Chinese Roast Duck Recipes

Steps:

• The day before, soak 4 wooden skewers in water for 20 mins. Wash the ducks inside and out with cold water, drain and pat dry with kitchen paper. Mix together the sugar, star anise, ginger, spring onions and a few good pinches of salt, then use this to fill the cavities. Close the cavities with wooden skewers and set aside.
• In a small bowl, mix the maltose and 2 tbsp of the vinegar. Add the remaining vinegar to a jug of boiling water and pour over the ducks. (The boiling water opens up the pores, while the vinegar helps to strip some of the waxiness from the skin, so it will be more receptive to the maltose, which adds sweetness and a lacquered caramel colour.) Smear the maltose mixture over the ducks, then place them in a large plastic container and put in the fridge overnight, uncovered.
• To cook, heat oven to 220C/200C fan/ gas 7. (Fan ovens are particularly effective for roasting duck.) Put a little water in the bottom of a large roasting tin, place the ducks on a rack over the top and cover with foil. Roast for about 45 mins. Take off the foil and roast for another 45 mins - the duck must be well done, there is no such thing as a rare Chinese roast duck! Take the duck out of the oven and let it rest for a good 20 mins before carving.
• The day before, soak 4 wooden skewers in water for 20 mins. Wash the ducks inside and out with cold water, drain and pat dry with kitchen paper. Mix together the sugar, star anise, ginger, spring onions and a few good pinches of salt, then use this to fill the cavities. Close the cavities with wooden skewers and set aside.
• In a small bowl, mix the maltose and 2 tbsp of the vinegar. Add the remaining vinegar to a jug of boiling water and pour over the ducks. (The boiling water opens up the pores, while the vinegar helps to strip some of the waxiness from the skin, so it will be more receptive to the maltose, which adds sweetness and a lacquered caramel colour.) Smear the maltose mixture over the ducks, then place them in a large plastic container and put in the fridge overnight, uncovered.
• To cook, heat oven to 220C/200C fan/ gas 7. (Fan ovens are particularly effective for roasting duck.) Put a little water in the bottom of a large roasting tin, place the ducks on a rack over the top and cover with foil. Roast for about 45 mins. Take off the foil and roast for another 45 mins - the duck must be well done, there is no such thing as a rare Chinese roast duck! Take the duck out of the oven and let it rest for a good 20 mins before carving.

Steps:

• Heat oven to 140C/120C fan/gas 1. Loosen the skin on the duck by wriggling first your fingers, then your hand between it and the flesh until it pulls away - be careful not to break the skin. Trim off any excess fat from cavity and skin around the neck. Rub the skin all over with the five-spice plus a good sprinkling of salt. Put the duck in a roasting tin and push the star anise, orange peel and orange halves inside. Spoon the vinegar, rice wine and stock into the cavity, don't worry if it spills out again. Cover the roasting tin with a tent of foil and cook for 2 hrs.
• Turn oven up to 240C/220C fan/gas 7. Take foil off, pour off any juices (keep for the noodles, see 'Goes well with') and return duck to the oven for 30-40 mins or until the skin is browned and crisp.
• Once cooked let it rest for 10 mins. Slice off the breasts and shred meat and skin. Pile onto a plate, keeping meat and skin separate. Keep warm in a low oven, covering meat with foil to stop it drying out but skin uncovered to crisp it further. (Remove the rest of the meat in chunks for the noodles - see 'Goes well with'.)
• Heat the pancakes and serve the duck with accompaniments.

Steps:

• Cut off duck's wing tips and 2nd joints.
• Combine bean sauce through anise and rub the inside of the duck with the mixture.
• Sew the neck and tail openings securely.
• Bring 6 cups water to a boil.
• Place duck on a rack in your sink and pour 3 cups boiling water over the breast; turn over and pour on the rest of the boiling water so that all parts of the duck have been exposed to boiling water.
• Pat the duck dry.
• Combine vinegar and honey with 1 cup water; heat, stirring to blend smoothly; brush duck all over with the mixture.
• Slip a loop of string around the duck's neck and hang in a dry place overnight.
• Pre-heat oven to 450°F.
• Put the duck back-side-down on a rack in a roasting pan and roast at 450°F 6-10 minutes until golden brown.
• Turn with a towel (NOT a fork).
• Roast 8-10 minutes longer, making sure the duck does not burn.
• Reduce heat to 350°F and turn the duck onto its back once more, tent with foil and roast 20 minutes.
• Reduce heat to 300°F; roast 10 minutes.
• Reduce heat to 250°F; roast until tender (if used, a meat thermometer stuck in thickest part of thigh should register almost 180°F).
• Now increase heat to 450°F, remove foil and roast 10 minutes.
• Remove from oven and serve hot.

