Rotisserie Duck: The perfect Rotisserie Duck
A grilled duck from the rotisserie is a delicacy that is easy to prepare with the right technique. The rotisserie cooks the duck perfectly all around, making it crispy on the outside and tender on the inside. If you follow our tips, your duck will be guaranteed juicy, flavorful, and have an irresistible skin.
Preparations for the best result
What is important when buying a duck?
Pay attention to good quality when buying. Poultry meat should always be fresh, firm in texture and not unpleasant smelling. Undamaged skin also indicates high quality. However, the amount of fat under the skin varies depending on the type of duck. The weight also varies depending on the breed and sex.
Before preparing, you should thoroughly pat your duck dry inside and out, as dry skin will ultimately ensure it becomes nice and crispy. You should also remove the giblets from the duck beforehand, if they are still present.
A high-quality duck and proper preparation form the basis for a successful dish. In our shop, you can get particularly high-quality free-range ducks, either ready for grilling without giblets or as an Effilee. Of course, you can also buy individual parts from us, such as breast or leg.
What preparation options are there?
There are various ways to prepare a duck. In addition to the classic roasted duck in the oven, you can also prepare the duck on the grill with a rotisserie. We have a video here for this. The rotisserie ensures even heat distribution, which leads to a juicy and crispy result. Alternatively, the duck can also be prepared indirectly on the grill (charcoal or gas grill). If you opt for this method, we also have a video here for duck from the grill as a roast.
How do I prepare my duck?
The preparation of the duck is crucial for its later taste and texture. It is always important with meat to temper it well, i.e., to take it out of the refrigerator in time and bring it to room temperature. Once you have removed your fresh duck from its packaging and patted it thoroughly dry, you should first remove the wingtips, as they burn easily. However, please do not throw them away, but set them aside for sauce. The tail should also be cut off. Now you can generously season your duck inside and out to your taste. Good choices here are salt, pepper, paprika, and mugwort, but ready-made spice blends like this goose spice are also suitable. Make sure the entire skin is evenly covered but not over-seasoned. Once all this is done, the duck can be placed on the rotisserie and carefully secured. It is important to ensure that it is positioned as centrally as possible to allow for even cooking. If the legs or wings are not close to the body, but stick out too much, it is advisable to tie them to the duck, e.g. with kitchen twine, so that they do not burn. Once all that is done, it's off to the grill.
Preparation of the grilled duck
How to make the duck tender and crispy
We prefer to grill our duck with the back burner of the gas grill, also called the rear burner, because this makes the skin nice and crispy. However, if you don't have a grill with a back burner, but still have a gas grill with a rotisserie, you can also use the indirect heat in the cooking chamber to grill the duck. For this, it is important to switch off the burners directly under the food and only use the burners on the sides.
To get a crispy duck from the grill, you should start with medium heat. A temperature in the grill of about 180-200 °C is ideal. To avoid wasting duck fat and preventing a grease fire, it is advisable to place a drip tray or roasting pan under the duck while grilling. These can also be used to cook side dishes at the same time, such as peeled, chopped potatoes, which will then become particularly crispy and tasty thanks to the duck fat. After about 1.5 to 2 hours, the duck is cooked. Towards the end of the cooking time, the temperature can be briefly increased to make the skin of the duck even crispier. However, the time may vary depending on the size of the duck. It is best to measure the core temperature. The meat is tender and juicy when the duck has a core temperature of approx. 80 °C in the thighs, or 64-68 °C in the breast. Then your duck is ready and can be served. To really impress your guests, you can carve the duck at the table directly in front of them. If you're still unsure, don't worry, in this video we show you the best technique.
We always recommend serving the duck with a suitable sauce and a delicious side dish, such as apple-onion-radicchio vegetables and oven-roasted potatoes.
The right stuffing
You've probably noticed that we don't use any stuffing in our preparation instructions. This is simply because it would negatively affect the crispiness of the skin. A stuffing made of fruits or vegetables would release liquid, thereby preventing the Maillard reaction on the duck skin, which is responsible for a crispy crust and roasted flavors.
However, a stuffing is not fundamentally wrong. In a roasted duck, it not only adds flavor to the duck, but also helps to keep the meat juicy. Popular stuffings include apples, oranges, onions, and soup greens. Herbs like mugwort or sage also go perfectly. The stuffing should not be packed too tightly, as the poultry could burst otherwise. Alternatively, individual ingredients, such as half an orange or an apple, can be used for stuffing to achieve subtle flavors. The right stuffing significantly contributes to the overall experience of the roasted duck and ensures a juicy interior and intense flavor.
What do I serve with it?
The best side dishes for grilled duck
Traditional side dishes go wonderfully with rotisserie duck. Classics like dumplings and red cabbage are always a good choice and perfectly complement the rich flavor of the duck meat. Potato gratin or Brussels sprouts can also serve as delicious side dishes. For those who prefer something lighter, a fresh salad with seasonal vegetables can be served. It is important to match the side dishes to the taste of the duck. A fruity note from cranberries or apple sauce can further refine the dish. Our special recommendation is an apple-onion-radicchio vegetable and oven-roasted potatoes baked in duck fat. We have a video guide here and everything summarized in a recipe below.
How to make the perfect sauce
To round off this delicious festive dish, you need the perfect sauce. You can use the trimmings from the duck, such as the wingtips and rendered fat, as a base. Fry everything in a pan to render out the fat and get a strong duck flavor into the sauce. For more umami, a finely chopped onion can also be fried with it. Once the sauce base is well roasted, deglaze it with port wine, wine, or poultry stock, let it reduce, and then add water to the pan. For a fruity variation, orange or cherry juice can be added. Now the duck sauce only needs to boil and then slowly reduce over low heat. Finally, you can strain it through a sieve and season it with salt and spices of your choice. The sauce should enhance the flavor of the duck without overpowering it. This way, the crispy skin and juicy poultry will be perfectly showcased.
Don't have time but still want to eat duck during the holidays? No problem! With our roast goose service, you can order not only goose and capon, but also a duck for your Christmas celebration. Either ready-to-eat or with a success guarantee for you to crisp up yourself. We also prepare side dishes for you. You can find more about our roast goose service here.
You can find more recipes and a lot of knowledge about meat and BBQ on our YouTube channel.
