• one Whole Duck
• 2-3 tablespoons dried lavender
• 3 tablespoons cumin
• 2 tablespoons black pepper

Prepare the bird

Defrost bird in fridge.  Take out of the fridge 30 minutes before you plan to roast, to allow to come to room temperature.

Prick skin all over with a pushpin or thumbtack.  (This will allow the extra fat to render out as the duck cooks). Rub with dried lavender, cumin and black pepper.

Preheat oven to 300F.

 

 

Roast the Duck

Bake in a deep dish or Dutch Oven, uncovered, for 3-4 hours.  Every hour, remove the pot from the oven, carefully drain off the fat*, and flip the bird.  You’ll get about 1/3 – 1/2 cup fat each hour.  Once you notice that most of the fat is done rendering, proceed to next step.

 

Crisp the Skin to Finish

When fat has mostly rendered out, rub duck all over with honey and turn up heat to 450F.  Roast for 20 minutes until crispy.

Serve hot or cold.

 

*Save the fat!  Duck fat is delicious and versatile.  Carefully drain hot fat into a wide bowl covered with a cheese cloth to collect solids.  Store fat in the fridge until ready to use.