Best Red Cooked Duck Recipes

RED-COOKED DUCK

Steps:

• Preheat oven to 400 degrees.
• Cut away and discard the peripheral fat and skin from the duck. That is to say, the fat from the cavity, the excess skin around the neck and cavity opening and so on.
• Brush the duck all over with one tablespoon of the dark soy sauce. Place on a rack, breast side up, and roast for 30 minutes.
• Meanwhile, combine in a kettle the remaining dark soy sauce, the light soy sauce, cold water, shaoxing or dry Sherry, rock sugar, ginger, scallions, star anise and tangerine or orange peel. Set aside.
• Remove the duck from the roasting pan and add it, breast side down, to the sauce. Bring the sauce to the boil, cover, lower the heat and simmer 30 minutes.
• Turn the duck in the sauce. Cover and return to the boil. Let simmer 30 minutes. The duck may be eaten at this point, hot or cold. If you are using it to make the many-flavor duck salad, see the recipe.

RED-COOKED DUCK WITH PRESSED BEAN CURD

Steps:

• Prepare bean curd: In a saucepan combine water, 1/4 cup of the soy sauce and five-spice powder. Add bean curd and bring to a boil over high heat. Reduce heat to low and simmer 10 minutes. Remove saucepan from heat and let bean curd marinate in liquid, 1 hour. Using a slotted spoon, place bean curd in one layer on a plate lined with paper towels. Reserve cooking liquid. Cover bean curd with more towels, then weight with 5-pound weight. Bean curd must be pressed under weight at least 5 hours, or refrigerated with weight up to 24 hours.
• Prepare duck: In a nonreactive bowl mix duck with garlic, the remaining 1/4 cup soy sauce, 1/4 cup of the Shao Hsing and sugar. Marinate overnight.
• Heat oil in a large heavy-bottomed saute pan over medium-high heat. Add duck, skin-side down, and cook 5 minutes, or until well-browned. Turn and cook 2 minutes more. Remove duck to a plate and discard rendered fat. Place pan over high heat, and add remaining 1/2 cup Shao Hsing and reserved bean curd cooking liquid, stirring to scrape up any browned bits. Add ginger, scallions, chili peppers and star anise and bring to a boil. Place duck pieces in a sand pot (or an enamelware or cast iron pot) skin-side up. Using a slotted spoon, transfer ginger, scallions and spices to pot and scatter over duck pieces. Pour cooking liquid over duck to barely cover. You may not need to use all liquid. Bring to a boil over medium heat and simmer, basting occasionally, 1 hour. (If you use a sand pot, read instructions carefully. Be sure to use a flame tamer to prevent pot from cracking.)
• Just before serving slice pressed bean curd into 1/4-inch thick slices. Add bean curd to pot and simmer 1 minute to heat through. In a cup, dissolve cornstarch in water to consistency of heavy cream. Using a slotted spoon, divide duck, bean curd and aromatics among 6 plates. Bring cooking liquid to a boil and add cornstarch mixture, stirring well until thickened. Taste for seasoning, then spoon sauce over duck.

RED-COOKED DUCK WITH TANGERINE PEEL

Steps:

• 1. Soak tangerine peel. 2. Wipe duck with a damp cloth and chop, bones and all, in 2-inch sections. Meanwhile bring water to a boil in a heavy pan. 3. Add duck and soaked tangerine peel. Bring to a boil again, then simmer, covered, 1 hour. Discard tangerine peel. 4. Meanwhile slice mushrooms then add, along with soy sauce, salt and pepper. Simmer, covered, 20 minutes more. 5. Shred smoked ham. Serve duck hot, garnished with ham. The Thousand Recipe Chinese Cookbook. ©1994 by Gloria Bley Miller.

RED-COOKED SHANGHAI DUCK

Steps:

• 1. Cut scallions in 3-inch sections slice ginger root. Place in a large heavy pan, along with duck giblets and star anise. Wipe duck inside and out with a damp cloth. Place in pan breast-side down. 2. Combine sugar, soy sauce, water and sherry and pour over duck. Bring to a boil then simmer, covered, 45 minutes. 3. Turn bird over and simmer, covered, 45 minutes more. Let duck and liquid cool, uncovered, 10 to 15 minutes. Skim off the fat that rises to the top. 4. Heat duck and liquid, uncovered, over a medium flame, basting frequently until duck skin is dark brown and the liquid reduced to a cupful (about 15 minutes). VARIATION: * For the white sugar, substitute brown sugar. The Thousand Recipe Chinese Cookbook. ©1994 by Gloria Bley Miller.

RED-COOKED ON-AND-OFF DUCK

Steps:

• 1. Wipe duck with a damp cloth and chop, bones and all, in 2-inch sections. Place in a heavy pan. Cut scallions in 1-inch sections, slice ginger root and add, along with sherry, soy sauce, anise pepper and sugar. 2. Cook, covered, 20 minutes over medium heat. Turn off heat. (Do not remove lid.) Let stand 15 minutes. 3. Turn heat to low and simmer, covered, 15 minutes. Turn off heat. (Do not remove lid.) Let stand 10 minutes. 4. Turn on low heat again and simmer, covered, 15 minutes more. Turn off heat. (Do not remove lid.) Let stand 30 minutes, then serve. The Thousand Recipe Chinese Cookbook. ©1994 by Gloria Bley Miller.

RED-COOKED DUCK WITH FIVE SPICES

Steps:

• 1. Slowly bring soy sauce and sherry to a boil in a heavy pan. Meanwhile wipe duck inside and out with a damp cloth, then add to pan. Cook, turning to color evenly (about 2 minutes on each side). 2. Remove duck, leaving liquids in pan. Rub Five Spices into skin then return bird to pan. 3. Add enough cold water to half cover duck. Bring to a boil then simmer, covered, about 1 hour, turning bird at 20-minute intervals for even cooking and coloring. 4. With a cleaver, chop duck, bones and all, in 2-inch sections or carve, Western-style. Serve hot or cold. The Thousand Recipe Chinese Cookbook. ©1994 by Gloria Bley Miller.