Five-Spice Roast Ducks (Printer View)

Aromatic Chinese duck with five-spice, honey, and orange. Crispy skin, tender meat for special celebrations.

# What You'll Need:

→ Duck

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

→ Marinade & Seasoning

02 - 2 tablespoons Chinese five-spice powder
03 - 1 teaspoon sea salt
04 - 1 tablespoon light soy sauce (gluten-free recommended)
05 - 1 tablespoon dark soy sauce (gluten-free recommended)
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

→ For Roasting

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

# Method Steps:

01 - Combine five-spice powder, salt, light and dark soy sauces, honey, Shaoxing wine, minced garlic, grated ginger, orange zest, and orange juice in a small bowl. Mix thoroughly until well incorporated.
02 - Position duck on a rack in a roasting pan. Using a fork, prick the skin all over, being careful not to pierce the meat beneath.
03 - Rub the marinade thoroughly over the entire exterior and interior of the duck. Stuff the cavity with orange quarters, chopped spring onions, and star anise pods.
04 - Place duck uncovered in the refrigerator for at least 1 hour, or up to overnight for more pronounced flavor development.
05 - Preheat oven to 350°F (180°C).
06 - Position duck breast-side up on the rack and roast for 1 hour. Baste with accumulated pan juices every 30 minutes.
07 - Increase oven temperature to 425°F (220°C) and roast for an additional 20–30 minutes until skin achieves a crisp, golden-brown finish.
08 - Remove duck from oven and allow to rest for 10 minutes. Carve using a sharp knife and serve with steamed jasmine rice and stir-fried greens if desired.

# Expert Advice:

01 -
  • The skin shatters like burnt sugar when you bite into it, while the meat stays impossibly tender and juicy underneath.
  • Five-spice creates this intoxicating depth that makes your kitchen smell like a restaurant kitchen, and people will actually ask what you're cooking.
  • It looks restaurant-worthy on the plate but honestly isn't as fussy as it sounds once you get the rhythm of basting.
02 -
  • Prickling the skin is the difference between flabby skin and shattered crust, and I only learned this after one disappointing roast where I skipped it thinking it was fussy.
  • That overnight marinade in the fridge is when the magic happens—the acid from the orange juice and the enzymes in the ginger slowly break down the proteins, and the duck tastes fundamentally different compared to just one hour of marinating.
03 -
  • Save every drop of those pan drippings and strain them through a fine sieve—they're pure umami and deserve to be spooned over rice or saved for the next time you cook greens.
  • If your oven runs hot (and most home ovens do), start checking the duck at the 45-minute mark during the first roast phase rather than waiting the full hour—dark spots don't mean it's done, they mean it's burning.
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