Best Honey Roasted Duck Recipes

HONEY ROASTED DUCK

Steps:

• For the DUCK: Score the skin of the duck breasts in a criss cross pattern with a very sharp knife. Season the duck breast generously with salt and the five spice and rub into the skin thoroughly.
• Place the duck breasts, skin-side down, on a dry ovenproof pan and cook over very low heat to render down most of the fat. This may take 8-10 minutes, depending on the thickness of the fat.
• Save some excess fat for the potatoes later.
• Now turn up the heat and fry until the skin is crisp. Turn the duck breasts over and cook the other side for another 3-4 minutes. Just before the duck is ready, drizzle the honey and soy sauce over. Toss and turn the duck in the honey and soy and cook until the liquid has reduced to a syrupy glaze. Transfer the duck to a warm plate and leave to rest for 5-10 minutes.
• Slice the duck lengthways and place on top. Drizzle any remaining pan juices over and finish with a small drizzle of the vinaigrette.
• For the POTATOES: use a large, sharp cook’s knife, chop the shallots and garlic into very fine dice. Place the shallots and garlic into a heavy-based saucepan with the extra virgin olive oil, a light sprinkling of salt, the sugar, herbs and a splash of water
• Set the pan over high heat. When the oil becomes hot, adjust the heat to a moderate setting, give the shallots and garlic a stir and cover the pan with a lid. Cook for 20-25 minutes, shaking the pan from time to time and stirring every 5 minutes, to stop the shallots and garlic sticking to the bottom. You should be left with a soft, sweet and lightly golden shallot mixture. Set aside.
• Cut the potatoes into 1 cm thick slices. Boil in salted water for 6 minutes until just tender. Drain well then pat dry between sheets of kitchen paper. Heat the olive oil in a large sauté pan over high heat. Add the potato slices and season with salt and pepper. Fry for about 3 minutes on each side until lightly golden.
• Add a tablespoon of the confit and sauté for another 1-2 minutes, tossing and turning the potatoes, until golden and crisp at the edges.

HONEY-ROASTED DUCK WITH CREAMED CAULIFLOWER

Steps:

• Heat oven to 220C/fan 200C/gas 7. Dry the duck with kitchen paper and liberally season all over with coarse salt. Put the thyme and bay leaves inside the cavity, then place the duck on a rack over a roasting tray.
• Cook for 10 mins or until the skin begins to turn golden, then reduce the heat to 180C/fan 160C/ gas 4. Cook for a further 45 mins, basting the bird with honey every 5 mins or so for the final 20 mins of cooking. Your bird will now be roasted to medium - cook 10 mins more, if you like your duck well done. Set aside to rest, uncovered, for 10 mins.
• Meanwhile, make the creamed cauliflower. In a pan, cook the caulifl ower and shallots in the butter over a low heat for 20 mins until softened and any liquid has evaporated. Spoon into a liquidiser with the cream and whizz to a purée. Season and keep warm.
• For the garlic crisps, thinly slice the garlic cloves using a really sharp knife or a mandolin. Place the slices in a pan along with the milk and slowly bring to the boil.
• Remove from the heat and strain the garlic slices, discarding the milk (or save it for mashed potato). Leave the garlic to drain on kitchen paper. Cover the bottom of a frying pan with the oil and heat. Fry the slices, a couple at a time, until golden and crisp, then remove with a slotted spoon.
• To serve, carve the duck and serve alongside the creamed caulifl ower and sprigs of watercress, sprinkled with the crisp garlic slices.

HONEY AND CHILI ROASTED DUCK

Steps:

• Pre-heat oven to 375°F.
• Coat a shallow roasting pan, and rack, with non-stick cooking spray.
• In a small bowl, combine the wine, honey, lemon juice, mustard and chili paste. Set aside.
• Rinse the duck and cut down the center of the back, to butterfly. Pat dry. Pierce skin several times with a metal skewer. (this helps drain fat as it cooks). Season with some of the salt and pepper.
• Place the celery, onion and carrot in the bottom of the roasting pan. Place rack over the vegetables and arrange the duck on the rack, skin side up. Place in oven.
• After 20 minutes, baste with the honey-chili mixture. Roast for a total of 1 1/2 to 2 hours, basting every 15 minutes.
• Remove the duck from the oven, place on a platter and keep warm.
• Combine the orange juice and cornstarch. Set aside.
• Strain the pan juices into a saucepan. Discard vegetables.
• Bring to a simmer, adding any leftover baste. Thicken with the cornstarch mixture and season with salt and pepper.
• Cut duck into pieces (legs, thighs, breasts and wings).
• Serve the duck with the sauce on the side.

