6mandarin orangesquartered, AKA cuties. PLUS more for juices
5clovesgarlicwhole
4Tablespoonsbuttermelted
3Tablespoonshoney
1/2cupmandarin juicefrom about 2-3 mandarins
1Tablespoonminced garlic
Instructions
Preheat oven to 350 F. Place a wire rack inside a baking sheet.
Remove any giblets from the duck. We are not using the giblets in this recipe.
With breast side up, carefully score the skin in a diamond pattern. Try not to cut too deep, it’s best not to cut all the way through to the meat.
Season the skin with garlic salt and pepper. You may not use all the seasoning.
Stuff the cavity with quartered mandarin oranges and garlic cloves.
Use butcher’s twine to tie the legs together.
Place duck on wire rack (on baking sheet). The wire rack will allow the rendered fat to drip through to the pan, while not saturating the duck.
Bake, breast side up, for one hour. Remove from oven and turn duck over, breast side down, bake another hour.
In a medium bowl, whisk together melted butter, honey, mandarin juice, minced garlic, and any remaining garlic salt and pepper (if any).
Remove duck from oven and flip over so that duck is breast side up. Brush the duck with some of the melted butter mixture and put back in the oven for 40 minutes.
Remove duck from oven and flip over so that duck is breast side down. Brush the duck with more of the melted butter mixture and put back in the oven for 40 minutes.
Remove from oven and allow to rest 5-10 minutes before serving.
Notes
The duck will render quite a bit of fat. You can drain off the fat halfway through cooking if you like.
The reason we are flipping the duck is to mimic the process of a rotisserie.
Store leftover roast duck in an air-tight container kept in the refrigerator for up to 2 days.