Crock Pot Duck Recipes

Just as in any dish prepared in a slow cooker, crock pot

duck recipes are convenient for the home cook and a

family who appreciates a beautifully prepared whole

duck or duck breast. Crock pot, which originated from a brand name

of slow cookers in the United States, is now synonymous to the process

of cooking food in low temperature for a very long period. The slow

cooker is a great way to cook duck recipes. While the common way is

to parboil and then roast the duck to get that shiny, dark brown crisp

skin, a slow cooker can make things even simpler.

Use a 6 quart crock pot for whole ducks weighing 4 to 5 pounds. In

crock pot duck recipes, cooking time may vary according to your

crock pot design. But the most common step here would be the

preparation of the duck. For whole ducks, remove the giblets as well as

the fat hanging from the cavity opening. You can remove the skin

entirely before cooking but if you want to serve it with crisp skin, prick

the duck all over to render the fat

first. Rub the duck with salt and

pepper all over. If you have citrus,

garlic and onions, you can insert it

into the cavity for flavor.

To get the beautiful burnished

brown skin, brown the whole duck

in a sauté pan for 15 minutes on

each side. You can also broil the

duck later after removing from the

crock pot. Into the slow cooker, put in the other ingredients such as

onions, shallots, celery and other herbs and spices. You could also put

in chopped apples and potatoes so that it makes a raised bed at the

bottom with which you can settle the duck. If you have a little round

rack that will fit into the crock pot, that will be helpful too. With its raised

position, the fat will melt down the body and drip into the vegetables

below. That means more flavor is soaked up by the duck and the

vegetables.

You can also just cook the duck half, thighs, legs or breast in the crock

pot so it fits the pot nicely. Crock pot duck recipes of this sort suggest

mixing fruits like peaches, apricots and orange peel along with the

honey, soy sauce, and stock to give the duck a sweet, tangy flavor

and balance it with the richness of the duck.