PAN ROASTED DUCK BREASTS WITH ROASTED HONEY PLUMS

Steps:

• Heat honey in heavy large skillet over medium heat until bubbles form.
• Add plums, cut side down and cook unti light brown, rearranging plums occasionally to cook evenly and adding water by tablespoonfuls as needed to prevent burning, about 8 minutes.
• Turn plums over. Tuck rosemary sprigs between plums.
• Cook 3 minutes.
• Transfer plums to a plate. Add port to skillet and simmer until sauce is reduced to 2/3 cup, stirring and scraping up any browned bits, about 3 more minutes.
• Mix in butter. Season to taste with salt and pepper.
• Return plums to skillet. (Can be prepared 4 hours ahead, letting stand at room temperature.).
• Using shapr kinife, score duck skin every 3/4 inch on diagonal, cutting almost throught to meat. repeat in opposite direction, creating 3/4 inch diamond pattern.
• Sprinkle duck with salt and pepper.
• Place duck, skin side down in skillet over midium heat; cook until skin is brown and crisp and the fat has rendered, about 9 minutes.
• Turn duck and cook to desired doneness, about 5 minutes longer for medium-rare.
• Transfer duck to plate; tent with foil to keep warm. Let rest 5 minutes.
• Rewarm plums with sauce over medium heat, turning plums occasionally, about 3 minutes. cut duck crosswise into into 1/3 inch slices and fan on plates.
• Garnish with plum halves; spoon sauce over duck and serve.

ROASTED HONEY LAVENDER DUCK BREASTS

Steps:

• Grind 2 teaspoons dried lavender blossoms, thyme, salt and peppercorns in spice grinder. Pat the duck breasts dry with paper towels. Smear the fat side all over the ovenproof pan you will use. Cutting through the fat (not meat) of the duck breasts, score in criss cross pattern. Rub both sides of breasts with herb mixture. Let stand on a cutting board for at least 15 minutes and up to an hour. Breasts need to be at room temperature. Lay the breasts skin side down in a COLD pan. Turn the heat to medium-high. Cook the breasts until the skin is crispy and most of the fat has been rendered, about 10-12 minutes. You will hear the sizzle change. Turn breasts over and remove from pan. Pour off the fat and juices from the pan into a fat separator and reserve 2 tablespoons of the fat and all of the juices. Can be completed ahead of time to this point. If making ahead, refrigerate the breasts until 1 hour before roasting. Preheat oven to 400 degrees. Return duck to pan and brush with 2-4 tablespoons of honey. Sprinkle with 1 teaspoon of dried lavender. Roast in hot oven for 10 minutes or until internal temperature reaches 155 degrees. Time may vary depending on whether duck was refrigerated prior to roasting. Remove from oven and allow to rest on a cutting board for at least 3 minutes. Drain off all the fat possible from roasting pan and add the wine, stock and 2 tablespoons of reserved fat and all of the duck juice. Add 1 teaspoon of dried lavender to roasting pan. Place over medium heat. Reduce stock mixture until thick enough to coat spoon, whisking often, 5-15 minutes. Season with salt and pepper. Slice duck and serve with sauce.

HONEY-ROASTED DUCK LEGS

Steps:

• To make the glaze, in a small saucepan, combine the garlic, ginger, five-spice powder, salt, honey, light and dark soy sauces, and wine. Place over medium heat and bring to a boil. Remove from the heat. When the bubble action ceases, pour the glaze through a fine-mesh sieve place over a medium-sized bowl, pressing on the solids with the back of a spoon to extract as much liquid as possible. Let the glaze cool completely.
• Select a large, shallow bowl or deep plate that fits in your steamer tray. Add the salt, wine, and ginger juice and stir to dissolve the salt. Add the duck legs and use your fingers to coat the duck legs well with the marinade. Arrange the duck legs so that there is minimal overlap, to ensure even cooking. Put the bowl in the steamer tray and set aside to marinate for 15 minutes.
• Fill the steamer pan halfway with water and bring to a rolling boil over high heat. Add the steamer tray, cover, and steam the duck for 25 minutes. The skin will pull back from the flesh, and cooking juices will collect in the bowl. Transfer the duck legs to a plate and discard the cooking juices. (The legs may be cooled, wrapped in plastic wrap, and refrigerated overnight. Bring to room temperature before roasting.)
• Position a rack in the lower third of the oven and preheat to 425°F. To promote heat circulation and allow the fat to drip away from the duck, place a flat roasting rack on a foil-lined baking sheet. Put the duck, skin side up, on the rack, spacing the legs as far apart from one another as possible. Roast for 35 to 40 minutes, or until the skin is crisp and lightly golden. Turn on the exhaust fan as the duck roasts, as the dripping fat can cause smoke. If more than 2 tablespoons of fat accumulates in the pan during roasting, remove the duck from the rack, make a spout in one corner of the foil, and pour off the fat. Then quickly return the duck to the rack and continue roasting.
• When the duck is ready, using tongs, lift each leg from the rack, roll it in the glaze to coat evenly, and hold it above the bowl to allow excess glaze to drip off. Return the duck to the rack, skin side up. Roast the legs for 5 minutes and then again coat them with the glaze. Roast for 3 to 5 minutes longer, or until the glaze richly colors the duck. Remove from the oven and let cool for 10 minutes.
• After glazing the duck legs the second time, return the remaining glaze to the small saucepan and add the hoisin sauce to make a dipping sauce. Warm over medium heat, adding a spoonful or two of water if needed to balance out the flavor. Pour into a small serving bowl.
• Using a heavy cleaver, chop the legs through the bone into bite-sized pieces. Or, slice the meat off the bone. Arrange the duck on 2 plates or a platter and serve with the sauce.