Time: 2.5 hours
Servings: 8
Rating: 5/5
Recipe by Alison Roman from Bon Appetit: https://www.bonappetit.com/recipe/roast-ducks-potatoes-figs-rosemary
INGREDIENTS
- 2x 5 lb whole ducks
- Salt and pepper
- 2 rosemary sprigs
- 1 head garlic, peeled
- 1.5 onion, quartered (stuffing)
- 1/2 lb (~3) carrots, chopped into sticks
- 2 lb (~4) Yukon potatoes, cut into 1/8’s
- 1/2 box brown mushrooms, 1/2’s
- 1/2 onion quartered (roasting)
- 1/2 celery bunch, chopped into sticks
- plum sauce / hoisin
INSTRUCTIONS
- If ducks are frozen, be sure ducks have thawed (in the fridge at least 1 day).
- Preheat oven to 425 deg F. Peel garlic and chop onions.
- Prepare ducks. Remove head and feet if necessary. With ducks breast side down, score fatty areas along back and thighs. Be careful to not cut into the flesh. Flip over the duck and score again mostly over the breasts. Poke a few holes in the fatty areas.
- Stuff each duck with 1 rosemary sprig, 1/2 head garlic, and 3/4 onions. Season generously with salt and pepper.
- Place ducks breast side down in a large roasting pan with 1/2 cup water. Roast until duck fat renders and the skin is golden brown, about 40min. Remove pan from oven and remove ducks to pour out the rendered fat.
- Prepare rest of vegetables.
- In the roasting pan, toss carrots, potatoes, mushrooms, onion, and celery with 1/4 cup rendered fat. Season with salt and pepper. Roast at 425 deg F for 20min.
- Take out the roasting pan and move veggies to the side. Place ducks breast side up in the roasting pan. Roast for 50-60min (thermometer in breasts 155 deg F).
- Rest for 10min before carving.
Thoughts
Absolutely delicious during the holiday season. I would serve the duck with plum sauce or Hoisin. I would like to try adding the veggies in the beginning with the duck when it is rendering so they have more time to cook and soften – then just cut out the time for cooking only the veggies, and skip pouring out the rendered fat. Also, will probably cut the veggies into smaller pieces so it takes less time to cook.
