No-Splatter Roast Duck

TASTIER

GLUTEN-FREE

Makes 4 servings

The dispiriting part of cooking a duck, frankly, is the mess. First off, there’s fat splattered all over the oven. And to add insult to injury, the meat’s tough, particularly at the thighs, because the skin gets overdone before the meat is tender. Maybe that’s why people don’t make duck as often as they should. But with this two-step technique (steam it, then roast it), the mess mostly disappears and you’re left with the crispest skin and the most tender meat underneath. No, this isn’t everyday fare. But it’s a holiday treat.

One 5- to 6-pound whole duck, any giblets and neck removed from the inner cavities, any excess skin trimmed away

1 teaspoon kosher salt

1 teaspoon ground black pepper

1. Prick the duck repeatedly with a fork, concentrating on the fattier bits.

2. Pour 1 inch of water into a large roasting pan that has a cover. Place a shallow roasting rack in the bottom of the pan. Set the duck breast side down on the rack. Cover the pan and set it over high heat to bring the water to a boil.

3. Reduce the heat to low so the water simmers slowly but steadily. Steam the duck for 75 minutes, adding more water to the pan if it dries out or the rendered fat starts to burn.

4. Set the roasting pan off the heat and cool the duck for 30 minutes. Meanwhile, position the rack in the center of the oven and heat the oven to 375°F.

5. Use oven mitts to pick up the hot duck. Being very careful, pour out any juices inside the large cavity of the duck, preferably catching them in the pan if you intend to save them or in a bowl so you can later discard them in a sealed plastic bag. (Duck fat down a drain can be quite a mess—and quite expensive, given that it quickly solidifies into a lump and then leads to an expensive plumber bill. Trust us.) Set the duck on a shallow roasting rack in a shallow roasting pan. Season the duck all over with the salt and pepper.

6. Roast until the skin is brown and crisp, about 45 minutes. There’s no need to take the duck meat’s internal temperature since the steaming will have essentially cooked the meat.

7. Transfer the duck to a carving board and let stand at room temperature for 15 minutes before carving. To carve, start it breast side down and remove the leg-thigh quarters. Then turn it breast side up and slice the breast meat off the breast bone in one chunk. Slice that breast meat into 1-inch-thick pieces.

• Save the fat in the bottom of the pan. Refrigerate the fat and liquids until solid, then scrape off the fat, discard the liquids, and freeze the fat in a sealed container to use for scrambled eggs or in place of butter or oil in any chicken braise. Or use it in place of olive oil for roast potatoes.

• This recipe works best in a large, deep, covered, oval roasting pan, a bit of a specialty tool. Most of these are sold with a rack that fits inside. Hint: The best place to find deals on specialty kitchen tools is eBay!

• You can jury-rig a covered roasting pan from a more standard, rectangular or even oval roasting pan (not the more shallow broiler pan that used to come with every oven). Make a lid by tightly crimping two or three long sheets of aluminum foil lengthwise. The makeshift cover should be wide and long enough to reach down the sides of the roasting pan where you can bunch it into a tight fit around the corners or the ends of the pan. The foil must not extend under the pan. It can actually melt and fuse to the stove under high heat.

Voilà! But what if you don’t have a steamer for this duck recipe or even fresh vegetables as a side dish? Easy! Slice a baking potato into 2-inch rounds, then place cut side down (and up) in a deep skillet or Dutch oven. Add water and set a pie plate on top of the potatoes. Instant steamer! You can even eat the cooked potatoes underneath.