Instructions

1. Look the duckling over for little tufts of down; you can either pull them out with tweezers, which is tedious, or simply singe them off with a lighter or small torch.

2. Pat the duckling dry with paper towels inside and out. Pull the fat out of the cavity and reserve. Trim off the tail remnant and cut the wing tips off at the first joint and reserve both.

3. Slip your fingers between the skin and the meat around the cavity and neck. Detach as much skin as you can without tearing a hole in it. Use the handle of a wooden spoon to reach the areas your fingers can't. Separating the skin from the meat lets the fat render out during cooking and helps the skin crisp.

4. Season the duckling all over with kosher salt and about 1 teaspoon of baking soda. Salt pulls moisture from the skin and the baking soda creates air bubbles during cooking that make the skin crispy.

5. Place the duckling in a shallow dish lined with paper towels and set it in the refrigerator uncovered. Let the duckling dry for 24 hours. Air-drying gives the salt and baking soda time to do their thing, and gives the skin a texture that facilitates browning and crisping.

6. Take the duckling out of the refrigerator after it dries for 24 hours and let it sit at room temperature. Set the oven to 500 degrees Fahrenheit.

7. Add chopped aromatics, such as celery and carrots, and pungents, such as shallots and garlic, to the roasting pan in an even layer, if desired. The pungents and aromatics will flavor a pan sauce you can make later. Place the wingtips, neck and tail remnant in the roasting dish.

8. Set a roasting rack in the roasting pan. You might have to arrange the vegetables and neck so the rack sits flat in the pan. Take a potato and cut a 1/4-inch lengthwise piece from opposite sides so it won't roll; wrap it in foil. You'll prop the front of the duck on the potato so the fat renders out and drains, which helps the skin crisp.

9. Coat the duckling in oil and place it breast-side down on the rack, with the breasts on top of the potato. Place the duckling in the oven.

10. Roast the duckling for about 20 to 30 minutes, or until the thighs have an internal temperature of 155 F. The temperature will raise to 165 F while the duck rests.

11. Take the duckling out of the oven and transfer it to a plate to rest for 10 minutes. Drain the fat from the roasting pan and reserve it if you want to make a sauce while the duckling rests.

12. Place the roasting pan on the stove over medium-high heat. Deglaze the pan with a couple cups of stock and simmer until it reduces by one-half or three-fourths. Remove the neck and wingtips and pour a tablespoon of heavy cream in the sauce then season to taste. Serve the sauce with the duckling.