3 December, 2017
Cuisine
Game
Game
I love roast duck. But I don’t always want to roast a whole duck, and recipes for single-serving bone-in duck quarters seem absent from the internet. So with some trial and error I came up with my own. This brined slow-roasted duck quarter will give you a delicious fall-off-the-bone treat for that lazy fall or winter weekend dinner, or even that solo holiday of peaceful introspection. Start it cooking around lunch time, and by dinner the house will be filled with the wonderful aroma of the season. You might find it a challenge to wait the full ~4 hours to let it finish, but you’ll see it’s well worth the wait!
Persons
1
Serving Size
1 quarter
Cook Time
4 hours, 15 minutes
Total Time
4 hours, 15 minutes
Notes
The total time here includes only cooking time, but be sure to set aside the extra soaking time in the refrigerator if you plan to brine your duck quarter.
Ingredients
- one duck (cut into four parts: two breast+wing pieces and two thigh+leg pieces; backbone removed and saved for making stock). Set aside one serving and store the remaining three pieces in the freezer for future use.
- optional: 2 t sea salt, for brine
- optional: 2 t honey (or maple syrup, or plain sugar), for brine
- poultry seasoning (or make your own blend)
- salt, pepper, garlic powder, to taste
Instructions
- Optional brining step: In a small bowl, make a brine by dissolving the sea salt and honey in 2 cups of water, and fully submerge the duck quarter. Let sit in the refrigerator overnight. Recently, more often than not, I’ve been skipping the brining and the duck has still come out great! So if you have an opportunity to try the recipe both ways, see which method you prefer.
- Rinse the duck quarter under the faucet and then pat dry with paper towels.
- With a knife, fork or sharp skewer, generously pierce the skin of the duck to allow fat to escape while cooking. Avoid piercing the underlying meat, since this can cause the meat to dry out during cooking.
- Sprinkle both the underside and the skin-side generously with your seasonings of choice (poultry seasoning, pepper or garlic powder, salt [if you skipped the brining], or any combination you like).
- Place the duck, skin side up, in a small (8″) cast iron skillet.
- Roast in a 230°F oven (I just use my toaster oven) for ~4 hours. Every 2 hours I’ll generally pour off the accumulated fat (save this… it’s great for frying potatoes, adding a hint of “duck” taste to chicken soup, or countless other uses. And it’s purportedly a fairly healthy fat as well).
- After roughly 4 hours the duck should be just about done. It may be ready to come out of the oven, but if you prefer the skin even browner and crispier, then increase the oven temperature to 425°F (or alternatively, turn on the broiler) and roast for another 10 minutes or so, or until the skin is done how you like it (but keep an eye on it to avoid accidentally burning it).
- Remove from oven and let sit covered with aluminum foil for about 5-10 minutes. Enjoy!
© 2025 © Frank K. Mazdab