While Peking Duck—which is a big deal—is reserved for special occasions, the simpler Cantonese version of roast duck is made far more routinely. It’s the duck you see hanging in rows in restaurant windows in every Chinatown in the country. Because this is often served at room temperature—or as an ingredient in stir-fries—you can make it ahead of time. If you want to serve it hot, accompany it with rice, noodles, or a panfried noodle cake like the one that forms the base for Shrimp with Crisp-Fried Noodles (page 534), and use hoisin as a dipping sauce.
Recipe information
Yield
makes 4 servings
Ingredients
Preparation
Step 1
Preheat the oven to 400°F. Combine the soy sauce, wine, brown sugar, five-spice powder, scallions, and ginger in a bowl; stir until the sugar dissolves. Sprinkle the salt all over the duck and inside the cavity. Rub half the marinade into the cavity.
Step 2
Prick the duck skin all over with a sharp fork, skewer, or thin-bladed knife; try not to hit the meat (the fat layer is usually about 1/4 inch thick). Place the duck, breast side down, on a rack in a roasting pan.
Step 3
Roast the duck for 15 minutes, prick the exposed skin again, then roast for another 15 minutes. Brush with half the remaining marinade and then turn it breast side up. Prick again, brush with the remaining marinade, then roast until the meat is done, about another 20 minutes; all juices, including those from the interior, should run clear, and the leg bone should wiggle a little in its socket. When the bird is done, an instant-read thermometer inserted into the thigh will read about 180°F.
Step 4
Carve the duck and serve, passing the hoisin at the table.
Vietnamese Roast Duck
Step 5
Sharper and less complex, but interesting. Omit the wine, five-spice powder, and scallions. Add 6 garlic cloves, peeled and minced, double the soy sauce, and mince the ginger. Whisk the soy sauce, sugar, ginger, and garlic together to make the marinade. Proceed as directed.
