Roasted Duck

Roast Duck

There is something about duck that just appeals to me. The richness and sweetness of the meat make duck a favorite of mine no matter how it is prepared. I grew up eating Czarnina (Polish Duck Soup) that was mostly prepared for holidays. That made the soup even more special. As a kid I only ate duck that had cooked in the soup all day. It wasn’t until I was in my teens that I had it prepared any other way. I still remember my mother cooking the duck with orange glaze. It was wonderful.

I recently got 3 fresh ducks from Plumcreek Farm. I put 2 in the freezer for later but had to enjoy one of them right away.  Fresh duck is a real treat. I had ordered the ducks several weeks ago and had thought about how I wanted to cook them. Various sauces went through my mind. Rhubarb perhaps or maybe a plum sauce. Red wine or something citrus based, perhaps. In the end I decided to go minimal with this first duck. No fancy sauces or even marinades. I wanted to leave the duck as close to “natural” as I could. I salted it inside and out and gave it a good sprinkle of fresh ground black pepper. I also cut up an apple and onion and placed them in the cavity. That was it. Placed the duck on a rack and roasted it in a hot oven to crisp and render the skin as much as possible. Baked it at 425 for about an hour and a half. Served it with a saute of sweet potatoes, onions and apples that suited the duck. I would not have changed a thing.

My first fresh duck

Crispy perfection