Roast Duck

If you bought a frozen duck, make sure to thaw it in the refrigerator for a couple of days, and once thawed, remove it from the fridge 30 minutes before cooking to allow it to reach room temperature.

Dry it very well with paper towels and remove the giblets from inside if it has any.

Score the skin on the breast part in a diamond pattern, making sure to cut only the skin, without reaching the meat.

Also, prick the fattiest parts of the duck with the tip of a knife, so while it cooks, it will release almost all its fat. It’s not necessary to prick the duck legs since the skin is quite thin there.

Season with salt and pepper, all over, both inside the cavity and outside, on the skin.

Inside, add whole or chopped garlic cloves, slices of lemon and orange. Then fold the flappy skin at the bottom inward.

Place the duck breast side up on a rack in a tray; this will lift the duck off the bottom and allow the fat to drip underneath.

Bake with the breast side up, for 1 hour at 350°F or 176°C.

After 1 hour of roasting, flip it and roast for another 40 minutes, at 350°F or 176°C.

Meanwhile, prepare the glaze to give it that nicely golden and shiny finish with half an orange, half a lemon, ½ cup of balsamic vinegar, and ¼ cup of honey.

Stir well until the honey disperses and becomes lighter.

To prevent too much fat from splashing, add water to the tray. Flip (breast side up) and brush the duck with the glaze all over. Repeat this step every 10 minutes during the rest of the roasting time (40 minutes).

During the last 20 minutes, you should be very vigilant to prevent burning.

After the duck is cooked, remove it from the oven, let it rest for 15 minutes before cutting and serving.