the oven halved flat side down.
- Chanterelle Mushrooms, Maple squash, beets and beet greens