Honey Roast Duck
An easy whole roast duck with golden, crispy skin and a delicious honey, orange and thyme flavour. Perfect for Christmas, Thanksgiving or Sunday lunch.
Servings: 3 people
Calories: 945kcal
Ingredients
- 1.3 kg of Whole duck
- 1 Orange
- 2 tablespoons of Honey
- 2 sprig of Thyme whole
- 2 sprig of Thyme leaves only
- ½ teaspoon of Fine sea salt
- 1 teaspoon of Ground black pepper
Instructions
- Prep: Preheat your oven to 220°C/200°C fan/425°F/Gas 7.
- Prepare the duck Remove any giblets or packaging from the cavity. Pat the duck dry with kitchen paper, then lightly prick the fatty skin with a skewer, taking care not to pierce the meat.
- Flavour the duck: Squeeze a little orange juice inside the duck, then place the orange halves and two sprigs of thyme loosely inside the cavity. Season all over with salt and pepper.
- Start cooking the duck: Place the duck breast-side up in a large roasting tin, preferably on a rack if you have one. Roast for 20 minutes, until the skin starts to turn golden.
- Turn the heat down: Reduce the oven temperature to 190°C/170°C fan/375°F/Gas 5 and cook for another 40 minutes.
- Add the honey: Remove the duck from the oven and drizzle over the honey, spreading it across the skin. Sprinkle over the remaining thyme leaves, then return to the oven for approximately 20 minutes.Baste lightly with the honey and pan juices during this final stage, taking care not to soften the skin with too much liquid.
- Check the duck: Check the internal temperature with a meat thermometer. The duck should reach at least 75°C/167°F in the thickest parts of the breast and thigh, without the probe touching bone. Check the inner wing area too. If it needs longer, return it to the oven and check again.
- Rest the duck: Remove the duck from the oven and leave it to rest, uncovered, for 10 minutes before carving.
These cooking times are based on our 1.3kg duck. Larger ducks will take longer, so use the weight and internal temperature as your guides. Add the honey during the final 15-20 minutes rather than too early, as it can burn.
Notes
- Timings are based on a 1.3kg duck. Larger birds will take longer.
- Patting the skin dry and lightly pricking the fatty areas helps the fat render during roasting.
- Add the honey towards the end to stop it burning.
- Swap thyme for rosemary or add garlic cloves inside the cavity for extra flavour.
- Carefully save the excess duck fat for roast potatoes and the cooking juices for gravy.
- Leftovers can be refrigerated for up to 48 hours or frozen for up to 2 months for best quality.
Nutrition
Serving: 1portion | Calories: 945kcal | Carbohydrates: 12g | Protein: 51g | Fat: 76g | Saturated Fat: 26g | Polyunsaturated Fat: 10g | Monounsaturated Fat: 34g | Cholesterol: 224mg | Sodium: 551mg | Potassium: 569mg | Fibre: 0.4g | Sugar: 12g | Vitamin A: 627IU | Vitamin C: 10mg | Calcium: 39mg | Iron: 8mg
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