Ryan Liebe of The New York Times. Food stylist: Barrett Washburn.

Golden skin roast duck is a festive main course for any special meal. In this recipe, the bird is soaked in boiling water before being filled. Boiling water helps to tighten the skin, making it easier to score in cross-hatching mode. In turn, this will allow the fat to show up when everything is cooked. The result is a fully cooked duck with pink juicy flesh and smooth and crunchy skin. Serve as is, or use some sauce—sweet or spicy—such as cranberry sauce, salsa sauce, or chili sauce. Leave the duck fat in the bottom of the pot. It will be kept in the refrigerator for at least three months and is very suitable for roasting vegetables, especially potatoes.

Features: The recipe for this whole duck is completely imperfect. 

20 minutes, plus at least 4 hours of freezing

15 minutes, plus cooling and at least 3 hours of cooling

Approximately 2 hours, plus 1 1/2 hours of refrigeration

Melissa Clark, Nicholas Morgenstern, Priyaporn Pichitpongchai

1 hour, plus at least 18 hours of immersion and 5 hours of cooling

20 minutes, plus at least 30 minutes of refrigeration

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