Authentic Chinese 5-Spice Peking Duck
"An authentic Chinese roasted duck that will leave you pleasantly surprised. Crispy skin and subtle flavors make this a great introduction to an unfamiliar bird."
photo by FLKeysJen
- Ready In:
- 5hrs
- Ingredients:
- 9
- Yields:
-
1 whole duck
- Serves:
- 2-4
ingredients
- 1 (4 -6 lb) frozen whole duck
- 3 tablespoons honey
- 4 tablespoons xiao xing chinese rice wine (aka shao hsing)
- 2 tablespoons white vinegar
- 3 slices of unpeeled fresh ginger
- 3 tablespoons cornstarch
- 3 tablespoons Chinese five spice powder, for rub
- 4 tablespoons soy sauce
- 8 cups water
directions
- thaw duck overnight in refrigerator.
- remove giblets and trim excess fat from tail area or anywhere hanging.
- pierce chopstick or skewer under wing and bring through to other side to pierce through under the other wing on the other side in order to give you a way to dunk and hang duck. wings may be removed if desired.
- in large wok or pot bring water to a boil.
- add in ginger, vinegar, soy sauce, xiao xing, and honey and stir to dissolve honey completely.
- make a slurry with cornstarch (mix with water) then add to boiling mixture.
- dunk duck into boiling mixture and spoon liquid over duck for a couple of minutes making sure you completely moisten duck and render some fat.
- repeat process for another couple of minutes.
- immediately hang duck in cool room with a fan on high pointed directly on duck. make sure you put a pot or similar under duck to catch drippings.
- rotate duck to ensure even drying. should take about 5 hours. skin will become taunt and tight.
- after 4-6 hours, rub duck with 5-spice powder to taste.
- heat oven to 375 degrees.
- place duck onto roasting or cooling rack on middle or top rack of oven with a large pan filled with about 2 inches of water on bottom rack of a 375 degree oven. this will catch any drippings, keep your oven clean, and keep duck moist.
- roast uncovered for about 1-1 1/2 hours rotating it 2-3 times.
- check internal temperature for doneness. mine was perfect at 175 degrees in the breast. note that convection ovens will cook duck quite fast.
- remove duck and rest 10 minutes before serving whole or chopping Chinese style on the bone.
Questions & Replies
-
OK, I get it. It's shown as the last ingredient, but is actually the first. Thanks. Derel -
I'm about to start the procedure, but the recipe doesn't specify how much water to start boiling. Is it important? Anyone? Derel
Reviews
-
Fun to make! Make sure you have a good spot for drying (think it was too hot and humid here). -
Awesome! Great technique that resulted in a super crispy skin with a wonderful aroma and flavour from the five spice. Rather than hang the duck I dried in a fan-forced oven with the fan on but heat off and door slightly ajar which worked well.
RECIPE SUBMITTED BY
im a restaurant chef and personal chef with a love for food. i specialize in world cuisine.
