Recipe: Roast Duck

Roast Duck

Serves 4


5-lb. duck

Salt

Freshly ground pepper

Preheat the oven to 450°F. Rub the inside of the duck with salt and pepper. Prick the skin all over, especially along the sides under the breast, to allow the fat to run out while the duck roasts. Place the duck breast up on a rack in a shallow roasting pan. Baste every 15 minutes, pouring off the fat from the pan as it accumulates. Turn the duck breast down after the first 30 minutes of roasting. Turn it breast up again and roast another 30 minutes, then baste it with 3-4 tablespoons of ice water and roast another 15 minutes---1-1/4 hours altogether or until a meat thermometer reads 170°F in the thigh. If you like your duck very well done, roast it another 15 minutes, but be forewarned, the meat is going to be dry. Remove from the oven and let rest for 15 minutes before carving.