The amazing five-hour roast duck

David made this duck recipe for Valentine's Day. It's taken me 6 months to post it!  Here is a photo of the finished duck.  It took all afternoon to roast and two people to drain the fat out each hour (one to make incisions and hold and the other to pour).  It was worth it though, my first duck-dining experience was delicious!


Prepared by: David
Serves: 4-6
Source: The 150 Best American Recipes


You will need:
1 Pekin duck
Salt and freshly ground black pepper
2 tablespoons chopped garlic
1 small handful of thyme sprigs


Prep:
Preheat the oven to 300 degrees and set a rack in the middle level.

Remove the giblets from the duck; save the giblets and wing tips for stock, if you like. Dry the duck well with paper towels. Remove any loose globs of yellow fat from the two cavities. Rub the large cavity with salt and pepper and the garlic and put the thyme in it. With a small sharp paring knife, make dozens of slits all over the duck, piercing the skin and fat but being careful not to pierce the flesh. The easiest way to do this is to insert the knife on the diagonal, not straight in.

Put the duck breast side up on a rack (a cake cooling rack is fine) set on a jelly-roll pan and put it in the oven. Every hour for 4 hours, take the pan out of the oven, pierce the duck all over with the knife, and turn it over. Each time, pour off the fat in the pan.

After 4 hours, increase the oven temperature to 350 degrees (see note). Sprinkle the duck with salt and pepper and cook for about 1 hour longer, or until the skin is crisp and browned. Let rest for 20 minutes before serving.

Section duck with heavy kitchen shears: cut it in half along the backbone and then cut each half into 2 pieces. 

**Dont forget to save the duck fat when you drain it off, it can be added to soups etc. for flavor. **