How to cook a duck successfully?

Duck is a particularly tasty meat that you have to know how to cook to appreciate all its flavors. It is important to cook the duck well so as not to denature it.

How do you cook a 3 kg duck in the oven?

Baking is the best way to cook a whole duck. For a 3 kg duck, the recommended cooking time is 2 hrs 45 mins at 180 ° C, but several steps must be taken to obtain optimal results. First, remember to remove the duck from the refrigerator at least 20 minutes before putting it in the oven to promote smooth cooking. Of course, if you have a whole duck, you will need to prepare it by removing the giblets (you can save them for other recipes), then cleaning it in cold water (inside and out). Make sure you remove all the water, and use paper towels until the duck is dry. At the same time, preheat the oven to 180 ° C. Out of the oven, place the duck on a baking sheet, breast side up, and cut the fat with a knife by making crosses on it (do not press too hard on the knife, only the surface fat should be cut. ). Oil the skin (or butter it), and season the duck according to your recipe without forgetting the salt and pepper. Then, tie the legs. Place the duck in the oven, and cook for 1 hour (you can cover it with aluminum foil if it tends to dry out). At the end of this time, remove the baking sheet from the oven, prick the skin of the duck with a knife to allow the melted fat to drain, and remove the excess fat present. Then turn the duck over, and put it back in the oven for an additional 1 hour. Repeat the operation by pricking the other side of the duck. Add a little salt, and cook for another half an hour / three quarters of an hour. Finish cooking on the grill position to make the skin very crispy. Note that a free-range duck may require a little more cooking, and it is possible to baste it regularly with the cooking juices.

What is the cooking time for a duck breast in the oven and in the pan?

Cooking duck breast also depends on your taste preferences. If you want meat that is pink, that is, slightly more cooked than rare, the cooking time will only be about ten minutes at most. As you can imagine, the rosy cooking will be obtained when the center of the duck breast is pink in color. Concretely, the easiest cooking to obtain rosé duck is in a pan. Start by salting your duck breast, crisscross the skin, and place it in your hot pan (or on a plancha), skin side down. Let it cook for 5 minutes on each side. Another possibility to obtain a pink duck is to place the meat on a very hot pan and cook over medium heat to melt the fat. You will then turn the duck breast, and continue cooking for a minute before placing it in the oven for a quarter of an hour in an oven preheated to 210 ° C. On the other hand, if your pieces of meat are particularly thick, you can leave them a little longer; otherwise, they may not be cooked enough

In a casserole dish, in a pan, in the oven … the different types of duck cooking

No technique — casserole, pan, oven or plancha — is to be preferred depending on the type of cooking you prefer (rare, pink, medium or well done). Be aware, however, that your whole duck cooked in a casserole dish will cook faster than in the oven and will be softer. You can also make a duck confit in a casserole dish. To do this, brown fatty duck thighs in duck fat which have previously been coated in coarse salt and set aside for 24 hours in the refrigerator. If you want to cook duck legs, you can also use baking. So, after having drizzled the duck legs with a glass of chicken stock and placed around various vegetables, you can cook them in the oven at 190 ° C for 1.5 hours in a preheated oven. The aiguillettes can also be baked in the oven, but you can cook them in a pan for tender and moist meat.

Enjoy your lunch !