Easy Roast Duck
Gather your people around a whole golden duck. This approachable method delivers the deep flavors of Chinese roast duck without intimidation.
Servings: 4 servings
Calories: 700kcal
Equipment
- Kitchen string Needed to truss the legs, which holds the bird compact for even cooking and presentation.
- Large lidded pan or stockpot Must accommodate the whole duck submerged in liquid; a tall narrow pot works better than a wide shallow one.
- Roasting rack and baking dish Elevates the duck so fat drips away and air circulates for all-over crisping.
- Fork or skewer For piercing the skin; a fork's tines create the right size holes without tearing.
- Large bowl For cooling and refrigerating the strained stock.
Ingredients
For the duck
- 2 kg duck , cleaned
- 2 cloves garlic , halved
- 3 stalks spring onions , cut into 7-cm lengths
- 3 cm piece of ginger , sliced thickly
For the poaching liquid
- ½ cup dry sherry , optiona
- ½ cup dark soy sauce
- ½ cup light soy sauce
- 1 tsp sugar
- 500 ml chicken stock
For serving
- 1 tbsp sea salt flakes , or coarse salt flakes
- ½ tsp Chinese five-spice powder
Instructions
- Tuck the wing tips underneath the body to prevent burning, then tie the legs together at the ankles with kitchen string. This keeps the bird compact so it cooks evenly and sits steadily in the pan.
- Combine garlic, spring onions, ginger, sherry if using, both soy sauces, sugar, and chicken stock in your large pan. Bring to a full rolling boil over high heat.
- Lower the trussed duck into the boiling liquid, breast side down. Cover and reduce heat to maintain a gentle simmer for 15 minutes. The liquid should bubble steadily, not violently.
- Flip the duck carefully using tongs and a wooden spoon for support. Cover and simmer another 15 minutes. The meat will have firmed and begun to turn opaque.
- Lift the duck from the pot and let it drain in a colander or over the sink for 5 to 10 minutes. The skin will look pallid and slick; this is exactly right.
- Once cool enough to handle, transfer to a plate, cover loosely, and refrigerate at least 30 minutes or up to overnight. This drying step is crucial for crisp skin later.
- Strain the poaching liquid through a fine sieve into a large bowl, pressing gently on the solids. Cover and refrigerate; the fat will rise and solidify on top.
- Set your oven to 220°C, allowing a good 20 minutes to reach temperature. You want fierce heat from the start.
- Turn the duck breast side up, pierce the skin again, and return to the oven for 40 minutes. The skin should be deeply golden and audibly crisp when tapped; if not, give it 10 minutes more.
- While the duck roasts, lift the solidified fat from your reserved stock. Pour the defatted stock into a pan and boil uncovered for 5 minutes.
- Joint the duck into quarters and arrange on a warm platter. Serve with stock and a small dish of salt mixed with five-spice powder for dipping.
Save the solidified fat for roasting potatoes.