My wife came home with a duck that she wanted me to do on the grill. Any suggestions? Do you cook duck like chicken? I've read that it should be rare. Is that correct? About what internal temperature should I cook it to? I thought I would butterfly it and smoke it at high heat on the WSM using some cherry wood. Maybe some kind of rub on it or something.
How to BBQ a whole duck?
- Thread starter Dave L.
- Start date
Are you planning on doing it right away? I have used this brine before and the duck turned out great. Only I smoked it for about two hours then crisped up the skin direct.
Mighty Duck
Recipe courtesy Alton Brown
Ingredients
Brine:
1/2 cup kosher salt
1 pint pineapple orange juice
15 whole black peppercorns
1 bunch fresh thyme
4 cloves garlic, smashed
1 (5 1/2 to 6 pound) frozen Long Island Duck, thawed
2 handfuls shredded chard
2 shallots, minced
Dash sherry or balsamic vinegar
Directions
Combine all brine ingredients in a plastic container with a lid. Place the lid on the container and shake to dissolve the salt.
Remove the pop-up thermometer, liver, gizzards, and heart. Cut off the wings.
Using kitchen shears, locate the spine at the base of the neck. Cut up the line of the backbone towards the neck cavity. Turn the duck and cut straight towards the rear cavity. Remove the backbone.
Turn the duck over and cut straight down the middle of the breast bone, leaving 2 equal duck halves. To separate the legs from the breast, flip your halves over so the flesh side is facing up at you. Using a knife, make a crescent shape cut between the leg and the breast. Lay your knife flat against the skin and make 3 marks in one direction and then in the other, making an X. Make sure that you are cutting through the skin and not the meat.
Line the inside of a plastic lexan or a pot with a zip-top bag. Place the duck quarters inside the bag, and pour the brine over the duck. Seal the bag, ensuring that all air is removed from the bag. Brine the duck for 2 to 2 1/2 hours in the refrigerator.
Bring 1 1/2 inches to 2 inches of water to a boil in a large pot. Place a colander into the pot and line the sides of the colander with the duck. Do not stack the duck quarters on each other. Cover and turn the heat to medium low. Steam the duck for 45 minutes. Set oven to 475 degrees F. Place a large cast iron skillet into the oven.
Remove duck pieces from steamer and place legs, skin side down, into the hot skillet. Place the skillet into the hot oven immediately and cook the leg quarters for 10 minutes. Add the breasts, skin side down, and cook for 7 more minutes or until the duck takes on a deep mahogany color and the skin is very crisp.
Remove the duck from the skillet and rest under foil. Add the chard and the shallots to the skillet. Toss the chard in the fat until it barely wilts. Season with the sherry or balsamic vinegar.
Serve the duck with the chard.
Mighty Duck
Recipe courtesy Alton Brown
Ingredients
Brine:
1/2 cup kosher salt
1 pint pineapple orange juice
15 whole black peppercorns
1 bunch fresh thyme
4 cloves garlic, smashed
1 (5 1/2 to 6 pound) frozen Long Island Duck, thawed
2 handfuls shredded chard
2 shallots, minced
Dash sherry or balsamic vinegar
Directions
Combine all brine ingredients in a plastic container with a lid. Place the lid on the container and shake to dissolve the salt.
Remove the pop-up thermometer, liver, gizzards, and heart. Cut off the wings.
Using kitchen shears, locate the spine at the base of the neck. Cut up the line of the backbone towards the neck cavity. Turn the duck and cut straight towards the rear cavity. Remove the backbone.
Turn the duck over and cut straight down the middle of the breast bone, leaving 2 equal duck halves. To separate the legs from the breast, flip your halves over so the flesh side is facing up at you. Using a knife, make a crescent shape cut between the leg and the breast. Lay your knife flat against the skin and make 3 marks in one direction and then in the other, making an X. Make sure that you are cutting through the skin and not the meat.
Line the inside of a plastic lexan or a pot with a zip-top bag. Place the duck quarters inside the bag, and pour the brine over the duck. Seal the bag, ensuring that all air is removed from the bag. Brine the duck for 2 to 2 1/2 hours in the refrigerator.
Bring 1 1/2 inches to 2 inches of water to a boil in a large pot. Place a colander into the pot and line the sides of the colander with the duck. Do not stack the duck quarters on each other. Cover and turn the heat to medium low. Steam the duck for 45 minutes. Set oven to 475 degrees F. Place a large cast iron skillet into the oven.
Remove duck pieces from steamer and place legs, skin side down, into the hot skillet. Place the skillet into the hot oven immediately and cook the leg quarters for 10 minutes. Add the breasts, skin side down, and cook for 7 more minutes or until the duck takes on a deep mahogany color and the skin is very crisp.
Remove the duck from the skillet and rest under foil. Add the chard and the shallots to the skillet. Toss the chard in the fat until it barely wilts. Season with the sherry or balsamic vinegar.
Serve the duck with the chard.
