Best Chinese Roast Duck Recipes

CHINESE ROAST DUCK

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.

CHINESE ROAST DUCK WITH PANCAKES

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.

CHINESE ''ROAST'' DUCK

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.

CHINESE NEW YEAR ROAST DUCK ROLLS

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.

CHINESE ROAST DUCK FRIED RICE

Steps:

• Heat up a wok adds oil and eggs and stir fry for a minute. Blend in the rice and salt and combine the mixture. When the rice mixture is toasted add in the plum sauce and juice from the duck and duck meat. Blend together. Place the fried rice into a warm serving dish and top with green onion and pine nuts.

CHINESE STYLE ROAST DUCK

Steps:

• Remove giblets and neck and set aside
• Cross-score breast, cut skin, not meat
• Poke holes elsewhere, esp. fatty places
• Remove excess fatty skin flaps
• Rub salt and minced garlic generously inside, rub salt on outside
• Tie up drumsticks
• Bake in preheated oven (350 degrees) for one hour, breast side up
• Flip and baste with honey/soy sauce/sake mixture for 45 minutes (baste every 15 minutes)
• Flip and baste with honey/soy sauce/sake mixture for one hour (baste every 15 minutes)
• (Optional) Depending on how done the skin is, roast for final 15 minutes after basting last time
• Remove duck from oven and let stand for 15 minutes, keeping Angie from picking at it
• Carve as desired