When it comes to cooking duck, you want to achieve the perfectly crisped skin, juicy meat, and the deep, rich flavour that trained chefs in restaurants make. However, this is not always easy to get because of a lack of experience and access to the right duck products. So, what is the secrete to cooking duck at home?
Keep reading to know the answer:
Choosing Quality Meat and Cuts
If you are interested in mastering duck, ensure you use fresh, flavourful meat. The best duck meat is not gamey, looks beautiful, and has a fresh taste. In terms of the cuts to try, you have some options to choose form. You can buy a whole duck and cook it whole. Cut the duck to have breasts, wings, and legs to cook separately. Or you can purchase the parts you want to cook. Roasting a whole duck is probably everybody’s favorite method because it’s the simplest. Check out the famous canards du lac Brome recipe to serve your family with a mouthwatering duck dish.
Scoring and Flippin the Duck
Duck tends to have a lot of fat. But, because it is mostly concentrated under the skin, you can score or prick the skin well and flip the duck over at intervals to let the fat render out. The fat that drips right down into your pan will crisp the skin as it goes. Ensure to collect the fat and save it in a jar. It can be used for potatoes, sauteed garlic, roasted vegetables, or steamed kale.
After mastering the art of scoring and flipping duck, cooking the bird is a lot easier than roasting a whole chicken. Roast the duck for 45 minutes at 425 degrees F, fat side down. Make sure to drain the fat from the pan and roast until the fat stops rendering out. Let the meat rest before carving and drain extra fat.
Why Choose Duck Breast
Duck breasts can be simply seared and roasted and still offer a nice amount of delicious fat. Its rich, savory meatiness pairs perfectly well with sweet flavours. While some people cook it with a sweet sauce, others pair it with something sweet after cooking. Consider a small amount of dried lavender to give the meat some fragrance.
Duck Confit
Confit means “with fat.” With duck confit, you are slow-roasting the meat in its own fat. This process loosens the meat and renders out the fat. A lot of people serve their duck confit with pickled raisin sauce. Other awesome accompaniments include pomegranate seeds, wine-plumped dried fruit, or candied orange.
