Recipe plus video for roast duck and bone broth that is perfect for the main meal and gravy for holidays and special occasions.
We roasted two ducks for Christmas dinner this year, and after we picked them clean, I made a ton of homemade bone broth too.
As luck would have it, I was able to source them for a fantastic price. For such a gourmet dinner choice plus the duck broth, they turned out less expensive than the local chickens I buy!
Duck is a much fattier bird than turkey or chicken. One great benefit of roasting a fatty bird like duck or goose is that you can cook it at a higher temperature, so the meal is ready faster, yet there is little risk of dried out meat.
We baste our duck while it is cooking. This glazes the meat beautifully and results in the most out of this world crispy duck skin you’ve ever tasted.
There is much less meat to be had on a duck versus a turkey, but you get a ton of duck fat in return. I save this wonderfully healthy, nutritious, tasty fat in a glass container in the fridge and use it for weeks later to season roast vegetables.
My children never turn down vegetables roasted in duck fat. They are simply too delicious to resist (even more tasty than veggies cooked in butter if that is possible)!
Duck also happens to make the most delectable bone broth, so be sure to save all those drippings.
Need a stuffing recipe that blends well with the richness of duck meat? Try this healthy roast duck stuffing that is perfect for this type of poultry.
Homemade Duck Broth Recipe
Recipe for homemade duck broth made from roasted duck that serves as a rich and nourishing base for soups, sauces, and gravy.
Ingredients
- 2 roasted ducks meat removed
- filtered water
- apple cider vinegar
- giblets optional
- chopped onion, celery, carrots optional
Instructions
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Place duck carcasses in a large stockpot. Break up the bones into pieces if necessary to fit the pot.
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Add cold filtered water – enough to cover.
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Add a small amount of store bought or homemade apple cider vinegar. 1/4 cup works well. Stir.
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Leave on the counter for 30 minutes per French culinary practice.
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Place stockpot on the heat and bring to a boil. Skim off and discard any foam (off flavors and impurities) that rise to the top just before boiling is reached.
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Add optional cooked giblets with juices and chopped veggies, and then turn the heat down to low, cover, and let simmer for 3 hours for meat stock and up to 8-24 hours for bone broth.
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Remove from heat, cool and strain into large 1/2 gallon mason jars or containers of choice.
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Duck broth will stay good for up to 5 days refrigerated. Freeze what you will not use during that time.
Recipe Video
More Information
Benefits of Duck Eggs: More Nutritious and Less Allergenic
Naturally I have a noob question: What does the vinegar do?
Ciao,
Pavil
It draws out the minerals from the bones into the water.
I’ve never had duck before and now I want to try it! I’ve always heard it was very greasy but I suppose it would be to people who are used to dry chicken breasts, lol! This looks very good and thank you for sharing!
I adore duck and have always wanted to try cooking it myself but have been a bit intimidated! Maybe I’ll give it a shot soon!
Hi Sarah,
Thanks for the informative video. I have a sort of a dumb question.
I make chicken stock regularly from bones I buy from the butcher (can’t get them for free). I have seen here and elsewhere people talking about roasting a chicken and using the bones for stock, however, when I roast chicken, I serve pieces of chicken with the bones. Once the bones have been on someone’s plate (and possibly in someone’s mouth) I’m not going to use them for stock. How did you end up with the that duck skeleton? How did you serve the duck? How can I do this for chicken?
Now that I’ve seen your video, I’m going to have a look to see if I can find duck in my vicinity.
Hi Ruth, if the bones have been in someone’s mouth you can still add it to the stock as the stock will be at a low boil for hours so any bacteria would be eliminated. For the duck, we sliced it onto a plate and served it at the table that way although our kids enjoy getting an entire duck leg on their plate.
As chance would have it, my local supermarket had duck available for the first time and I got a whole one. I plan to make it on Friday, possibly with stuffing. Any advice on how best to roast it and, as someone asked below, maybe you could do a post on how you roast vegetables in duck fat.
Thanks!
Hi Ruth, keep in mind that you can’t stuff a duck with anything except fruit .. bread stuffing turns to mush from all the fat that comes off it when it is roasting.
Thanks for the advice. I actually had been planning of stuffing it with a rice based stuffing. In the end I stuffed it with mushrooms and leeks and fresh thyme. It came out great. Thanks for the help.
Also, do you add any salt or pepper to your stocks?
Sometimes I add some sea salt at the end but usually the stock is flavorful enough on its own.
Hi Sara, how do you find sources for your duck.
Hi Paula, contact your local WAPF Chapter Leader for his/her local sources list.
westonaprice.org/chapters
Hi Sarah,
Your duck looks wonderful! Do you have a local source? I would have to get mine at the store. Even if it’s organic I’m not sure of the quality. Do you think it would be ok at Whole Foods? And I’m still learning about the plastic. I better go check mine.
I get mine from a local co-op.
Very informative video. I was thinking about cooking a duck or goose for New Year’s so I will be coming back to your blog if my family wants that for dinner.
Hi Magda, I just made it public. Thanks!
Sarah,
Just wanted to let you know the video is marked private… can’t view it.