Roast duck

For a Peking duck experience at home, serve this roast duck with Chinese spring onion pancakes and plum sauce.

Chinese roast duck Credit: One World Kitchen

• serves

  4

• prep

  1 hour

• cook

  2:15 hours

• difficulty

  Ace

Ingredients

• 2.3 kg whole duck, skin-on
• 2 garlic cloves, minced
• 1 tsp grated fresh ginger
• 2 spring onions, crushed and sliced
• ½ tsp Chinese 5-spice powder
• ½ tsp salt
• ¼ tsp white pepper
• 1 tbsp dark soy sauce
• 1½ tbsp Shaoxing wine

Sauce

• ¾ cup (180 ml) water
• ¼ cup (60 ml) honey 
• 2 ½ tbsp apple cider vinegar
• 1 ½ tbsp dark soy sauce

Marinating time: overnight

Instructions

1. Use a damp paper towel or cloth to wipe inside of duck.
 
2. In a small bowl, whisk together garlic, ginger, spring onions, Chinese 5-spice powder, salt, white pepper, dark soy sauce, and Shaoxing wine. Rub the mixture into the cavity of the duck.
 
3. Using a wooden skewer, truss the cavity of the duck shut.
 
4. Bring 4 cups (960 ml) of water to a boil in a pot over high heat. Place duck on a metal roasting rack in the sink and slowly pour half of the boiling water over top. Flip duck and pour remaining boiling water over the other side.
 
5. Pat duck dry with clean paper towels.
 
6. Put metal roasting rack in a roasting pan and set duck on top.
 
7. In a separate bowl, make sauce by whisking together water, honey, apple cider vinegar, and remaining soy sauce. Brush half of the sauce over duck on both sides. Reserve sauce in fridge.
 
8. Put roasting pan with duck in the fridge. Leave overnight, turning once.
 
9. Take out of refrigerator 1 hour before cooking.
 
10. Preheat oven to 220C (425 F).
 
11. Brush duck with remaining sauce on both sides. Put roasting pan with duck, breast side down, in oven. Cook for 30 minutes. Flip duck and reduce heat to 180C (350 F). Cook for a further 90 minutes.
 
12. Once duck is fully cooked with slightly crispy skin, remove from oven and let it rest for 15 minutes before cutting.
13. Carve duck and serve on a platter.

Cook's Notes

Oven temperatures are for conventional; if using fan-forced (convection), reduce the temperature by 20˚C. | We use Australian tablespoons and cups: 1 teaspoon equals 5 ml; 1 tablespoon equals 20 ml; 1 cup equals 250 ml. | All herbs are fresh (unless specified) and cups are lightly packed. | All vegetables are medium size and peeled, unless specified. | All eggs are 55-60 g, unless specified.