Crispy Duck and Apple Roast

Cuisine: American

Cook Time: 4 Hours

Serves: 4

One of the most succulent, quick, and easy recipes, the crispy duck and apple roast is every chef's go-to for a top-notch dinner party. While it has only two primary ingredients, it is equal parts juicy and crispy.

A large duck
Apples

A juicy delight for duck meat lovers!

Preheat the oven to 120 °C (fan-forced). Discard any excess fat from around a 1.5 kg duck's cavity and use a skewer or roasting fork to prick the duck's skin all over. Be careful during this process since it will pierce the meat otherwise. Rub the duck generously inside out with sea salt. Lay it breast-side down on a rack over a roasting tray. Let it roast for 3 hours as you prick it every once in a while.
While the duck cooks, carve a thin line around the middle of 4 apples. Set it aside.
After 3 hours, remove the duck from the oven and heat the oven to 180 °C (fan-forced). Place the duck on a plate and pour away most of the fat from the tin. Put the duck back on the rack and continue to roast for 30 minutes. Place the apples under the duck or on the sides. Roast for 30 minutes more. Once the duck turns crispy and the apples are soft enough to collapse, leave it to rest for 10 minutes.
Carve the duck and serve with the apples.

Chef Tip: If you have bought a frozen duck, it should be thawed in the refrigerator for 24 hours, or it won't be cooked evenly. The carved apples keep them from exploding when they are being baked.

Once you taste this mouthwatering delight, there is no going back. Festive season or not, learn how to make this wonderful dish and step up your dinner game. Let us know how this recipe stole the show at your next party!

Quick Bites

Fun Fact

• During the Yuan dynasty (1271 to 1368), a cookbook emerged from a royal dietary physician by the name of Hu Sihui in 1330. Hu’s recipe has a rather elaborate recipe of roasted duck where the duck was roasted inside the stomach of a sheep.

Historical Fact

• Duck products have high demand, particularly in Asia. The cooking preferences of ducks vary widely. Roasted duck with apples is a characteristic Russian dish.

• The reason why they go hand in hand is that the sweetness of the apple adds a delicate edge to the slightly overpowering flavor of the duck.

Nutrition Fact

• Duck meat is a good source of glycine which is an important amino acid that plays a vital role in healing wounds, also improves the sleep cycle.

• Meanwhile, apples are a great source of various antioxidants, flavanoids, and dietary fiber and are beneficial in reducing the risk of developing cancer, diabetes, hypertension, and heart diseases.