Roasted Duck with Soy Sauce

Duck is so difficult to roast badly that all experienced cooks seem to claim their procedure is the best. Having tried many methods, I can say that the results are all about the same. So I chose the one presented here, which is the easiest way to guarantee a succulent but beautifully browned bird.

1 (4-5) lb duck
black pepper, freshly ground
¼ cup soy sauce

Prepare the Duck:
Completely defrost the duck in the refrigerator for 2-3 days if using a frozen duck, then remove giblets and neck. Rinse well, inside and out, with cold water and pat completely dry using paper towels. Let the duck sit out on the counter for 30 minutes to come up in temperature a bit.

Preheat oven to 450°F (230°C/210°C fan, Gas Mark 8).

Remove giblets and neck from duck cavity and discard or reserve for another use. Cut off excess fat from duck cavity.

Place duck, breast side down (wings up), on a rack in a roasting pan; add water to come just below the rack. Sprinkle duck with pepper and brush with a little soy sauce.

Roast 30 minutes, undisturbed. Prick the back all over with point of a sharp knife, then flip bird onto its back. Sprinkle with pepper and brush with soy sauce again. Add a little more water to the pan if the juices are spattering (carefully - you don't want to get water on the duck).

Roast 20 minutes, then prick the breast all over, and brush with soy sauce. Roast 10 minutes; brush with soy sauce. Roast 5 or 10 minutes more if necessary, or until duck is a glorious brown all over and an instant-read thermometer inserted into the thigh measures at least 155°F. Let rest 5 minutes before carving and serving.

Makes 2-4 servings.

Cook's Notes:

There are four challenges to roasting a duck by the simple method given here.

The first is spattering. All that fat can make a mess of your oven. But the solution is simple: keep a thin layer of water in the roasting pan. The fat drips into it and stays there. (You'll need a rack to elevate the duck, but you should be using one for a crisp bird anyway.)

The second challenge is to achieve a uniformly brown colour. I cheat a little bit here and brush the roasting duck with soy sauce, which works like a charm.

The third challenge lies in the carving; a duck is a little more complicated than a chicken. The best way is to cut on either side of the rib cage to remove the two breast halves, then cut the legs off the carcass. The rest is for picking.

Finally, there's the basic challenge of having enough to go around, for a roast duck can easily be finished by two people. If you want to serve four, roast two, or plan on a lot of side dishes.