Great for Groups

Roast Duck

Walk by any Chinese BBQ shop and you will likely see glistening roast ducks hanging on the shop windows. Roast ducks are eaten year-round but are extremely popular during the holidays as a shared dish for family gatherings. Slice and serve with mandarin pancakes or steamed buns; no matter how you eat it, it is guaranteed to be a crowd-pleasing centerpiece of any holiday meal!

120 Minutes

13 Ingredients

Spice Level

Step by step

Recipe for Roast Duck

Ingredients

For 6-8 servings

1 duck, 4-5 lbs
1 tbsp cooking oil
5 slices fresh ginger
5 cloves garlic
1 tbsp white rock sugar
1/2 c Shaoxing cooking wine
1 tbsp dark soy sauce
1/4 c soy sauce
3 tbsp rice vinegar
3 star anise pods
3 bay leaves
1 tbsp black peppercorn
1 tbsp honey diluted in 1/4 c warm water

Step by step

step 1

Rinse the duck and thoroughly pat dry.

step 2

Heat cooking oil in a wok or large pan over medium heat and place the duck breast side down to crisp up. As it cooks, continue spooning the oil over the duck.

step 3

In a separate large pot, add a spoonful of the fat rendered from the duck and use it to cook the ginger and garlic until fragrant. Stir in the sugar until dissolved.

step 4

Add the cooking wine, dark and light soy sauce, rice vinegar, star anise, bay leaves, and peppercorns. Gently place the duck inside and add enough water so the liquid comes up about halfway up the duck. Bring to a boil and reduce heat to low. Simmer for about 1 hour, flipping the duck every 15 minutes for even cooking.

step 5

Preheat the oven to 425 degrees F. Take the duck out and drain all the liquid. Place the duck upright on a baking sheet using a V-rack or beer can. Brush the duck with honey water and roast until the skin is crispy, about 12-15 minutes (watch it closely!)