Whole stuffed roast duck is a holiday kind of meal, but it’s so good, I wonder why I don’t cook it at other times as well. And, for a family of four, the leftovers are generous. Since duck is a “red” meat, it can be cooked rarer than chicken. A duck weighing 6.6 lbs (3 kg) takes about two hours and 45 minutes to cook through. A smaller duck might take less time to roast, and a larger duck might need more time.
Recipe Author: Past Featured Chef, Tania Teschke from The Bordeaux Kitchen cookbook.
Season: Autumn and Winter
Prep Time: 10 min
Cooking Time: 2hrs 45min
Serves: 8
US Wellness Shopping List: Whole Duck
Ingredients
- 1 duck (internal organs removed)
- 1 Tbsp fleur de sel or course sea salt
- 1 Tbsp fresh or dried thyme
- 1 carrot, chopped
- 1 onion, chopped
- 3 bay leaves
- 1 clementine, peeled and segments separated
Instructions
- Preheat the oven to 395° F (200° C). Rub the duck with the salt and thyme. Stuff the duck with the carrot, onion, bay leaves, and clementine. Place the duck in a large oven-safe dish and cook uncovered in the oven for 10 minutes before reducing the heat to 365° F (185° C). The initial higher heat will help brown the skin. Cook uncovered for another 50 minutes.
- After the first hour of cooking, use a large spoon to baste the duck with some of the liquid fat from the bottom of the pan. Feel free to spoon out more fat to use for sautéing accompanying vegetables. Reduce the heat slightly to 355° F (about 180° C).
- Check the internal temperature of the meat after two hours of cooking by placing a meat thermometer into one of the thighs. Baste the duck again with the liquid fat from the bottom of the pan.
- Once the duck has finished roasting, carve and serve with the liquid fat drizzled over each serving. Serve with accompanying vegetables and homemade cranberry sauce.
Variations
For the stuffing, add 1/2 cup chopped, blanched almonds or almond flour mixed in a food processor with the duck’s liver, heart, and kidneys, along with two tablespoons of fromage blanc (a fresh white cow’s cheese, similar to cream cheese or ricotta) or sour cream and two shallots.
Wine Pairing Tip
For a traditional, Southwestern pairing with the duck, go with a Madiran, with notes of raspberry and juniper berries, or a full-bodied Cahors, or try a fresh and aromatic Lirac, with notes of black and red fruits and leather, from the Southern Rhône Valley.
Meet The Chef
Tania Teschke previously lived in Bordeaux, France, where she studied French cooking, butchery with an award-winning French butcher, and she earned a diploma in wine tasting from the University of Bordeaux. Having faced numerous health issues over more than two decades, Tania is passionate about healing herself, feeding her family nutritious meals and sharing what she has learned with others. Her book of ancestral French recipes, published by Primal Blueprint, is called The Bordeaux Kitchen. Find more of Tania’s recipes and adventures at: Food Blog | Twitter | Instagram | Photography Blog
