Setting up your Rotisserie One of the best ways to cook a whole duck is by using a rotisserie spit on your barbecue. The first thing that you want to do is to make sure that your spit is set correctly, before you ever fire up the grill. Once it's hot, making any adjustments can be quite difficult. Remove the grates to give the bird extra room to rotate. Brining Start with a entire duck, rinse with cold water and completely dress the bird. When cooking a whole bird, you'll get the best results when you brine it first. Combine 3/4 of a cup of kosher salt with about a gallon of warm water and mix until completely dissolved. Place the bird into a large bowl and cover, setting aside Overnight. Trussing the Duck When you're done brining, place the bird on a cutting board and truss it. This ensures that the meat cooks evenly and holds a nice shape while cooking. To truss, simply wrap a length of butcher's string around the drumsticks and cross over the breast in an X pattern. Tuck under the wing bone and secure with a bow on the top.
Here's how to rotisserie barbecuing a whole Duck recipe. For real great barbeque flavor, you can't beat a entire bird cooked over an open flame after a good days duck hunting.
Blanching the Bacon
Next, give the duck a pat dry with a paper towel and brush with a coating of butter and sprinkle with dry rub over the entire bird. Then in a small saucepan, blanch a few strips of thick-cut bacon for about a minute. Carefully tuck the strips of bacon under the string to keep it on the surface of the skin. This will help keep the duck from over cooking and drying out as waterfowl should becookeda little on the rare side.
Dry Rub
- ½ tsp. salt
- ½ tsp. cracked black pepper
- ½ tsp. fresh garlic, minced
- ½ tsp. thyme
Set the Duck on the Rotisserie
Next, feed the spit through the carcass and secure the tines on each end. The tighter you are able to fix the forks on the spit, the better the duck will stand up to the constant turning once it's over the flame. Once your grill has heated up, turn it down to low heat before you start to cook the bird. Carefully place the spit into the motor. Use a pair of heat-proof gloves that will allow you to adjust the spit without burning your hands. If your duck flops about it is due to it still having a fair amount of water in it and require some adjustments as it heats up. As the duck cooks, the meat and skin will constrict, and the bird will take on the traditional shape.
Cooking the Duck
Cook with the cover closed for about two or three hours, or until the internal temperature reaches 165 degrees. It's best to keep the cover closed for as long as you are cooking to hold in the heat.
One way to make sure that your bird is still rotating is to check the knob on the end of the spit. As long as it's spinning smoothly, your duck has not fallen off. If you're like me and want the skin to be extra crispy, turn the heat up for the last twenty minutes or so to get a deep dark finish on your bird but be careful not to overcook your Bird. This is a great way to enjoy the rewards of your successful duck hunting trip.
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