It's very common for people to feel intimidated by the task of roasting a bird. Especially when it's not a typical Roasted Turkey centerpiece or classic whole roasted chicken. This no-fail recipe will help you get acquainted with roasting a delicious bird, and give you the tips and tricks you need to have a successful roast every time. For this Lemon, Maple and Honey Roasted Duck, I made a super simple and delicious side of roasted rosemary carrots, which I'll share my recipe for here as well!
We will cook the duck for approximately 3 hours in 4-5 different 35-40 minute intervals. Breast side up first, then breast side down, and the bird will remain breast side up for the remainder of the cook time, being covered by the Maple Lemon and Honey glaze a few times until the duck has a beautiful brown color, crispy exterior and juicy interior.
Ingredients:
1 Whole Pekin Duck (Fresh or Frozen)
2 Large Lemons, sliced + Juice of 1 Whole Lemon
6 Cloves of Garlic, roughly chopped
2 Tbsp. Pure Maple Syrup
1/3 Cup Honey
3 Tbsp. Salt
Kitchen Twine or Tin Foil
+
8 Large Carrots, peeled and sliced into 3-4 inch sticks
1/2 Tbsp. Dried Rosemary
1 Tbsp. Olive Oil
1/4 Tsp. Salt
1 Tsp. Brown Sugar
We have a wonderful All-Clad Stainless Steel Roasting Pan that was gifted to us by my husband's wonderful mother (who is also a rockstar chef)!
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I use this roasting pan not just for roasting birds, but also since it is the largest pan in my arsenal, I use it as a bain-marie (water bath) for when I make cheese cakes!
Directions:
The first step in roasting a bird: if it's frozen, defrost it in the refrigerator at least 1-2 days in advance of when you're going to be roasting it.
When you are ready to roast the duck, pre-heat the oven to 350°F.
When working with raw meat, I like to prepare my non-meat items first, so I don't cross-contaminate anything in the kitchen. I can do this by filling a small prep bowl with the salt that I will be using, chopping 6 cloves of garlic and setting aside in a small prep bowl, slicing 2 lemons and putting aside, juicing a large lemon and placing the juice aside in its own bowl, and cutting about a 8 inch piece of kitchen/butcher's twine and setting aside.
Take the duck out of it's packaging, and remove the giblets from the inside of the duck. (You can throw them away unless you're planning to use them for another recipe- the organs are perfectly nutritious, though some may get freaked out by them since it's not a social norm in the "First World" to eat them).
Wash the duck, inside and out with water, and cut off any hanging neck skin that the butcher left on the duck.
Sit the duck on the roasting rack and dry off with paper towels.
After drying, take the salt from the prep bowl and rub it all over the duck, outside and inside, until the entire duck has been salted.
Stuff the cavity of the bird with the sliced lemons and chopped garlic. This will give the bird a great flavor from the inside-out.
Using a piece of kitchen twine or tin foil, tie the legs of the duck together. This will hold the cavity fillings in place.
Lastly, before placing the duck in the oven, gently cut diagonally, left and right, into the fat on
the duck breasts, making sure never to penetrate through the actual meat of the duck. This will create a pretty pattern, but also allow the fat on the breast to get super crispy in the oven. You can use a regular knife to do this, or for more precision, you can you a bread lame/razor blade.
The duck post-stuffing, but pre-cutting and leg-tying:
The duck post-leg tie and breast fat cutting:
11. Place the duck in the oven breast side up for 38 minutes.
12. After 38 minutes, flip the duck over and bake for another 38 minutes.
13. While the duck is baking, in a bowl, add your chopped carrots, brown sugar, salt and oil.
14. Mix the carrots with the seasonings until fully covered, then dump onto a cookie sheet.
15. Sprinkle with rosemary, then bake at 350°F for 45 minutes, flipping the carrots at halfway.
16. Then, prepare the Maple Lemon & Honey Glaze by combining the syrup, lemon juice & honey.
17. Flip the duck over once again, breast side up and generously glaze with a pastry brush.
15. Once glazed, bake for another 35 minutes, and after those minutes, glaze again.
16. Bake for another 25 minutes after glazing a second time.
17. After 25 minutes, glaze one last time with your Maple Honey & Lemon mixture.
18. Raise the temperature of the oven to 415°F and bake for another 15 minutes.
19. Remove the duck from the oven and let cool for 5-8 minutes before carving!
20. Tag @The_Yes_Chef in your food photos so we can see how great you did!!
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