How Do I Cook a Whole Duck?

Faith Durand
Faith DurandSVP of Content
Faith is the SVP of Content at Apartment Therapy Media and former Editor-in-Chief of The Kitchn. She is the author of three cookbooks, including the James Beard Award-winning The Kitchn Cookbook. She lives in Columbus, Ohio, with her husband and two daughters.
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published Apr 20, 2010
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Q: Hi! I need some cooking advice. My local grocery store has whole frozen ducks on sale and I am looking for some suggestions on how to cook one.

I have never cooked duck before and it seems a bit more complicated then a whole chicken. Do you have any advice or easy recipes?

Sent by Sarah

Editor: Sarah, roasting a duck actually isn’t too much different than roasting a chicken. There is a lot more fat on a duck, though, so you either need to baste that away while cooking, so it doesn’t completely smoke up your oven, or roast the duck in a standing pan of water, as in the recipe below.

Here’s a very good recipe via Gourmet, at Epicurious:

• Crisp Roast Duck

Be sure to read through the user comments for some more tips on roasting the duck. Good luck (and maybe we can come over to dinner…?).

Readers, any more tips for Sarah, or any favorite recipes?

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Related: Good Question: What To Do With Duck Fat?

(Image: Romulo Yanes/Gourmet)

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Meat
poultry
Tips & Techniques
Ingredient