I froze the duck for later use. That sounds like a good brine. Is it necessary to steam it first? Like you, I plan on smoking it but I would like to do it at around 400 degrees to get a crispy skin. I guess my question is how do I know when it's done? Is there a internal temperature I should shoot for?
Gary H. NJ
TVWBB Platinum Member
I did a couple Chinese Tea-smoked Ducks last year and they came out great. I'll try to rememeber to post the recipe later on when home. It'a a bit involved (dry marinade, then steam the duck, then smoke 'em) but worth it.
K Kruger
TVWBB 1-Star Olympian
Here is another thought. More involved, perhaps, but it might give you some ideas.
Duck breast is usually cooked to rare or med-rare. It can go further.
I recommend steaming or a boiling water dip (I usually prefer the latter). Duck has a lot of fat and pre-cook prepping (see the recipe atthe link) will go along way to facilitate rendering sooner.
You can cook at 325-450; your choice. You can also finish the skin in a pan or oven for service (see the recipe).
Mid-to-upper 170s in the thigh.
Duck breast is usually cooked to rare or med-rare. It can go further.
I recommend steaming or a boiling water dip (I usually prefer the latter). Duck has a lot of fat and pre-cook prepping (see the recipe atthe link) will go along way to facilitate rendering sooner.
You can cook at 325-450; your choice. You can also finish the skin in a pan or oven for service (see the recipe).
Mid-to-upper 170s in the thigh.
Gary H. NJ
TVWBB Platinum Member
This recipe by Mark Bittman is a more streamlined version of the one I use, but looks good. Traditionally, the Chinese smoke food rarely, and when they do it's purely for the purpose of adding flavor, not the long low and slow cooking of regional American BBQ.
When you get to the part of the recipe that says to smoke the duck for 20 minutes in the wok, just do the same in your WSM. An hour or so should do it. Just smoke until the color is right and the duck is tender. Don't forget to collect the rendered fat with a pan under the duck. For all the effort involved, I recommend doing two. Make it a duckathon.
Tea-Smoked Duck (or Chicken)
Yield: 2 main-course and up to 8 appetizer servings
Ingredients:
1 (4-to-5 pound) duck, excess fat removed, rinsed and patted dry with paper towels
1/2 cup soy sauce, plus 2 tablespoons
1/2 cup water
2 pieces star anise
1 cinnamon stick
1/2 cup raw long-grain white rice
1 cup strong black tea leaves (Lapsang souchong, which is smoky, is a good choice)
1/2 cup sugar
1 teaspoon dark sesame oil
Method:
1. Prick the duck skin all over with a sharp fork, skewer, or thin-bladed knife; try not to hit the meat (the fat layer is usually 1/4 inch thick). Place the 1/2 cup of soy sauce , water, anise, and cinnamon in a pot fitted with a rack (a cake rack usually works nicely, but you won't be able to fit much water under it, so be careful not to boil the pot dry). Place the duck on the rack, cover the pot, and turn the heat to high. Steam for about 45 minutes, adding boiling water if necessary. Remove the duck; you can also wrap it well and refrigerate, covered, for up to 2 days at this point.
2. Line a large wok or heavy pot with heavy aluminum foil. Mix the rice, tea, and sugar in the wok. Make a platform for the duck that is an inch or so above the smoking mixture; use a cake or roasting rack, or improvise with a crisscross of four chopsticks. Place the duck, breast side up, on the platform. Cover the wok very tightly with a cover or a double thickness of aluminum foil or both; either must be an inch or more above the top of the duck.
3. Turn the heat to high. (Turn on any exhaust fans, too!) Start timing when the mixture begins to smoke (you will know because it will leak from somewhere; patch the leak if possible). After 10 minutes, turn the heat to medium. Smoke another 15 to 20 minutes. Turn off the heat, but do not remove the cover for another 15 minutes. The duck will be a deep mahogany color all over; remove from the wok.
4. To avoid lingering smokiness in the kitchen, discard the smoking mixture and aluminum foil right away. Mix the remaining 2 tablespoons of soy sauce and sesame oil and brush the mixture over the duck. Cut into pieces and serve at room temperature, or stir fry with vegetables.
When you get to the part of the recipe that says to smoke the duck for 20 minutes in the wok, just do the same in your WSM. An hour or so should do it. Just smoke until the color is right and the duck is tender. Don't forget to collect the rendered fat with a pan under the duck. For all the effort involved, I recommend doing two. Make it a duckathon.
