Exposure to duck meat as a regular component of diet varies the world over. Parts of Europe and Asia – where duck could be counted as an agricultural commodity – incorporate duck regularly. Meanwhile, North Americans normally sit down to a duck dinner only if they had hunted the fowl or are dining in an upscale restaurant. Yet Americans can do worse than to consume more duck. The USDA evaluates the bird to be replete with protein, vitamins and minerals. Eaten with or without the skin, it competes favorably with chicken and turkey as modest in fat and calories. Although roasting is the dominant method of preparing duck, grilling is an effective alternative means of keeping the meat tender and moist.
Step 1
Inspect the duck to confirm proper field dressing and cleaning, if hunted in the wild. All innards can be removed by making a small laceration of the abdomen and pulling them out from the neck down. If the duck is purchased frozen, make sure all giblets are removed from the inner cavity.
Step 2
Preheat the grill on a medium-low setting, leaving a drip pan on the lower rack. Immerse the duck in cold water for a minute or two, drying it inside and out with a paper towel upon removal.
Step 3
Place the breast side flush against a flat surface, the back side facing up. Cut a small slit in the fat beneath each wing and on the back of each thigh. Place a slice of garlic and one of ginger into each fissure, using any remainder to fill the body cavity.
Step 4
Perforate the duck skin lightly with the tines of a fork, taking care not to puncture the flesh. Apply ample amounts of salt and pepper for seasoning within and without.
Step 5
Lay the duck – breast side up – on the upper rack, directly above the drip pan. Close the grill cover and let the duck cook for 90 minutes.
Step 6
Open the cover and remove the duck temporarily. Turn it so the cavity faces downward, allowing aggregated juice to pour into a bowl. Return the duck to the upper rack and close the cover. Leave the fowl cooking for another half hour or so. When the skin is mahogany in hue, take the internal temperature at the thigh’s inner muscle. It is ready at 170 degrees Fahrenheit.
Step 7
Plate the duck and let it cool for at least five minutes before serving.
Tips and Warnings
- If you use a charcoal grill, hold 24 burning coals in reserve. After each hour the duck is on the grill, supplement your fire with 10 to 12 of these. You can cook a fruit-based stuffing inside the cavity, closing it up with small skewers. But do not insert any stuffing until the 90 minute mark, when you have dispensed with the internal juices.
- Know the operating and safety requirements of your grill before cooking.
Things You'll Need
- Clove of garlic, cut lengthwise into quarters
- 4 slices of ginger
- Salt
- Pepper
- Drip pan
References
- Epicurious; Recipes & Menus; Grilled Duck
- DVO Enterprises, Inc.; Recipes; Grilled Duck With Garlic and Ginger
- Cornell University College of Veterinary Medicine; Population Medicine and Diagnostic Sciences; Duck Research Laboratory; Food Value of Duck; William F. Dean, Ph.D.
- Indiana Department of Natural Resources; Today’s Hunter in Indiana – Hunter Education Course; Field Dressing Waterfowl and Game Birds
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