Five-Spice Roast Ducks (Printable Version)

Aromatic roast duck with Chinese five-spice, honey, and orange. Crispy skin, tender meat. Serves 2 in 1 hour 50 mins.

# Ingredient List:

→ Duck

01 - 1 whole duck (about 3.3 to 4.4 lbs), cleaned and patted dry

→ Marinade & Seasoning

02 - 2 tablespoons Chinese five-spice powder
03 - 1 teaspoon sea salt
04 - 1 tablespoon light soy sauce, gluten-free
05 - 1 tablespoon dark soy sauce, gluten-free
06 - 2 tablespoons honey
07 - 2 tablespoons Shaoxing wine or dry sherry
08 - 4 cloves garlic, minced
09 - 2-inch piece fresh ginger, grated
10 - 1 orange, zested and juiced
11 - 2 spring onions, chopped

→ For Roasting

12 - 1 orange, quartered
13 - 4 star anise pods

# Steps:

01 - In a small bowl, combine five-spice powder, salt, both soy sauces, honey, Shaoxing wine, minced garlic, grated ginger, orange zest, and orange juice. Mix until well blended.
02 - Place the duck on a rack in a roasting pan. Using a fork, prick the skin all over while being careful not to pierce the meat beneath.
03 - Rub the prepared marinade thoroughly over the entire exterior and inside the duck cavity. Stuff the cavity with quartered orange pieces, chopped spring onions, and star anise pods.
04 - Place the duck uncovered in the refrigerator for at least 1 hour, preferably overnight for deeper flavor development.
05 - Set oven temperature to 350°F.
06 - Roast the duck breast-side up for 1 hour. Baste with pan juices every 30 minutes to maintain moisture and develop flavor.
07 - Increase oven temperature to 425°F and continue roasting for 20 to 30 minutes until the skin is crisp and deep golden brown.
08 - Remove the duck from the oven and allow it to rest for 10 minutes before carving to retain juices.
09 - Present the carved duck with steamed jasmine rice and stir-fried greens as accompaniments.

# Expert Advice:

01 -
  • The five-spice marinade seeps into every bite, turning simple duck into something that tastes like you planned it for weeks.
  • Crispy skin with tender, flavorful meat underneath is easier to achieve than you think, especially with a little patience and a hot oven at the end.
  • It looks and tastes impressive enough for a special occasion but uses ingredients you can find without hunting down specialty markets.
02 -
  • Pricking the skin is not optional, it is the secret to rendering out the fat and achieving that crackling texture you are after.
  • Leaving the duck uncovered in the fridge overnight dries out the skin even more, which makes it crispier when it hits the high heat at the end.
  • Do not skip the resting step, cutting into the duck too soon will cause all those beautiful juices to run out onto the cutting board instead of staying in the meat.
03 -
  • Baste with the pan juices every 30 minutes to build layers of flavor and keep the meat moist while the skin crisps.
  • If the skin starts browning too quickly, tent the duck loosely with foil until the final high-heat blast.
  • Use a meat thermometer to check doneness, you are aiming for an internal temperature of around 75°C (165°F) in the thickest part of the thigh.
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