Long Island Roast Duckling with Citrus
This is a straightforward roast duck that relies on a few simple habits to get crisp skin. Pricking the skin lets the fat escape, a rack keeps the bird out of its own drippings, and draining the pan every 20 minutes keeps it from stewing. Lemon and orange in the cavity add a light citrus scent to the meat. It needs only salt and pepper, and it feeds three or four.
Instructions
If the duck is frozen, thaw it in the fridge. Take out the giblets and any packages from the cavity, then rinse the bird and pat it dry inside and out with paper towels. Set the oven to 375 °F with a rack in the center.
Prick the skin every half inch with a fork or similar prongs, going through the skin into the fat but not into the meat. This lets the fat run out as the duck cooks.
Rub plenty of salt and freshly ground pepper over the skin. Put 2 pieces of lemon and 2 to 4 pieces of orange inside the cavity, then tie the legs together with butcher's twine to hold the citrus in.
Set the duck breast side up on a rack inside a deep roasting pan, so the fat drips into the pan and not onto the oven floor. Push a meat thermometer into one thigh and place the pan on the center rack.
Roast for 1 to 1½ hours, depending on the size of the bird. Every 20 minutes, take the duck out, pour off the excess fat, and turn the duck around before returning it so the skin crisps evenly.
The duck is done when the skin is golden brown and crisp and the thermometer reads at least 165 °F. Take it out of the oven, pour the liquid from the cavity and discard it, and let the duck rest for ten minutes before carving.
Make it personal.
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