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If you’ve only had oven-roasted duck, this recipe just may change your whole opinion of the bird. It comes out so crisp and delicious, with a deeply brown, burnished skin, it’s almost like Chinese roast duck. But to render the fat, you really have to prick the skin all over—fifty times, in fact. Count ’em!–Mario Batali
LC 50 TIMES NOTE
It seems 50 isn’t just the number of times one ought to brush one’s hair at night or the number of sheep one may count before becoming even remotely sleepy. It’s also the number of times one must pierce the skin of a duck prior to roasting. We’re not about to argue with any logic that turns out duck skin this crisp.
Spit-Roasted Duck
If you've only had oven-roasted duck, this recipe just may change your whole opinion of the bird. It comes out so crisp and delicious, with a deeply brown, burnished skin, it's almost like Chinese roast duck. But to render the fat, you really have to prick the skin all over—fifty times, in fact. Count 'em!
Ingredients
- 1/2 cup orange marmalade
- 1/2 cup fresh orange juice
- 3 tablespoons balsamic vinegar
- 4 garlic cloves, minced
- 2 tablespoons finely chopped rosemary leaves
- One (4 to 4 1/2 pound) duck
- Kosher salt and freshly ground black pepper to taste
Instructions
- Prepare a gas or charcoal grill for rotisserie cooking over indirect medium heat (or according to the instructions for your grill). Place the drip pan under the center of the spit.
- In a small saucepan, combine the marmalade, orange juice, balsamic vinegar, garlic, and rosemary and bring to a boil. Reduce the heat to medium-low and gently simmer for 5 minutes. Remove from the heat and let cool. Pour 1/4 cup of the sauce into a small bowl to use for basting the duck, and pour the rest into a small serving bowl for passing at the table.
- Meanwhile, remove all the excess fat from the duck. Wash the duck and dry it thoroughly both inside and out with paper towels. With a sharp metal skewer, prick the duck skin all over, especially the thighs, 50 times. Season the duck inside and out with salt and pepper to taste. Tie the legs together and brush the duck all over with a light coating of the orange-marmalade mixture.
- Place the duck on the spit and secure it with the clamps. Attach it to the rotisserie mechanism, cover the grill, and cook until the temperature in the thickest part of the thigh reaches 160°F (71°C), 1 1/4 to 1 3/4 hours, depending on the heat of your grill. About 15 minutes before the duck is done, brush it all over again with more of the orange sauce. When the duck is done, transfer it to a cutting board and let rest for 15 minutes.
- Carve the duck and pass the remaining orange sauce on the side.
Nutrition
Serving: 1 portionCalories: 1047 kcalCarbohydrates: 33 gProtein: 27 gFat: 89 gSaturated Fat: 30 gMonounsaturated Fat: 42 gCholesterol: 172 mgSodium: 169 mgFiber: 1 gSugar: 28 g
Nutrition information is automatically calculated, so should only be used as an approximation.
Tried this recipe?Mention @leitesculinaria or tag #leitesculinaria!
Recipe © 2008 Mario Batali. Photo © 2008 . All rights reserved.
can i cook a duck in a electric indoor home rotisserie?
lillian, we didn’t test it that way. My guess is no. There’s so much fat, it could cause a fire.
Would this recipe work to do a few hours ahead and then reheat? Would love to make for a dinner get together but the place we’re going doesn’t have grill/rotisserie so we’d have to do at home and then take with. Thoughts?
Thanks
Jennie, I suggest cooking it, then wrapping it in foil. It may still be warm when you get to location. If not, gently reheated in a 300° oven, still wrapped in the foil.
My 3-year-old son loves it. The sweetness and the citrusy baste give much flavor to the meat. Happy with your recipe and thank you. I’m going to make it again.
May, hats off to you for exposing your son to such varied tastes so early. You just may have a gourmet-in-training on your hands.