Roasting a duck or goose is not what I normally do, because the legs are better slow-cooked and the breasts served rare. But small ducks like teal or even regular ducks can be enjoyed roasted whole. Here’s how I do it:

• Preheat oven to 400 degrees or higher. Even 500 degrees is OK.
• Split the duck by cutting out its backbone with a chef’s knife. Do this by cutting along either side of the backbone. If you want to be fancy cut out the wishbone as well; the duck will lay flat better this way.
• In a cast-iron frying pan or other oven-proof pan, melt a tablespoon of duck fat or olive oil over medium-high heat.
• Sear the duck on all sides until you get a nice brown color. Remove and salt well.
• Place a few celery stalks onto the frying pan, arranging them so you can rest the duck on top. Why? You don’t want it sitting in its own juices.
• Put in the oven for as little as 8 minutes for teal, 10-15 minutes for a gadwall or pintail, 15-20 minutes for a mallard or canvasback, or up to 25 minutes for a goose. The key here is an internal temperature of 135 degrees. What? Don’t have an instant-read thermometer? Get one.
• Take the duck out and let it rest.
• For a pan sauce, remove the celery and stir in a tablespoon or two of Worcestershire sauce and the juice of a lemon. whisk to combine and taste for salt. turn off the heat, add 2 tablespoons of minced parsely and a knob of butter. Swirl to combine and serve it forth – but do so under the duck so you don’t mess up the crispy skin. 

Here is another way to roast a duck, from a 1945 game cookbook.

OR…Fire up the grill and put the split, salted and well-oiled ducks (rub them with olive oil) over a hardwood fire for 8-10 minutes, turning once. This is even better!