Roast duck

"Duck is so difficult to roast badly that all experienced cooks seem to claim their procedure is the best," according to Mark Bittman over at NYT Cooking.

I've been using his recipe with great success.

• Heat oven to 230° C. (I've been using the traditional setting - just heat, no fan.)
• Sometimes, a frozen duck comes with neck and organs in a plastic bag stuffed inside the cavity. Be sure to take that out if it's there. (The duck we get at the Chinese supermarket doesn't have it.)
• Place the duck "wings up" on a rack in a roasting pan. Brush with soy sauce and sprinkle with pepper. The soy sauce helps to give it a nice brown color. To avoid fat spattering, add water to the pan to cover the bottom (make sure water level stays below the rack).

Roasting time:

• 30 minutes undisturbed. At the end, prick the back with a sharp knife, the flip the bird. Brush other side with soy sauce and sprinkle with pepper.
• 20 minutes. Then, prick the breast, brush again with soy sauce.
• 10 minutes. Then, brush again.
• Another 5-10 minutes as necessary, until the duck is nicely browned.

Try next time:

The water in the pan does make it easier to clean up afterwards, but I have fond memories of my dad roasting a duck, capturing the fat and then pouring it over the bird again for extra juice and flavor. Try without?