Duck Skin Perfection - Now What?

[GlowingGhoul]

I've finally mastered a method of rendering nearly all the underskin fat, and getting a delectable, wonderfully crunchy skin.

My method, with a 5lb duck, has been simply to clean, truss, and season with sea salt. Then, using a rotisserie on my gas grill, cooking for 3 hours at approximately 325. I also use a smoker box filled with cherry wood. Server with apricot sauce.

As delicious as the results are, I'd like get a bit more adventerous with the seasoning.

Keeping the cooking method in mind, what would you recommend I use to season the skin?

[rotuts]

I hope you have an aluminum 'tub' under that Qwaaker for saving the fat!

good high end Hoisin sauce for the last 20 min? (remove the Fat Tray first)

excellent Oyster Sauce ( first two ingredients are oysters )

good orange marmalade? etc?

Edited February 19, 2012 by rotuts (log)

[GlowingGhoul]

Would the application of the sauce prevent the skin from becoming crunchy?

I'd like to save the fat, but it seems the smoke "contaminates" it. I could be wrong though...the reserved fat was nearly black in color, maybe it's still usable, but I assumed it wasn't.

Thanks for your ideas.

[rotuts]

taste the fat. it will tell you.

the stuff I mentioned should be put on thin.

[weinoo]

Would the application of the sauce prevent the skin from becoming crunchy?

I'd like to save the fat, but it seems the smoke "contaminates" it. I could be wrong though...the reserved fat was nearly black in color, maybe it's still usable, but I assumed it wasn't.

Thanks for your ideas.

I wouldn't be saving the fat from a smoked duck; all that fat is going to taste like is smoke and char.

Let it harden and toss it.

[Shalmanese]

Taste the fat, if your smoke was clean, then you've basically made liquid smoke, except with fat instead of water. I couldn't see using all of it but it might be nice to have some around for limited applications. For example, if you're making fried rice, you could throw a tablespoon of the fat in there to give it a charred, smokey flavor.

[DTBarton]

I cook ducks the same way on a gas rotisserie and get the nice crispy skin. While I agree with Rotuts choices of sauces (except I'm not a big marmalade guy), I have found that putting them on the bird while cooking does take the edge off the crunch. I like to serve them on the side after cooking.

We have found this to be a very satisfactory hoisin: http://www.amazon.com/Koon-Chun-Hoisin-Sauce-jar/dp/tags-on-product/B000EIP6MA

[rotuts]

you are absolutely right:

Koon chung is the best stuff, followed by amoy.

i never ever ever get Lee Kum Kee

Ever.