Cooking Roast Duck

Ducks – or, if they are under two months old, ducklings – come in a variety of breeds and sizes, anything from 2 lb (900 g), to 7 lb (3.2 kg). An average size of 4-5 lb (1.8-2.25 kg), will feed four people.

Instructions for cooking…

Duck should be cooked in a preheated oven for 45 minutes per kg at 200ºC/400ºF/Gas Mark 6.

Place your duck on a rack and sit in a roasting tin.

Pierce the skin all over and season generously with sea salt and freshly milled black pepper, using quite a lot of salt, as this encourages crunchiness.

Place the tin on the centre shelf of the pre-heated oven. During the cooking time, remove the tin from the oven and drain the fat from the corner of the tin. You will need to do this 3 or 4 times. The leftover duck fat is great for roast potatoes so don’t throw it away. (save in a jar and refrigerate until use).

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