Ingredients
Instructions
- To reduce the fat and produce a crispy skin, begin by trimming the excess fat from the neck and body.
- Rinse the duck, inside and out, and pat dry thoroughly with paper towels.
- Combine the Chinese five-spice, sugar, and salt in a small bowl.
- Rub the spice mixture all over the duck, inside and out.
- Salt and five-spice powder makes a fragrant dry marinade, which draws some of the moisture from the duck so that the spices penetrate.
- Stuff the duck cavity with the aromatics: the ginger, garlic, green onions, and tangerine peel.
- Fold the wing tips back under the duck and tie the legs together with kitchen string.
- Poke the duck breast a few times, piercing the skin.
- Place a roasting pan on the stovetop over 2 burners and fill with 2-inches of water, turn the heat to medium.
- Set a V-rack insert inside the pan and lay the duck on the rack, breast-side up.
- Cover tightly with aluminum foil.
- Steam the duck for 45 minutes, checking the water level periodically.
- Steaming the duck first melts away some of the fat and shrinks the skin.
- In a small saucepan combine the vinegar, honey, and soy sauce over low heat.
- Bring to a boil and simmer and stir for 15 minutes until sauce thickens.
- The duck will be lacquered with the sweet glaze, which caramelizes during roasting, making the skin crisp and brown.
- Preheat the oven to 375 degrees F.
- Take the foil off the duck, remove the rack with the duck, and pour out the water and all the fat that has rendered out.
- Put the rack with the duck back inside the roasting pan.
- Baste the duck with the vinegar mixture, until all the skin is completely coated in the glaze.
- Stick the whole thing in the oven.
- Roast the duck for 1 hour, basting periodically with any remaining glaze to set in a deep mahogany color.
- Tent the breast with some foil if it gets too dark.
- The legs will wiggle easily when it's done.
- Carve and serve.