Five-Spice Roast Ducks (Printable)

Aromatic roast duck with Chinese five-spice, honey glaze, and crispy golden skin for two.

# Ingredient List:

→ Duck

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

→ Marinade and 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

→ Roasting

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

# Directions:

01 - In a small bowl, combine five-spice powder, sea salt, both soy sauces, honey, Shaoxing wine, minced garlic, grated ginger, orange zest, and fresh 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 to help render the fat, being careful not to pierce the meat.
03 - Rub the marinade thoroughly over the exterior and interior of the duck. Stuff the cavity with orange quarters, chopped spring onions, and star anise pods.
04 - Place uncovered in the refrigerator for at least 1 hour, or up to overnight for more intense flavor development.
05 - Preheat oven to 350°F. Roast the duck breast-side up for 1 hour, basting with pan juices every 30 minutes.
06 - Increase oven temperature to 425°F and continue roasting for 20 to 30 minutes until the skin is crisp and golden brown.
07 - Remove the duck from the oven and allow to rest for 10 minutes before carving. This ensures juiciness throughout the meat.
08 - Plate the carved duck and serve with steamed jasmine rice and stir-fried greens if desired.

# Expert Advice:

01 -
  • The skin gets impossibly crispy while the meat stays tender and juicy, creating that restaurant-quality contrast that makes people think you trained in a professional kitchen.
  • Five-spice is basically a flavor shortcut that tastes like you've spent hours on complexity, but the magic happens in just over an hour of roasting.
  • It's easier than it looks, which means you can impress someone without the stress actually matching the ambition.
02 -
  • If the skin isn't crispy by the end, it's usually because you didn't prick it enough beforehand or the oven wasn't quite hot enough during the final stage, so don't shy away from aggressive forking and a proper high-heat finish.
  • The duck will continue cooking slightly while it rests, so if you pull it out when the skin looks just shy of where you want it, it'll reach perfection by the time you carve it.
03 -
  • If you're nervous about carving a whole duck, practice with a sharper knife than you think you need and let the meat rest fully so it doesn't fall apart under the blade.
  • The pan drippings make an incredible sauce if you strain them and reduce them briefly on the stovetop with a splash of Shaoxing wine, so don't discard them.
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