Perfecting the Crispy Roast Duck 

BY ERIC GUIDO | MAY 22, 2020

Roasting a duck while properly rendering the fat and getting that perfect crispy skin can be quite intimidating. However, with just a few simple tricks and the right preparation, you’ll be hitting your family or holiday table with a platter of perfectly moist, seasoned meat and the crispiest skin you can possibly imagine. It’s so good that you won’t even need the stereotypical citrus glaze to go with it, but we’ll cover that as well. So, get your roasting pan ready, and don’t forget your glass because we also have some wine pairings that will complement all that crispy goodness. 

So, what’s all the fuss about roasting duck? Why do we fear it so much?

I was right there with you; every time I tried my hand at roasted duck, I ended up with either burned skin with rendered fat (full of burnt pieces) or crispy skin with too little fat rendered, which created both a messy and an unenjoyable meal at the table. Before long, I gave up, instead choosing to order duck whenever I’d see it at restaurants. The problem here was that most establishments would pile on the potatoes, provide far too little meat, drown the bird in a sweet gravy, and often overcook it (because they also had problems rendering the fat).

Then one day it all came together when I was researching, of all things, how to dry-age beef in a home refrigerator. While the process for dry-aging beef, versus what I now do to prepare my duck, is vastly different, the inspiration itself came from the same science. The fact is that cold air holds less moisture than warm air Your refrigerator is constantly circulating this dry, cold air, while the compressor also works as water collects on the coils and evaporates. What you have is a sealed chamber, at safe temperatures, that is constantly pulling the water out of anything left uncovered. Suddenly it all made sense. I found the perfect way to dry the skin so that it would crisp at a lower temperature, over a longer period of time, which would allow the fat to render completely. While this is just one of a few tricks that we’ll talk about here, it was the moment that I realized that I’d never have to eat duck outside of my home ever again.

video tutorial is packed full of hints and tips to cook the perfect Crispy Roast Duck." src="https://s3.amazonaws.com/images.vinous.com/uploads%2F1590159597659-eric_duck.png">

The video tutorial is packed full of hints and tips to cook the perfect Crispy Roast Duck.

The Ingredients You’ll Need: 

For the roast duck (serves four):

5-6-pound duck – If frozen, defrost 2-3 days in your refrigerator

1 tbls Kosher salt

1 lemon (quartered)