For a festive occasion, a burnished whole duck makes quite an impression — fancier than chicken and more elegant than turkey. When I was growing up, Mom roasted duck a few times a year, a favorite for most of the family.
I remember as a young teen going out to eat at a Chinese restaurant for the first time because it was my sister’s birthday and that was her venue of choice. Picky as I was, I was not a happy camper as I walked in, but was a convert when I walked out because I had ordered Wor Shu Opp (pressed almond duck).
Roasting the duck is not so difficult to do. Seasoning the duck ahead and leaving it in the fridge overnight helps to deepen the flavor and keeps work to a minimum the following day. This one is seasoned with orange zest, along with fair amount of ginger and five-spice powder, which gives it a marvelous perfume. We paired ours with a Kobocha-Cauliflower Mash.
The ingredient list is minimal, and the hands-on prep doesn’t take long—most of the time the duck is either in the refrigerator or the oven. Because the bird gets glazed often, the skin will be a gorgeous burnished tawny color, but the skin won’t be extra crispy.
Keep in mind when serving more than 4 people, you will need two ducks. Of course there is no need to wait until a special occasion…
Roast Duck with Orange and Ginger
Ingredients
For the Duck:
- 1 Pekin (Long Island) duck, 5- to 6-lb.
- 3 Tbsp. kosher salt
- 1 Tbsp. five-spice powder
- 1 large orange, zested and cut into 6 wedges
- 1 Tbsp. grated ginger
- 1 Tbsp. grated garlic
For the Glaze:
- 2 cups orange juice
- 1 Tbsp. honey
- 2 Tbsp. Demerara sugar
- 2 Tbsp. soy sauce
- 1 piece ginger, (2-inch) thickly sliced
- 3 star anise
Directions
- Rinse duck and pat dry. Remove neck and giblets and save for another purpose. Remove excess fat from cavity and tail area and trim off a bit of flappy neck skin. Prick duck skin all over with tip of sharp paring knife, making sure not to penetrate meat.
- Mix together salt and 5-spice powder. Season interior of duck with 1 tablespoon salt mixture; use remainder to generously season exterior (you may have a little left over).
- Combine orange zest with grated ginger and garlic, then smear mixture inside cavity. Place orange wedges in cavity. Tie legs together. Secure neck flap with wooden skewer or toothpicks. Place duck on rack in roasting pan breast-side-up and refrigerate overnight, uncovered.
- Heat oven to 350 degrees. Meanwhile, bring duck to room temperature and make the glaze: Bring orange juice, honey, sugar and soy sauce to a simmer. Add sliced ginger and star anise, then reduce mixture until you have a medium-thick syrup, about 10 minutes. Remove from heat and set aside.
- Roast duck for 2 hours, carefully pouring off fat and turning duck over every 30 minutes. Paint with glaze and roast for another 30 minutes (2 1/2 hours in all). Tent with foil if the glaze begins to get too dark. Duck is done when the temperature at the thickest part of the leg reads 165 degrees.
- Paint the duck once more, keep it warm and let rest for 20 minutes. Use poultry shears to cut into quarters (remove backbone first) or carve in the traditional way, removing legs from carcass and slicing breast.
Recipe by Dave Tanis for NYTimes Cooking
Accounting for Taste 