Tea-Smoked Duck (or Chicken)
Yield: 2 main-course and up to 8 appetizer servings
Ingredients:
1 (4-to-5 pound) duck, excess fat removed, rinsed and patted dry with paper towels
1/2 cup soy sauce, plus 2 tablespoons
1/2 cup water
2 pieces star anise
1 cinnamon stick
1/2 cup raw long-grain white rice
1 cup strong black tea leaves (Lapsang souchong, which is smoky, is a good choice)
1/2 cup sugar
1 teaspoon dark sesame oil
Method:
1. Prick the duck skin all over with a sharp fork, skewer, or thin-bladed knife; try not to hit the meat (the fat layer is usually 1/4 inch thick). Place the 1/2 cup of soy sauce , water, anise, and cinnamon in a pot fitted with a rack (a cake rack usually works nicely, but you won't be able to fit much water under it, so be careful not to boil the pot dry). Place the duck on the rack, cover the pot, and turn the heat to high. Steam for about 45 minutes, adding boiling water if necessary. Remove the duck; you can also wrap it well and refrigerate, covered, for up to 2 days at this point.
2. Line a large wok or heavy pot with heavy aluminum foil. Mix the rice, tea, and sugar in the wok. Make a platform for the duck that is an inch or so above the smoking mixture; use a cake or roasting rack, or improvise with a crisscross of four chopsticks. Place the duck, breast side up, on the platform. Cover the wok very tightly with a cover or a double thickness of aluminum foil or both; either must be an inch or more above the top of the duck.
3. Turn the heat to high. (Turn on any exhaust fans, too!) Start timing when the mixture begins to smoke (you will know because it will leak from somewhere; patch the leak if possible). After 10 minutes, turn the heat to medium. Smoke another 15 to 20 minutes. Turn off the heat, but do not remove the cover for another 15 minutes. The duck will be a deep mahogany color all over; remove from the wok.
4. To avoid lingering smokiness in the kitchen, discard the smoking mixture and aluminum foil right away. Mix the remaining 2 tablespoons of soy sauce and sesame oil and brush the mixture over the duck. Cut into pieces and serve at room temperature, or stir fry with vegetables.
I've used the boiling method/prep in Kevin's reference with excellent results. I didn't use the paste recipe but a soy based brine with a good session of drying in the fridge (I think it might have been 48 but at least 24 hrs.), then a Chinese 5 spice based rub. This emulated typical "Peking Style" flavors. Instead of smoking I put the rotisserie to excellent use as the skin came out crispy. I had a catch pan under the rotie to catch (save the fat!!) the drippings. Next time I'll cook two at the same time (everyone wanted more, there were NO leftovers) and use Long Island duck instead of Pekin. I did end up with a nice mahogany color at the end as well.
K Kruger
TVWBB 1-Star Olympian
The reason is because duck has copious fat. Boiling or steaming ahead softens the fat considerably so it renders sooner and more efficiently.
Yes, can prick and rotis. Prick very well. If you don't boil/steam first then I would suggest starting at a fairly low temp on the rotis, say, ~250, for 60-75 min before ramping the temp up. That should give the fat some time to gently heat, soften, and begin rendering. When rotissing duck I fashion a long narrow 'pan' out of doubled HD foil to catch the fat. There is a lot of it.
Yes, can prick and rotis. Prick very well. If you don't boil/steam first then I would suggest starting at a fairly low temp on the rotis, say, ~250, for 60-75 min before ramping the temp up. That should give the fat some time to gently heat, soften, and begin rendering. When rotissing duck I fashion a long narrow 'pan' out of doubled HD foil to catch the fat. There is a lot of it.
Dave,
Another vote for dipping the bird in boiling water to help render the fat. I had to use a coat hangar to dip the bird but it was definitely worth it. You will be amazed at the amount of fat that comes out. I would also cook more than one because when I cooked my duck it seemed to have less meat than a comparably sized chicken.
Lance
Another vote for dipping the bird in boiling water to help render the fat. I had to use a coat hangar to dip the bird but it was definitely worth it. You will be amazed at the amount of fat that comes out. I would also cook more than one because when I cooked my duck it seemed to have less meat than a comparably sized chicken.
Lance
<BLOCKQUOTE class="ip-ubbcode-quote"><div class="ip-ubbcode-quote-title">quote:</div><div class="ip-ubbcode-quote-content">Originally posted by Lance:
Dave,
Another vote for dipping the bird in boiling water to help render the fat. I had to use a coat hangar to dip the bird but it was definitely worth it. You will be amazed at the amount of fat that comes out. I would also cook more than one because when I cooked my duck it seemed to have less meat than a comparably sized chicken.
Lance </div></BLOCKQUOTE>
Ditto on doubling up. I always cook two now. And two fit nicely in the rotis basket anyway.
Dave,
Another vote for dipping the bird in boiling water to help render the fat. I had to use a coat hangar to dip the bird but it was definitely worth it. You will be amazed at the amount of fat that comes out. I would also cook more than one because when I cooked my duck it seemed to have less meat than a comparably sized chicken.
Lance </div></BLOCKQUOTE>
Ditto on doubling up. I always cook two now. And two fit nicely in the rotis basket anyway.
Gary H. NJ
TVWBB Platinum Member
Whatever you do, don't forget to save the duck fat. It's the best thing ever for frying potatoes or eggs. Beats bacon fat with a stick.