Duckling Pot Roast
Ingredients
Directions
The book gives no oven temperature. The 350°F (175°C) in the steps was added when the recipe was transcribed, as a starting point.
Prepare
Preheat oven to 350°F (175°C).
In a shallow crock, place a thin strip of bacon and a tablespoon of mixed whole spice.
Clean and truss the ducklings, then place them in the crock.
Roast
Add enough hot water or soup-stock to come halfway up the birds.
Cover and roast in the oven until cooked through.
Transcribed from a scanned cookbook and modernised for today's kitchens. Where the book gave no heat or time, or said "a moderate oven", the temperatures and times here may be modern equivalents rather than the book's own figures.
Explore the science
What each ingredient does
- Ducklings
- Form the main body of the dish, becoming tender and cooked through during slow roasting.
- Bacon
- Adds fat and savory flavor that seasons the birds and the cooking liquid as it renders.
- Mixed whole spice
- Infuses the cooking liquid and birds with aromatic flavor during roasting.
- Hot water or soup-stock
- Provides moisture so the birds braise gently rather than drying out in the oven.
The step that matters
Add enough hot water or soup-stock to come halfway up the birds. Liquid in a covered pot creates steam and gentle braising heat, keeping the meat moist. Too little liquid can scorch or dry the birds, while too much dilutes the flavor.
“What each ingredient does” and “The step that matters” were written by Claude from this recipe’s own method and reviewed in samples by CompKitchen.
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