Whole Roasted Duck

🧂 Ingredients

• 5-6 lb duck
• 2 teaspoon salt
• 1 teaspoon pepper
• 1 teaspoon cinnamon
• ½ teaspoon fennel seeds

Instructions

• 1 If using a frozen duck, be sure to thaw your duck for 2-3 days in the
  refrigerator before preparing. Once your duck is completely thawed, remove the
  giblets and neck as well as any packaged orange sauce that may be in the body
  cavity. Rinse with cold water then pat completely dry with paper towels. Set the
  duck out for 30 minutes to warm to room temperature.
• 2 Preheat your oven to 425 degrees F (218 degrees C) while the duck is setting
  out.
• 3 Use a sharp knife or the tines of a fork to pierce the duck skin in small slits
  or crosses (in a diamond pattern). *Do this carefully, as you don't want to
  pierce the duck meat! Lift the skin away to help avoid peircing the meat.
  
  For a great even cook on your duck, there are two things to note. 1) It is best
  not to stuff the body cavity with onion or citrus for flavor. This reduces the
  air flow and adds cooking time. 2) If you're not worried about the presentation
  or tying the legs crossed, you can make slits into the leg joints between the
  body and the thigh to ensure that the duck cooks quickly and evenly.
• 4 Grind your fennel seeds if needed, then blend all of the seasoning mix
  ingredients: salt, pepper, cinnamon, fennel. Rub onto all surfaces of the duck
  skin.
• 5 Place the duck with the breast side facing upward into a roasting pan with a
  rack. Roast in the preheated oven at 425 degrees F (218 degrees C) for 15
  minutes.
• 6 Reduce the oven temperature to 350 degrees F (175 degrees C) and continue to
  roast the duck for an additional 1 hour and 15 minutes. If the duck still has
  running juices that are pink, let it continue to roast for 15 minutes more.
• 7 Once your duck has an internal temperature of 145 degrees F (63 degrees C)
  remove the roasted duck from your oven and loosely 'tent' a square of aluminum
  foil over the duck. Allow the duck to rest for 20 minutes before carving and
  serving.

Nutrition Info