Serves

Four

Prep Time

3 hrs

Cook Time

95 mins

Difficulty

Moderate

  • Ingredients

  • 1.2 kg (2.6 pounds) whole duck

  • 4 pears, halved and cored

  • salt and pepper

Comments

I do love confit of duck but it is a time consuming process.  If you don’t have time to confit, try this way of cooking a whole duck next time you are having friends for dinner.  Its sure to please!

Pairs well with …..

Roasted potatoes and green salad and plum sauce

Hints and Tips

If fresh pears are unavailable, this dish also works with oranges or stone fruit.

Remove duck from packaging and rinse well and dry thoroughly with kitchen towel.

Place the duck in a pan (uncovered) in refrigerator and leave for 3 hours as this allow the duck skin to dry out and become crisp during the cooking process.

Remove duck from refrigerator and allow it to come to room temperature (about 40 minutes).

Pre-heat oven to 190C (375F) degrees.

Place duck on rack and season with salt and pepper.

Place duck on rack in baking pan breast side up and cook for 50 minutes.

Remove duck from oven, and carefully pour out the fat from duck cavity and pan.

Return the duck to baking pan breast side up with the pears and cook for a further 25 minutes.

Remove from the oven and cover loosely with foil and allow to rest for 20 minutes.

Cut the duck into 8 portions, sprinkle with lemon zest and thyme and serve.