Ingredients
1 whole duck, any giblets removed
2 thumb sized chunks ginger
1 star anise
2 tsp five spice
150 ml rice wine vinegar
4 tbsp soy sauce
100 ml Chinese rice wine
100 g dark soft brown sugar
TO SERVE
Chinese pancakes
2 spring onion, shredded
1 cucumber, shredded
hoisin sauce
Method
- Remove any excess fat from the duck and pat the skin dry. Stuff the cavity of the duck with the ginger, star anise and five spice. Secure the filling with a wooden skewer.
- Bring a litre of water to the boil and add the rice wine vinegar. Put the duck on a rack over a large wide dish or roasting tin. Ladle or pour the boiling liquid over the duck carefully until it is all used up. Leave to sit at room temperature for ½ an hour, then tip away the water.
- Put the soy, rice wine, sugar and 3 tbsp water in a pan. Simmer the soy mix until the sugar and the liquid is a light syrup.
- Spoon or pour the mix over the duck. Transfer the duck to the fridge and leave uncovered overnight. This will help dry the skin and make it crisp when cooked.
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The next day take the duck from the fridge and put on a rack over a clean roasting tin that you have lined with foil (this will protect your tin). Heat the oven to 190C/fan and cook for 2 hours until dark golden brown and crisp. Rest for 20 minutes then carve and serve with the accompaniments.