How To Cook a Whole Duck with Confidence

Whole duck is a great option for home cooks at all skill levels, but consumers who have never prepared it are often intimidated by the prospect of fixing it the first time.

But it doesn’t have to be that way. With the right cooking techniques and recipes, anyone can prepare a delicious whole duck in the comfort of their kitchen.

To make you feel more at ease and help you better understand the cooking instructions, here are Maple Leaf Farms most basic tips for cooking whole duck at home.

Defrosting

The best way to defrost your frozen duck is to place it in the refrigerator 2-3 days before you want to prepare it.

Prepping

To prepare your duck, remove it from the bag, remove the giblets (and orange sauce if included), trim excess fat, rinse with water and pat dry.

Rendering

Carefully prick the skin with a fork and then place the duck in a stock pot of boiling water for 10 minutes to help render out the fat and yield a duck with crispy skin.

Seasoning

Season duck by rubbing on salt, pepper, paprika or your preferred seasoning mixture.

Stuffing

Place orange slices, celery stalks, onion, apples, head of garlic or other aromatics that will enhance the flavor of your duck of your choice in cavity of duck. Do not fill with traditional stuffing as it will not cook properly inside the duck cavity.

Roasting

Preheat oven to 350 degrees F. Place duck breast side up on rack in a roasting pan. Cook in oven for 30 minutes per pound or until internal temperature reaches 180 degrees F at thigh joint.