Steps:

• Duck is notoriously a fatty bird, to diminish the fat and produce a crispy skin, begin by trimming the excess fat from the neck and body. Rinse the duck, inside and out, and pat dry thoroughly with paper towels. Combine the Chinese five-spice, sugar, and salt in a small bowl. Rub the spice mixture all over the duck, inside and out. Salt and five-spice powder makes a fragrant dry marinade, which draws some of the moisture from the duck so that the spices penetrate. Stuff the duck cavity with the aromatics: the ginger, garlic, green onions, and tangerine peel. Fold the wing tips back under the duck and tie the legs together with kitchen string. Poke the duck breast a few times, piercing the skin.
• Place a roasting pan on the stovetop over 2 burners and fill with 2-inches of water, turn the heat to medium. Set a V-rack insert inside the pan and lay the duck on the rack, breast-side up. Cover tightly with aluminum foil. Steam the duck for 45 minutes, checking the water level periodically. Steaming the duck first melts away some of the fat and shrinks the skin.
• In a small saucepan combine the vinegar, honey, and soy sauce over low heat. Cook and stir for 5 minutes until thick. The duck will be lacquered with the sweet glaze, which caramelizes during roasting, making the skin crisp and brown.
• Preheat the oven to 375 degrees F.
• Take the foil off the duck, remove the rack with the duck, and pour out the water and all the fat that has rendered out (this is great to use in other dishes like fried rice.) Put the rack with the duck back inside the roasting pan. Baste the duck with the vinegar mixture, until all the skin is completely coated in the glaze. Stick the whole thing in the oven. Roast the duck for 1 hour, basting periodically with any remaining glaze to set in a deep mahogany color. Tent the breast with some foil if it gets too dark. The legs will wiggle easily when it's done. Carve and serve.

Steps:

• FOR THE PANCAKES: In large bowl and using fork, stir flour with 3/4 cup (175 mL) boiling water just until ragged dough forms. Turn out onto lightly floured surface; knead until no longer sticky, about 5 minutes. Cover with plastic wrap; let stand for 20 minutes. Knead until elastic, about 4 minutes.
• Shape dough into 16-inch (40 cm) log; with serrated knife, cut into 1-inch (2.5 cm) pieces.
• With rolling pin, roll each piece into (1/8)-inch (3 mm) thick round.
• Brush 1 side of 2 of the rounds with sesame oil; stack oiled sides together and roll out to 6-inch (15 cm) circle. Transfer to baking sheet; cover with damp towel. Repeat with remaining rounds.
• In large nonstick skillet, cook pancakes over medium heat until golden brown bubbles appear, about 2 minutes per side. Separate halves and place on tea towel; cover.
• (Make-ahead: Let cool, wrap in plastic wrap and refrigerate for up to 1 week or freeze for up to 2 weeks; thaw. Wrap in tea towel and reheat in steamer, about 5 minutes.).
• Marinade: In small bowl, cover tangerine rind with boiling water; let stand until softened, about 5 minutes. Drain and finely mince. In bowl, whisk together rind, rye, sugar, bean curd paste, soy sauce and five-spice powder; set aside.
• Duck: Rinse and pat duck dry inside and out. Spread marinade evenly in duck cavity. Place on rimmed baking sheet; cover and refrigerate for 12 hours. (Make-ahead: Refrigerate for up to 24 hours.).
• In stockpot, bring 20 cups (5 L) water to boil; add green onions, ginger and rice wine. Tie duck legs together in centre of 40-inch (101 cm) length of string. Holding duck by string ends, submerge in boiling water until skin is translucent, about 4 minutes. Reserving 2 tbsp (25 mL) cooking water, drain duck in colander. Remove string.
• Glaze: In bowl, whisk together honey, reserved cooking water and rice vinegar; set aside.
• Place duck, breast side up, on greased rack in roasting pan; refrigerate, uncovered, to dry for 1 hour. Brush duck evenly with some of the glaze; let dry in refrigerator for 2 hours. (Make-ahead: Refrigerate for up to 1 day.).
• Pour 1 cup (250 mL) water into roasting pan. Roast duck in pan in 400°F (200°C) oven for 20 minutes. Reduce heat to 350°F (180°C); roast for 45 minutes, brushing with glaze 3 times.
• Gently loosen duck from rack and turn duck over; brush with remaining glaze. Roast until skin is crisp and browned, about 45 minutes; let cool enough to handle, about 30 minutes.
• With knife, slit skin along backbone. Using fingers, remove skin from duck starting at underside and finishing at breast. Cut meat into (1/8)-inch (3 mm) thick slices; cut skin into (1/8)-inch (3 mm) wide strips. Transfer to serving platter.
• Sauce: In small skillet, whisk together hoisin sauce, sugar and sesame oil; bring to boil over medium heat. Reduce heat and simmer until sugar is dissolved, about 2 minutes. (Make-ahead: Let cool; refrigerate in airtight container for up to 1 week.).
• Add pancakes, green onions and coriander to duck on platter. To eat, spread 1/2 tsp (2 mL) sauce over pancake; sprinkle evenly with coriander, green onions, duck skin and duck meat. Roll up. Serves 16.
• Canadian Living Magazine.

Steps:

• Cut duck as you would a chicken, into 6 or 8 serving pieces; discard wing tips, back and neck, or reserve to make stock. Place duck, skin side down, in a 12-inch skillet over high heat and sprinkle it with salt and pepper. When duck begins to sizzle, cover skillet and turn heat to medium. After 15 minutes, turn duck and season skin side. After 15 more minutes, uncover skillet and turn heat to medium-high. Cook duck, turning as necessary, so that it browns nicely on both sides; this will take another 15 minutes or so.
• Remove duck to a plate and pour off all but a tablespoon of fat; leave any solids in pan. Over medium-high heat, add rice wine and bring to a boil. Add soy sauce and 2 tablespoons water and bring to a boil; stir in remaining ingredients. Once mixture starts bubbling, return duck to skillet and cook, turning it frequently until sauce is thick and duck is well-glazed, 5 to 10 minutes. Remove duck, then scoop solid spices out of sauce. Spoon sauce over duck and serve.