Slow roast honey & sesame duck

Slow roast honey & sesame duck

A delicious way to cook duck which is well worth the wait.

Difficulty and servings

Moderately easy

Preparation and cooking times

Preparation time

Prep 5 mins

Cook time

Cook 2 hrs 30 mins

Method

  1. Heat oven to 160C/fan 140C/gas 3. Score the duck breast skin with a sharp knife. This helps release excess fat from the skin as the bird roasts. Season the duck with the sea salt and pepper, then sit it on a rack set in a roasting tray and roast for 1½ hrs. Remove the bird from the oven and pour off the excess fat collected in the tray.
  2. Return the duck to the roasting tray, then spoon 3 tbsp of the honey over to cover the breasts and legs. Roast the duck for a further hr, basting with the honey every 10-15 mins. Sprinkle the sesame seeds on top during the final 10 mins of roasting.
  3. Once cooked, remove duck from the roasting tray, and allow it to rest for 10-15 mins. Spoon the remaining tbsp of honey over the duck as it rests.
  4. Meanwhile, make the sauce. Pour off any excess fat from the roasting tin, leaving behind a couple of tbsp of the honey and duck juices. Heat the roasting tray on top of the stove. Once the contents sizzle and become well caramelised, pour in the red wine, then boil for a few mins to reduce by about a third. Pour in the chicken stock (or water and stock cube), then simmer for several mins, also allowing it to slightly reduce to strengthen the flavour. Finish off the sauce (which is quite loose) with the knob of butter (for thicker gravy see 'Try' below). Season with salt and pepper and strain through a fine sieve, if you like.
  5. Now finsih it in style: Gary say's: I prefer to serve just the half duck on the plate. To do this, remove the duck breasts and legs from the breast bone by cutting either side of the breast bone, following its natural line. Drizzle any excess honey juices over and offer all accompaniments separately.
Try

Crispy Skin

Salting the duck really well before roasting draws the moisture out, which helps to crisp up the skin.

Thicker gravy

If you prefer a thicker gravy, instead of adding a knob of butter when finishing it, mix 1 tsp cornflour with a few drops of water or red wine and stir into the gravy, simmering until thickened.

Per serving

1144 kcalories, protein 61g, carbohydrate 21g, fat 89 g, saturated fat 25g, fibre 2g, sugar 18g, salt 4.83 g

Recipe from Good Food magazine, December 2006.

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Latest comments and suggestions

  • Binder photo Hannah

    10 January 2008

    Hannah rated and commented on this recipe

    5 stars

    This was delicious and surprisingly easy to do.

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  • Binder photo alice

    22 October 2008

    alice commented on this recipe

    Great whole duck recipe, very easy to follow. I added some potatoes cubed and peeled around the duck for the last hour in the oven. They were delicious with honey taste.

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  • Binder photo nine

    21 December 2008

    nine rated this recipe

    5 stars

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  • Binder photo sajona

    05 May 2010

    sajona rated this recipe

    3 stars

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  • Binder photo henry-root

    08 September 2010

    henry-root commented on this recipe

    Two problems with this recipe: 1. Using honey will burn at this temperature for an hour 2. If you want it crispy, let the bare duck dry in cold fridge for 2 days before roasting!

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  • Binder photo Shell

    25 December 2010

    Shell commented on this recipe

    Cooked this for Christmas dinner it was absolutely gorgeous. Followed the recipe exactly and it came out lovely. The gravy was fantastic too

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  • Binder photo Shell

    25 December 2010

    Shell rated this recipe

    5 stars

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  • Binder photo katrina

    26 January 2011

    katrina rated and commented on this recipe

    5 stars

    always a bit weary of Gary's recipes as they do go on a bit but this was excellant my mum loved it and she had seconds which she doesn't normally do! vert easy to prep and glorious to eat ask my Ma!

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  • Binder photo luke stagg

    29 October 2011

    luke stagg commented on this recipe

    honey burns too easy, nothing worse than burnt sugar, ruins the whole taste. Tip, baste with honey no longer than half hour from the end. Cook duck from room temperature. Rubbish gary!

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  • Binder photo lydia

    01 February 2012

    lydia rated and commented on this recipe

    5 stars

    Absolutely perfect! Moist, tasty... definitely recommend.

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  • Binder photo neezy

    07 April 2012

    neezy commented on this recipe

    oh my goodness - that was so good. Just eaten and it was delumcious. re the comments on burnt honey, i added one tblsn every 15 minutes, rather than the whole lot at the beginning and it worked really well. Duck was very tender and not burnt at all - gas mark 3... honey's not going to burn. Served with gnocchi and green beans... I did the thicker sauce with cornflour and our own homemade wine (which is white).... frankly, a memorable meal (for me at least)

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  • Binder photo neezy

    07 April 2012

    neezy rated and commented on this recipe

    5 stars

    forgot to rate it - defo 5*+

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  • Binder photo Susie Q

    01 January 2013

    Susie Q commented on this recipe

    Cooked this tonight 01/01/2013 to toast the New Year. It was delicious, it will become a regular dinner party dish in our house. I followed the recipe without deviation and it was absolutely beautiful, yum yum yum.

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  • Binder photo Susie Q

    01 January 2013

    Susie Q rated this recipe

    5 stars

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  • Binder photo Fonteyn22

    10 January 2013

    Fonteyn22 rated and commented on this recipe

    5 stars

    Cooked this for Christmas dinner, and lovely. Very easy to do, and the duck came out moist and tender. I was a bit worried about cooking it on a low temperature for the whole time, so gave it the first 20 minutes on a high heat, and then turned it down, but I am not sure this was necessary, and will try it on the low heat for the whole time the next time I cook it. I followed the advice of a previous poster, and divided the honey into 4 portions which I spooned on every 15 minutes for the last hour. Will definitely cook again.

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Difficulty and servings

Moderately easy

Preparation and cooking times

Preparation time

Prep 5 mins

Cook time

Cook 2 hrs 30 mins

Rich and sticky

Ingredients

FOR THE DUCK

  • 1.5-2kg/3lb 5oz-4lb 8oz oven-ready duck
  • 2 tsp coarse sea salt (see 'Try' below)
  • 4 tbsp clear honey
  • 2 tsp sesame seeds

FOR THE RED WINE SAUCE

  • 125ml red wine
  • 150ml chicken stock (or water with a small sprinkling of chicken stock cube)
  • knob of butter
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Per serving

1144 kcalories, protein 61g, carbohydrate 21g, fat 89 g, saturated fat 25g, fibre 2g, sugar 18g, salt 4.83 g

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