CHINESE ROAST DUCK
Why not spice up everyone's life this Christmas with this aromatic & delicious Chinese roast duck? It's incredibly easy and looks impressive
Ingredients
- 2 kg Whole duck (or weights between 2kg to 2.5kg (4.4 to 5.5lb) (NOTE 1)
FOR THE SPICE PASTE MARINADE
- 7 spring onions tips (scallion, green onion)
- 7 cloves garlic
- 6 cm piece ginger (2.4in, roughly chopped)
- 4 large cubes of fermented bean curd or 6 small cubes) (NOTE 2)
- 2 tbsp Fermented bean curd juice (from jar) (NOTE 2)
- 2 tbsp black bean sauce (NOTE 3)
- 2 tsp Chinese five spice seasoning (NOTE 4)
- 2 tsp garlic powder
- 2 tsp chicken powder (chicken stock powder or garlic powder)
- 3 tbsp brown sugar
- 1½ tsp salt
- 1 tsp ground black pepper
FOR THE GLAZE
- 2 tbsp light soy sauce (NOTE 5)
- 2 tbsp balsamic vinegar
Instructions
- Trim off the roots off from the spring onions removing as little as possible, then cut them into 7cm (4in) in length. You will only need these tips for this recipe.
- For the spice paste marinade - Place the spring onions tips, garlic and ginger into a food processor and pulse a few times until a chunky paste forms. Add in the remaining spice paste marinade ingredients and pulse to combine.
- Dry your duck by patting it all over with paper towels. Using a spoon, place 2/3 of the spice mix into the cavity of the duck. Use steel or a wooden skewer to secure the opening of the duck's cavity. Rub the remaining spice mix all over the duck's skin, under the wings and legs. Place the duck in a large snap bag or on a large plate wrapped in plastic film. Allow the duck to marinate overnight in the fridge.
- Take the duck out of the fridge and leave at room temperature on the kitchen bench for 30 minutes. Prepare the roasting tray - For easy cleaning, line the base of a large baking tray with baking paper (parchment paper) then line the entire inside of the tray with foil. Place the roasting rack on top.
- Preheat oven to 180°C (360°F) or 160°C (320°F) for fan-forced ovens. Use paper towels to completely remove the marinade (spice paste) from the duck skin, but don't remove the skewer or the marinade in the cavity.
- Make the glaze by mixing balsamic vinegar and soy sauce in a small bowl. Place the duck on the roasting rack with the breast down and brush the duck all over with the glaze.
- Roast the duck for 30 minutes, then glaze the duck again. If any part of the duck looks dark, such as the wings or legs, cover it with foil. Rotate the baking tray and bake for another 30 minutes. Carefully turn the duck over so the breast is facing up and brush on the glaze, then bake for 30 minutes. Rotate the baking tray and glaze the duck and back for another 30 minutes. It should take approximately 2 hours in total to roast the duck.
- Switch your oven to grill or broil mode on medium to high heat to crisp up the duck skin. This should take between 5 to 10 minutes on each side, but take care not to burn the duck.
- Allow the duck to rest on the tray for 15 minutes. Remove the skewer and drain out the marinade in the cavity before chopping and serving.
Notes
(NOTE 1) Whole duck - Aim for a duck that weighs 2kg to 2.5kg (4.4 to 5.5lb). If frozen, thaw the duck completely before preparation. The cavity of the duck should be clean, with the organs removed.
(NOTE 2) Fermented bean curd - This is the secret ingredient! To make bean curd, they preserve tofu in rice wine, vinegar and salt. Bean curd comes in cubes with its fermented juices. It's soft, but it doesn't have a potent smell. Asian grocers stock a few varieties and flavours in jars. I purchased the Fermented chilli bean curd because I love spicy food but it was very mild and had no chilli taste on the roast duck.
(NOTE 3) Black bean sauce is a savoury cooking sauce made from fermented, salt-preserved soya beans. Supermarkets stock their black bean sauce either in the International section or near other sauces.
(NOTE 4) Chinese 5 spice powder - A popular Chinese seasoning usually made from star anise, fennel seeds, Szechuan peppercorns, cloves and cinnamon. A little goes a long way, as it's quite potent. Supermarkets stock 5 spice powder in the spice rack section or near it.
(NOTE 5) Light soy sauce or regular soy sauce but avoid the dark or sweet soy sauce varieties, as these are not interchangeable.
Leftovers - Allow the duck to cool completely at room temperature. Transfer the duck into a sealed container and refrigerate. It'll be good for up to 3 days.
A Third-Party Application calculated the calories and nutritional information. Please use this as an approximate guide only.
Cooking measurements are in Australian standard spoon and cup measurements.
Nutrition
Serving: 1servingCalories: 403kcalCarbohydrates: 12gProtein: 13gFat: 34gSaturated Fat: 11gPolyunsaturated Fat: 5gMonounsaturated Fat: 16gCholesterol: 63mgSodium: 1317mgPotassium: 295mgFiber: 1gSugar: 8gVitamin A: 286IUVitamin C: 6mgCalcium: 58mgIron: 3mg