Old Fashioned Roast Duck Crispy Style

The following recipe, though it calls for many hours of roasting, is simple as can be – and it leads to perfectly crisp skin and melting tender duck meat. To serve the ducks, you could simply cut each one in half, and serve each person half a duck with the bone in. Or, you could fillet the breast and legs (making sure to keep the crisp skin intact), cut the fillets into ½ inch wide pieces, and arrange the slices attractively on dinner plates.

2 large ducks (fresh or thawed, frozen) each about 6 pounds

Salt and pepper to taste

1. Preheat oven to 250º.

2. Trim the duck: With a sharp knife, cut away excess fat and skin that hangs at both ends of the duck. Trim thoroughly (you should end up with about 2 or 3 cups of excess fat and skin, which can be discarded or used to render duck fat).

3. Fill cavity with orange and lemon and prick each duck very thoroughly with a fork on both sides (25 to 30 pricks for each duck).

4. Place the ducks on a rack set in a large roasting pan. Place pan in the oven, and roast ducks at 250º. After 1 hour, prick the ducks thoroughly on one side, turn them over, and prick thoroughly on the other side. Continue to roast with the newly turned side up. Repeat this process every hour.

5. After 4 hours of roasting, prick and turn once again. Increase oven temperature to 350º. Continue roasting, pricking and turning once for an additional 30 to 90 minutes. (See note below).

6. Before serving, let the ducks sit for about 15 minutes and season them well with salt and pepper.

If you roast them for 30 minutes on one side, prick and turn, and 30 minutes on the other side, they will be juicy and crisp.

Remove from oven. Sit for 15 minutes. Pour triple sec over surface of duck. Ignite carefully. When flame dies, serve immediately with Orange Sauce.

NOTE: The amount of additional roasting time at 350º is up to you. Do you want a juicier finished product or a crisper finished product?

Orange Sauce:

1 c. orange juice

2 Tbsp. lemon juice

3/4 c. Triple Sec

1 Tbsp. brown sugar

In medium saucepan, mix all ingredients. Simmer 30 minutes until reduced and slightly thickened. Serve with roast duckling.

Makes 4 servings.