Ingredients
Scale
- 1 4-5lb duck
- 2 tbsp honey
- 1 tbsp spicy red pepper paste or dried chilli flakes
- 1/3 cup soy sauce
- Juice of half an orange
- 1 tbsp garlic powder
- 4 pears, halved
Instructions
- Combine all ingredients for the marinade in a bowl and set aside.
- The duck: You can either ask your butcher to spatchcock/butterfly your bird or give it a go at home! Carefully on a steady no-slip surface with a pair of good kitchen sheers move up the spine. Once the bird is open, place it rib side down and press confidently on the chest to flatten.
Cut off any excess skin or fat. For a bonus treat, take the excess skin and fat and roast separately to render the fat. Use it to cook potatoes and enjoy a cook’s snack of duck skin cracklings.
Carefully slide your fingers underneath the skin and fat of the breast meat. This will separate the skin and fat from the meat and help the crisping process in the oven. Place bird into a deep vessel that can be refrigerated. At this stage apply the marinade under the skin and to the remainder of the duck. Cover and refrigerate overnight or for at least 5 hours. Note: marinade duck breast side down.
Preheat oven to 425F - Toss pears in 1 tbsp oil, salt and pepper (prepped same day of roasting)
- Place Duck breast side up and surround with seasoned and halved pears.
Bake for 15 minutes. Remove, baste and lower oven to 350F and cook an additional 45-50minutes or until internal temp reads 165F. Allow to rest before carving.*
*Adjust cooking time depending on the size of your duck. Rule of thumb is 22 minutes per pound.