Crispy Skin Whole Roasted Duck

 

Print

Crispy Skin Slow Roasted Duck

This crispy slow roasted duck is served with a raspberry orange port sauce. It's a simple, yet impressive, dinner recipe perfect for holidays and celebrations. Great for Christmas, Easter, Thanksgiving, and more! Easily impress your family or dinner guests!

Ingredients

Roasted Duck

  • 1 navel orange
  • 1 whole duck
  • kosher salt and black pepper to taste

Port Raspberry Sauce

  • 1/2 cup ruby port
  • 1/2 cup raspberry jam
  • 2 tbsp balsamic vinegar
  • 2-3 dashes chipotle powder

Instructions

  1. Bring duck out of the fridge and let it dry off without the packaging for at least 30 minutes to dry off. This will give you a crispier skin. You can do this longer as well, but take the packaging off and leave it in the fridge to air chill.

  2. Heat the oven to 300F.

  3. Cut 3 thick slices from about half of the orange. Quarter the other half.

  4. Stuff the quartered orange into the duck and place the slices down the middle of the roasting pan.

    If you prefer to keep the fat and use it for future dishes, only put the orange inside the duck and not on the bottom of your roasting pan. Just place the duck on an oven safe cooling rack and then into the roast pan. This way the fat drips down without any orange flavor (although orange flavored duck fat is pretty amazing!)

  5. Trim off excess fat from the duck. Tie together the legs with kitchen twine and sprinkle it all over with salt and pepper. Then prick the skin all over with fork. This allows the rendered fat to come out.

    Make sure to only prick through the skin and not the meat. If you are looking for the beautiful scored breast, use a sharp knife or kitchen scissors to make a crosshatch pattern on the breast.

  6. Place the duck, breast side up, on the orange slices. Put it in the oven and roast for 2 - 2 1/2 hours, or until the meat is fork tender.

  7. Raise the heat to 425F and roast for 15-20 minutes, or until the skin is golden brown. Cooked duck should be 165 degrees if temp checking.

  8. Remove the duck from the oven and let it rest while you make the sauce.

Port Raspberry Sauce

  1. In a medium sauce pan, combine the port, raspberry jam, and balsamic vinegar with the orange slices which were under the duck (If you only put orange inside the duck, use those slices). Add a couple of dashes of chipotle powder to taste.

  2. Bring to a boil and cook the sauce for 5-8 minutes, or until the sauce is thick and can coat a spoon. Taste and adjust the seasonings by adding a little salt, pepper, and another dash of chipotle if needed.

  3. Arrange a fine mesh sieve over a bowl and pour the sauce into the sieve to strain out the orange slices.
  4. Transfer the sauce to a serving container. Carve the duck and serve it with the sauce.

Recipe Notes

  • Whole duck: These are often sold frozen. If you are using frozen, give it at least 3 days in the refrigerator to fully thaw. You can keep a thawed, vacuum-packed duck for at least a few days if kept in the refrigerator. (Though up to 14 days if never frozen and the packaging is sealed.)
  • Oranges: Either Cara Cara oranges or Navel oranges are great choices.