Roast Duck

Show: Barefoot ContessaEpisode: Farmstand Dinner

Rated: 5 stars out of 5Rate itRead users' reviews (22)

RECIPE
COMMENTS & REVIEWS(22)

Cook Time:
1 hr 0 min
Level:
Intermediate
Yield:
4 to 6 servings

Times:

Prep: 15 min
Inactive Prep: 20 min
Cook: 1 hr 0 min
Total:: 1 hr 35 min

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Ingredients

2 (5 to 5 1/2 pounds each) ducks, innards and wing tips removed
6 quarts chicken broth
Kosher salt
1 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper

Directions

Unwrap the ducks and allow them to sit at room temperature for 20 minutes. With a fork, prick the skin without piercing the meat. This will allow the fat to drain off while the ducks cook.

Meanwhile, in a very large stock pot which can hold the 2 ducks, heat the chicken broth with 1 tablespoon of kosher salt until it boils. Add the ducks very carefully and bring the stock back to a boil. If there isn't enough stock to cover the ducks, add the hottest tap water to cover. If the ducks float to the top, place a plate on top to keep them immersed. When the stock comes back to a boil, lower the heat and simmer the ducks in the stock for 45 minutes.

When the ducks are finished simmering, skim off enough duck fat from the top of the stock to pour a film on the bottom of a 14 by 18 by 3-inch roasting pan. This will keep the ducks from sticking when they roast. Carefully take the ducks out of the stock, holding them over the pot to drain. Place them in the roasting pan, pat the skin dry with paper towels, and sprinkle with 1 teaspoon of salt and the pepper. If you have time, allow the ducks to sit at room temperature for 30 minutes to allow the skin to dry.

Meanwhile, preheat the oven to 500 degrees F. (Be sure your oven is very clean or it will smoke!) Roast the ducks for 30 minutes. Remove from the oven and allow them to rest, covered with aluminum foil, for 20 minutes. Serve warm.

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Comments & Reviews

recipe Roast Duck
Renee Cary, NC 03-12-2009
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Mediocre taste, Great crispy skin
Rated: 3 stars out of 5

Fortunately, my duck came with a packet of orange sauce which improved the bland taste of the duck. I DO like the fact that... boiling it helps to render out a lot of the fat. I will probably try this again, but flavor the stock strongly, or even sustitute some of the stock for orange juice. We all loved the fabulous crispy skin though!!Read more
recipe Roast Duck
Ryk Great Falls, MT 08-21-2007
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Succulent Bird
Rated: 5 stars out of 5

It was so good, crispy skin.
recipe Roast Duck
Carole Camarillo, CA 08-15-2007
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Roast Duck
Rated: 5 stars out of 5

You have made my husband one happy camper. He loves duck but was not one of my favorites. I had also heard that it was... fatty and hard to cook. I saw you make it on the show, it looked easy enough, and because I trust you, I tried it. Duck is now one of my favorites. My husband thinks this is the BEST ever. Thanks Ina, I think you're the best!Read more
recipe Roast Duck
Terina Las Vegas, NV 05-03-2007
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First Time in the Oven
Rated: 3 stars out of 5

I consider myself to be relatively new in the kitchen. After seeing Barefoot Contessa's Roast Duck, I figured "How hard can... it be with only four ingredients?" My first mistake was not realizing you used 6 QUARTS of chicken broth, and not 6 cups (or cans). Nonetheless, my boyfriend picked up enough cans for three quarts as I was only making one duck in this recipe. When I picked up my duck, the head, wings, and feet were still attached. I didn't bother cutting these bits off, which proved a bit challenging to fit into our large pot. Webbed feet were sticking up despite the plate I put on the duck to keep it submerged in the stock. Boiling the duck was easy and the transfer to the roasting pan wasn't a problem either. My next mistake though was not turning on the fan when the roasting part began. Despite starting with a clean oven, it still started smoking a great deal and we had to open all our windows to clear the air. The skin got crispy indeed, and the oven was a complete mess with all the fat duck spraying everywhere. We ended up using the duck fat and chicken broth as a gravy for our duck. This added a great deal of flavor, but at the same time, a lot more fat to the dish. Due to the excessive fat we used, we were glad we had rice to soak up all the juices. Overall, the duck tasted pretty good and my first attempt at cooking dinner using the oven turned out okay. Thank goodness for our self-cleaning oven though. I'm not sure if I'd want to make this dish again if I had to scrub that oven.Read more
recipe Roast Duck
gene metter, GA 04-21-2007
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terrible duck!
Rated: 1 stars out of 5

this is the absolute worst duck that i ever tried to eat. aparently the boiling took all the flavor from the bird. it was... tough to the point of being in edible and absolutely tasteless. if you're scared of the fat,roast a chicken. thanks for ruining my dinner!Read more
recipe Roast Duck
John Chicago, IL 04-18-2007
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Don't Duck this recipe
Rated: 5 stars out of 5

This is an excellent way of roasting duck by starting it in a simmering pot of chicken stock. It adds extra rich flavor to an... already tasty duck. It also helps render some of the duck's fat. I am now wondering if this method would work on chicken so I'm going to try that next.Read more