Dutch Oven Roasted Duck | thehealthyfoodie.com

I fell so madly in love with my Dutch Oven for roasting chicken that I decided to try and use the same method to make an Oven Roasted Duck.

I’m a huge fan of duck, because its meat is naturally so super tasty, but I find it also tends to be a little bit on the tough side sometimes, especially when roasted in the oven. I think that duck is one of those meats that needs to be cooked either super briefly over intensely high heat, which can only be done with the breasts, or slow and low, preferably in their own fat, a technique which works much better with the thighs (when you do that, though, you can just forget about crispy skin…) Throw a whole bird in the oven and it tends to be a bit, well, like I said, on the tough side.

Personally, I much prefer the breasts but sometimes, you know, you gotta have the whole bird…

I figured the Dutch oven was doing such an amazing job at making my chicken super tender while preserving the crispiness of the skin, surely it would reserve the exact same treatment to ducks. I couldn’t see why it would treat the other birds any differently…

And indeed, it didn’t. My duck came out of there tender, juicy, moist, very tasty and with a beautiful, perfectly golden and crispy skin.

And now I have yet another reason to adore my trusty Dutch oven. I think I can now safely say that it’s become my ultimate favorite tool in the kitchen!

Dutch Oven Roasted Duck | thehealthyfoodie.com

To make your own Dutch oven roasted duck, start by preheating your oven to 325°F

Then, with the help of a sharp knife, make a series of small incisions in a criss-cross pattern on the duck’s skin. Be careful to only pierce the skin and fat without actually cutting into the meat.

Duck meat is so tasty that is doesn’t need much of anything when it comes to seasoning. Just a generous sprinkle of salt and pepper will do the trick. About a teaspoon of each should be amply sufficient.

Dutch Oven Roasted Duck | thehealthyfoodie.com

Rub the duck gently with your fingers so the seasonings get into the cracks and then place the bird into a 7 quart Dutch oven.

Put the lid on and place the duck in the oven.

Dutch Oven Roasted Duck | thehealthyfoodie.com

Leave the bird in the oven for 4 to 5 hours, basting it every hour or so, until it’s fall-off-the-bone tender and displays beautifully nice and golden skin.

Dutch Oven Roasted Duck | thehealthyfoodie.com

See how beautiful that skin got? And just look at all the fat that ended up at the bottom of the Dutch oven. SCORE!

I strongly suggest that you line a fine meshed sieve with a piece of cheesecloth and filter all that beautiful fat. You will then be able to employ it as a delicious, tasty and healthy cooking fat.

And that’s another bonus of using this fabulous technique to roast duck. I’m positive that once you’ve tried it, you too will totally adopt it!

Dutch Oven Roasted Duck | thehealthyfoodie.com

Dutch Oven Roasted Duck | thehealthyfoodie.com
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4.41 from 25 votes

Dutch Oven Roasted Duck

Prep Time: 10 minutes
Cook Time: 5 hours
Total Time: 5 hours 10 minutes
Oven Roasted Duck can sometimes be a little tough, but the Dutch oven makes it super tender and juicy while leaving the skin all beautiful and crispy.
Servings: 4

Ingredients

  • 1 whole duck, thawed or fresh, about 2.5kg (5½lb)
  • Salt and pepper to taste, about 1 tsp of each

Instructions

  • Preheat your oven to 325°F
  • With the help of a sharp knife, make a series of small incisions in a criss-cross pattern on the duck's skin (be careful to only pierce the skin and fat without cutting into the meat).
  • Sprinkle the duck generously with salt and pepper and rub it gently with your fingers so the seasonings get into the cracks.
  • Place your bird into a 7 quart Dutch oven, put the lid on and place the duck in the oven for 4 to 5 hours, basting it every hour or so, until it's fall-off-the-bone tender and displays beautifuly nice and golden skin.
  • Serve without delay.

Notes

*I strongly suggest that you line a fine meshed sieve with cheesecloth and filter the fat that accumulated at the bottom of the Dutch oven. You will then be able to employ it as a delicious cooking fat.

Nutrition

Calories: 458kcal, Protein: 13g, Fat: 45g, Saturated Fat: 15g, Cholesterol: 86mg, Sodium: 71mg, Potassium: 237mg, Vitamin A: 191IU, Vitamin C: 3mg, Calcium: 12mg, Iron: 3mg
Course: Main Course
Cuisine: American
Author: Sonia! The Healthy Foodie

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