Canvas-back Duck, Philadelphia Style
Ingredients
Directions
The book says “a very hot oven”. The 400°F in the steps is the modern equivalent, not the book's own figure.
Prepare
Pluck, singe, and draw the duck, then wipe it with a wet towel.
Truss the head under the wing and place the duck in a dripping pan.
Bake and serve
Bake in a very hot oven (400°F / 200°C) for 30 minutes.
Transfer the duck to a chafing dish and season with salt and pepper.
Pour the gravy from the baking pan over the duck and serve immediately.
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
- Canvas-back duck
- Provides the meat and fat that form the main body of the dish.
- Coarse sea salt
- Seasons the duck's surface after cooking, adding flavour without cooking away.
- Black pepper
- Adds a sharp, aromatic seasoning to the cooked duck.
The step that matters
Bake in a very hot oven. A very hot oven renders the duck's fat and crisps the skin while the interior cooks. Too low a heat leaves the fat soft and the skin pale and flabby.
“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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