Tuesday, December 1, 2009

Roast Duck

A while back I was fortunate enough to get my hands on a nice muscovy duck all butchered and ready to roast. I couple weeks ago I finally roasted it. I'm always a bit nervous while cooking something completely new. Not only had I never cooked a muscovy duck before, I'd never eaten one either.

I had duck breast in a restraunt once, but that wasn't muscovy and I didn't care for it. Muscovy is all dark meat. So I stuffed the cavity with quartered apples and onions like I would for chicken or turkey. (That's my secret for keeping poultry moist.) Then I made a glaze with orange juice, brown sugar, ground ginger, garlic powder and salt and pepper. I poured the glaze over the top of the duck, which was sitting nicely in a roasting pan, and put it in the oven set at 400 degrees. Then waited and waited and waited some more. The duck took longer than expected to cook, about 2 1/2 hours total. Maybe closer to 3, I don't remember exactly now.

When it came out of the oven, it looked like this:

And it tasted as good as it looked. The flavor is hard to describe, but it was amazing. Imagine crossing a cow and a chicken. Then you'd be close. And the texture was very similar to beef as well. If you ever have the chance to try it, I would highly recommend it.

4 comments:

Jenny said...

I tried to talk hubby into raising some ducks for eating, but he wouldn't go for it. I bought a goose one time on clearance from Walmart and cooked it up. We found it was also all dark meat and totally unlike chicken and turkey in texture, more resembling roast beef. It was very greasy, not the meat so much, but the amount of grease I took out of the pan. I thought it was tasty, but DH didn't care for it.
~Jenny~

Heidi said...

Jenny- I should have added that it was not at all greasy. My husband loved it. Keep trying to talk your husband into it. Muscovies are very self sufficient.

Amy @ Six Flower Mom said...

I have never had duck but it looks devine. I am not sure that I could get my kids to try it. My husband has had it and likes it!

Darlene said...

Visiting by way of Suzanne's. I've never had duck....am much to "chicken" to try it, lol.

Very nice site.

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