Published November 1, 1998.
For a roast duck recipe with moist, flavorful meat, and, of course, a minimum of fat, we began by removing by hand the large clumps of white fat that line the body and neck cavity. Loose skin, including most of the flap that covers the neck cavity, also had to be cut away. Taking a cue from Asian roast duck recipes, we steamed the duck to render the remaining fat (a full 58 percent of the duck’s original weight). Still, the legs remained too fatty. To fully degrease the legs, we had to cut up the bird before roasting it. No longer protected from the heat, the fat in the legs just melted away.
Pekin ducks, also called Long Island ducks, are the only choice in most supermarkets. Almost always sold frozen, the duck must defrost in the refrigerator for at least one day before cooking. To feed six people, steam one duck after the other and then roast all the pieces together in an oversized roasting pan or a large jelly roll pan.
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