Roast Duck: The Secrets Of Crispy Crust

Duck is not easy to cook. Its meat is tougher and wiry, but fatter than other poultry. These features require a kind of duck processing.

Duck is not easy to cook. Its meat is tougher and wiry, but fatter than other poultry. These features require a kind of duck processing. But this does not mean that it is impossible to achieve an enticing aroma and an appetizing crust. True, you will have to spend a lot of time cooking. But following our advice, even when cooking duck for the first time, you will get an amazing result.

 

Degrease

Unlike diet chicken, duck does not need to be additionally lubricated with sour cream or butter. It is already quite oily, so that it is difficult to overdry during baking.

On the contrary, to make the crust crispy, cut off excess fat on the neck and from the back of the carcass. Otherwise, it will melt and make the surface of the duck soft, which means no crisp. In the area of ​​​​the breast and legs, shallow punctures should be made with a toothpick so that excess fat flows out, and does not soften the bird from the inside.

scald

Duck skin has deep and wide pores that will deprive you of a delicious crust. To get rid of them, check out how to properly scald a duck.

The procedure is carried out in two stages, for each of which you will need 2-3 liters of boiling water. Pour the carcass with a thin stream, while being very careful, because the liquid should not get inside the bird. Then wipe dry and leave to dry for half an hour. Then - the second scalding and dry the duck again.

 

Spices

The carcass should be rubbed with salt inside and out and left for half an hour so that the meat is salted, then remove excess grains with a napkin. Just at this moment, it is best to make punctures with toothpicks, described in the first tip, and also rub the spices. Paprika, ground hot pepper, juniper, garlic, fresh dill, thyme and cinnamon perfectly reveal the taste of duck. Inside the bird, you can put 1 bay leaf. It will give the meat a tarry-sweet smell.

The main thing - do not use zira! It is categorically incompatible with duck meat.

Cream

It is recommended to pour a few tablespoons of low-fat cream into the bird through the neck and back. Then the holes will have to be sewn up so that the cream does not leak out. Thanks to this, the duck will become more tender and softer, which means you will compensate for its wiryness.

 

Proper baking

The duck should not be placed on a baking sheet, but on a wire rack so that it does not bake in its fat, which can ruin the crust. Wrap wings and legs in foil before cooking.

Baking time and temperature

The duck is baked for a long time. Place it as low as possible in the preheated oven. The first hour keep the temperature around 150 degrees Celsius, the next hour - 170 degrees. Then remove the carcass and turn it over on its back, heat the oven to 190-200 degrees and return the bird. It will cook for another 20-25 minutes. So the crust will acquire a uniform golden color. But this is not the end of baking!

 

honey mixture

Here it is the final touch of this culinary masterpiece. While the duck is baking, prepare the mixture: dissolve 50 g of honey in 80 ml of boiling water, add a pinch of salt and pepper.

After intensive roasting on the back, remove the duck, drizzle with half of the honey mixture and return to the oven for 5 minutes. After 5 minutes, you need to turn the carcass on the abdomen again, pour over the remaining filling and send for another 5 minutes. And then the duck can be served at the table.

Do you like to cook duck? Share your duck cooking secrets in the comments to this article!