Roast Duck with Citrus Sauce.
Pecking Order® crisps the skin while citrus stuffed inside cuts through rich duck fat with bright acid
Pecking Order® crisps the skin while citrus stuffed inside cuts through rich duck fat with bright acid
Ingredients
For the Duck
- One 5 1/2-pound Pekin or Long Island duck, neck reserved
- 2 Tablespoons Casa M Spice Co® Pecking Order®
- 1/2 Teaspoon Salt
- 1/4 Teaspoon freshly ground pepper
- 1 Navel orange, cut into wedges
- 1 Lemon, cut into wedges
- 2 Cups water
- 2 Tablespoons coriander
- 1/2 Tablespoon unsalted butter, softened
- 1 Tablespoon soy sauce
- 1 Tablespoon all-purpose flour
Method
-
01
Preheat oven
15 minGet your oven to 325° before you touch the duck. You need steady, even heat to render fat properly without drying the meat.
-
02
Prep the duck
5 minRemove the neck and reserve it — it's going into the pan liquid for deep flavor. Pat the bird dry; wet skin won't crisp.
-
03
Score the skin
3 minScore all over with a sharp knife in a crosshatch pattern. This opens channels for fat to escape and lets Pecking Order® seasoning get down where it counts.
-
04
Season and stuff
2 minSeason the cavity with salt and pepper, then pack it with orange and lemon wedges — their acid will cut the rich duck fat from the inside as it roasts. Season the outside generously with Pecking Order® and salt.
-
05
Build the roasting liquid
2 minIn the roasting pan, combine water, coriander, a shake of Pecking Order®, and that reserved neck. This base becomes your sauce foundation.
-
06
First roast — low and slow
1h mSet the duck on the rack above the liquid, cover with foil, and roast at 325°. This long, gentle phase renders most of the fat without browning the skin.
-
07
Drain and score again
5 minPull the pan out, strain those juices into a bowl, and skim the fat off the top — save that fat for another dish. Score the skin a second time to crisp it up in the next phase.
-
08
Second roast — medium heat
1h mIncrease the oven to 350°, return the duck uncovered, and roast another hour. The skin starts tightening up and the meat keeps getting tender.
-
09
Drain cavity and increase heat
3 minPull the pan again, tip any juices from inside the duck into the roasting pan, then crank the oven to 400° for the final crisping push.
-
10
Final roast — high heat
45 minReturn the duck to the pan and roast at 400° for 45 minutes until the skin is deeply bronzed and crackling and the meat is fall-apart tender.
-
11
Rest the duck
10 minTransfer the duck to a carving board and let it sit for 10 minutes. This lets the juices redistribute so every slice stays moist.
-
12
Extract citrus and deglaze
3 minSqueeze the roasted orange and lemon wedges through a strainer into the roasting pan, then set it over moderately high heat and boil hard for a minute to extract every drop of flavor from the browned bits.
-
13
Build the sauce
5 minStrain the pan liquid, add soy sauce, and bring it to a simmer in a small saucepan. Make a butter-flour paste, whisk it into hot liquid to smooth it out, then simmer until it thickens — about 2 minutes. Taste and adjust salt and pepper.
-
14
Carve and serve
5 minCarve the duck and plate it with that bright citrus sauce. Serve over rice or with your favorite sides — the sauce is the star here.
From Mike's Notebook
Don't truss the duck—leave the legs splayed so heat reaches the inner thighs, the last thing to cook through.
Reserve that neck for stock while the bird rests; it's where the real flavor lives for your next sauce.
Prick the skin all over before roasting so fat renders out instead of steaming under the skin.
Nutrition
Estimated · 1 serving · calculated from the ingredient list, not lab-tested.
Tell us how it went.
Be the first to review this recipe.
