Cantonese Duck Recipes

Steps:

• Cut off duck's wing tips and 2nd joints.
• Combine bean sauce through anise and rub the inside of the duck with the mixture.
• Sew the neck and tail openings securely.
• Bring 6 cups water to a boil.
• Place duck on a rack in your sink and pour 3 cups boiling water over the breast; turn over and pour on the rest of the boiling water so that all parts of the duck have been exposed to boiling water.
• Pat the duck dry.
• Combine vinegar and honey with 1 cup water; heat, stirring to blend smoothly; brush duck all over with the mixture.
• Slip a loop of string around the duck's neck and hang in a dry place overnight.
• Pre-heat oven to 450°F.
• Put the duck back-side-down on a rack in a roasting pan and roast at 450°F 6-10 minutes until golden brown.
• Turn with a towel (NOT a fork).
• Roast 8-10 minutes longer, making sure the duck does not burn.
• Reduce heat to 350°F and turn the duck onto its back once more, tent with foil and roast 20 minutes.
• Reduce heat to 300°F; roast 10 minutes.
• Reduce heat to 250°F; roast until tender (if used, a meat thermometer stuck in thickest part of thigh should register almost 180°F).
• Now increase heat to 450°F, remove foil and roast 10 minutes.
• Remove from oven and serve hot.

Steps:

• 1. Place the duck in a large pot; add water to cover. To the water, add the star anise, green onions, ginger root, soy sauces, salt. Cover, turn to high heat. Bring to boil; reduce heat to medium, cook duck for 2 hours or until tender. Remove the duck; cool. Skin, debone, shred the duck meat.(Madame Wu adds as an aside here: "If, like many Chinese, you enjoy the skin, leave some of it on as it will produce a crisper texture when deep-fried.") 2. Pack the shredded duck into a square cooking pan to a 3/4 inch thickness. Sprinkle cornstarch generously over one side, then turn it over and do the same on the other side until completely coated. Heat water to boiling in the bottom of a steamer. Place the duck in the top section, cover, steam 30 minutes. Remove, cool; refrigerate overnight. 3. The next day, take the duck out of the refrigerator, cut into 4 quarters and drain on paper toweling so there will be no moisture to splatter. In a deep-fryer, heat the 2 quarts of vegetable oil to 350 degrees. Add the duck quarters, deep-fry for 10 minutes, then remove with slotted spoon. Drain on paper towels. Cut into 1-inch squares, place on a serving platter. 4. While the duck is deep-frying, prepare the sweet and sour sauce. Mix together the vinegar, ketchup, brown sugar, red food coloring. Pour into a skillet; bring to a boil. Add the cornstarch and water blend, cook until the syrup thickens to the desired consistency. Pour the sauce over the duck, sprinkle with crushed almonds, serve immediately.

Steps:

• Season both ducks inside and out with salt.
• Place half the orange wedges and a few celery leaves into the cavity of each bird.
• Place birds, breast side up, on rack in shallow roasting pan.
• Roast uncovered in a hot (400°F/200°c) oven for 1 hour or until tender.
• If necessary, cover pan with foil to prevent excess browning.
• Prepare sauce by combining all (sauce) ingredients in a sauce pan.
• Heat through (for about 5 minutes), stirring constantly.
• During the last 10 minutes of roasting, baste ducks occasionally with sauce.
• Remove ducks from oven; discard stuffing.
• Serve over hot cooked rice.
• Serve remaining sauce on the side.

Steps:

• The day before, soak 4 wooden skewers in water for 20 mins. Wash the ducks inside and out with cold water, drain and pat dry with kitchen paper. Mix together the sugar, star anise, ginger, spring onions and a few good pinches of salt, then use this to fill the cavities. Close the cavities with wooden skewers and set aside.
• In a small bowl, mix the maltose and 2 tbsp of the vinegar. Add the remaining vinegar to a jug of boiling water and pour over the ducks. (The boiling water opens up the pores, while the vinegar helps to strip some of the waxiness from the skin, so it will be more receptive to the maltose, which adds sweetness and a lacquered caramel colour.) Smear the maltose mixture over the ducks, then place them in a large plastic container and put in the fridge overnight, uncovered.
• To cook, heat oven to 220C/200C fan/ gas 7. (Fan ovens are particularly effective for roasting duck.) Put a little water in the bottom of a large roasting tin, place the ducks on a rack over the top and cover with foil. Roast for about 45 mins. Take off the foil and roast for another 45 mins - the duck must be well done, there is no such thing as a rare Chinese roast duck! Take the duck out of the oven and let it rest for a good 20 mins before carving.
• The day before, soak 4 wooden skewers in water for 20 mins. Wash the ducks inside and out with cold water, drain and pat dry with kitchen paper. Mix together the sugar, star anise, ginger, spring onions and a few good pinches of salt, then use this to fill the cavities. Close the cavities with wooden skewers and set aside.
• In a small bowl, mix the maltose and 2 tbsp of the vinegar. Add the remaining vinegar to a jug of boiling water and pour over the ducks. (The boiling water opens up the pores, while the vinegar helps to strip some of the waxiness from the skin, so it will be more receptive to the maltose, which adds sweetness and a lacquered caramel colour.) Smear the maltose mixture over the ducks, then place them in a large plastic container and put in the fridge overnight, uncovered.
• To cook, heat oven to 220C/200C fan/ gas 7. (Fan ovens are particularly effective for roasting duck.) Put a little water in the bottom of a large roasting tin, place the ducks on a rack over the top and cover with foil. Roast for about 45 mins. Take off the foil and roast for another 45 mins - the duck must be well done, there is no such thing as a rare Chinese roast duck! Take the duck out of the oven and let it rest for a good 20 mins before carving.