Duck with Plum Sauce
Submitted by haumei
Chinese-style roast duck lacquered with plum and black bean sauce, rubbed with garlic and ginger, then chilled overnight for easy slicing. Serve with Chinese pancakes for a Peking-style feast.
YIELD
6 servingsPREP
COOK
READY
If you’ve ever ordered Peking duck at a restaurant and wondered whether you could pull it off at home, this recipe is your entry point.
Two whole ducks get rubbed inside and out with garlic and ginger, stuffed with aromatics, then roasted with an ice water trick that tightens the skin for maximum crispness.
A sticky glaze of plum sauce and black bean sauce goes on in stages, building up a glossy, savory-sweet lacquer that caramelizes beautifully.
The overnight chill firms everything up, making the ducks a breeze to bone and slice thinly the next day. Wrap slices in Chinese pancakes with extra plum sauce and you’ve got a spread that rivals your favorite dim sum spot.
Kitchen Tips
- The ice water step is the secret weapon. Pouring cold water over the hot ducks mid-roast shocks the skin, tightening it so it renders more fat and crisps up during the second half of roasting.
- Prick the skin often with a fork or skewer to let the fat escape. Be careful not to pierce the meat underneath.
- Refrigerating overnight isn’t optional. The cold firms the fat and makes boning and slicing dramatically easier.
Ingredients
Directions
Preheat oven to 400 deg.
Pat ducks inside and out with paper towels.
Rub skin and cavity with salt, pepper, garlic and ginger; then stuff with garlic and ginger pieces, onion and celery.
Place breast side up on rack in shallow pan and roast, pricking skin frequently, 20 minutes.
Remove from oven and carefully pour ice water over ducks.
Return to oven and roast, pricking skin frequently, 20 minutes longer.
Turn and roast another 20 minutes.
Combine plum and bean sauces.
Remove ducks from oven and spread some of sauce over backs.
Roast 15 minutes.
Turn ducks breast side up, spread sauce over and roast another 30 minutes, basting occasionally.
Let ducks cool, then refrigerate overnight.
Using kitchen or poultry shears, cut ducks in half lengthwise.
With boning knife, cut around joints and remove legs.
Cut away at joints; remove meat and discard bones.
Cut away carcass; discard bones.
Lay boned duck flat and slice thinly.
Leave legs whole.
To serve: Brush duck with additional sauce and reheat to warm through.
Serve with dish of plum sauce and Chinese pancakes.
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