How to Brown Duck in Batches

Neglecting to brown and crisp duck skin is like forgetting to bread fried chicken before frying it. It's something that never should happen. If you're browning duck in batches, it usually means you want to braise it as the skin doesn't brown or crisp well at low temperatures. Batch-cooking equals efficiency when preparing large quantities of food ahead of time, or -- in the case of browning duck -- when cooking several pieces of the same food using the same technique. It might seem like extra work, but browning in batches before braising saves time by helping to ensure the duck breasts and thighs finish cooking at the same time.

Things You'll Need

Shallow baking dishes
Kitchen knife
Paper towels
Kosher salt

Freshly ground black pepper
Large heavy-bottomed pan
Tongs
Metal or glass mixing bowl or dish

Instructions

Set the shallow baking dishes near the stove so the duck doesn't have to travel far after you brown it. Have the oven holding hot at 250 degrees Fahrenheit so the duck can go from browning to braising almost immediately.
Remove the duck from the refrigerator about 30 minutes before you plan to cook it as room-temperature duck browns more evenly than cold duck.
Trim the hanging fat from the duck legs and breasts, using a kitchen knife. Reserve the fat. Slice a 1/2-inch crosshatch pattern into the tops of the breasts and thighs, just through the skin.
Pat the duck pieces dry with paper towels. Season them on both sides with kosher salt and freshly ground black pepper. Alternatively, add more seasoning but keep it simple. For example, freshly ground allspice adds complementary floral notes without overpowering the meat.
Heat about 1 tablespoon of the reserved duck fat in a heavy-bottomed pan over medium-high heat for about five minutes. Place four duck legs skin-side down in the pan.
Fry the duck legs skin-side down until browned and caramelized, about four to five minutes. Turn the duck legs over in the pan, using tongs. Brown the other side for three to four minutes.
Remove the duck legs from the pan and place them in a baking dish skin-side up. Drain off the rendered fat into a metal or glass mixing bowl and return the pan to the heat. Leave the remaining fat in the pan. Heat it for one to two minutes before starting the next batch.
Brown the next batch of duck legs like the first -- four to five minutes on top and three to four minutes on bottom -- and transfer them to the baking dish skin-side up. Drain the fat from the pan and reserve it after browning each batch.
Wipe out the pan with a paper towel after you finish the last batch of duck legs. Add about 1 tablespoon of reserved fat to the pan and let it heat over medium-high for a few minutes. Place two duck breasts skin-side down into the pan.
Fry the duck breasts until browned and caramelized, about four to five minutes. Turn the breasts over and brown the bottoms, about two to three minutes. Transfer each batch of breasts to a baking dish skin-side up after you brown them on both sides.
Continue browning the breasts on both sides two-at-a-time, transferring them to the dish skin-side up when finished.

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