Recipe Index

Ingredients

• 1 whole duck, spatchcocked or cut down the spine into two halves
• Vegetable or sunflower oil, for deep frying
• 1 pack Chinese pancakes (approximately 10 to 12 pancakes)
• Hoisin sauce, to serve
• 1 carrot, peeled and thinly sliced, to serve
• 1/2 cucumber, cut into matchsticks, to serve
• 2 to 3 spring onions, cut into matchsticks, to serve
• 4 cinnamon sticks
• 5 to 6 star anise
• 4 to 5 pieces fresh mandarin or orange peel
• 2 to 3 thumb-sized pieces fresh root ginger, peeled and finely chopped
• 5 spring onions, finely chopped
• 6 Tbsp. rock salt
• 8 Tbsp. Shaoxing rice wine

Method

1. Blanch the duck halves in a large pan of boiling water for 3 to 5 minutes, rinse them cold, and pat the skin completely dry.
2. Dry-toast the cinnamon sticks, star anise, mandarin peel, chopped ginger and chopped spring onions in a dry frying pan until the spices smell sweet and aromatic.
3. Stir the toasted spices with the rock salt and Shaoxing rice wine, rub that mixture all over the duck and into the cavities, then cover and chill the seasoned bird overnight.
4. Steam the duck halves on a heatproof plate for about 2 hours, topping up the steamer water as needed, until the meat is very tender.
5. Cool the steamed duck in cold water for 15 to 20 minutes, drain and pat it dry, then chill it uncovered for another hour so the skin dries out.
6. Heat oil for deep frying to 356°F and fry each duck half separately for 8 to 12 minutes until the skin is deeply crisp, then drain on paper towels.
7. Steam the Chinese pancakes for 5 minutes until pliable and warm.
8. Shred the crisp duck meat and bring it to the table with the warm pancakes, hoisin sauce, carrot slices, cucumber matchsticks and spring onion matchsticks for rolling at the table.

Prep: 12 h · Cook: 2 h

Nutrition (per serving, where published)

Estimated from USDA FoodData Central ingredient data