Five-Spice Roast Ducks (Printable)

Aromatic whole duck with Chinese five-spice, honey, and orange, roasted until golden and crispy.

# What You’ll Need:

→ Duck

01 - 1 whole duck, approximately 3.3 to 4.4 pounds, cleaned and patted dry

→ Marinade and Seasoning

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

# Directions:

01 - Combine five-spice powder, salt, both soy sauces, honey, Shaoxing wine, garlic, ginger, orange zest, and juice in a small bowl, stirring until fully integrated.
02 - Position duck on a rack in a roasting pan. Using a fork, prick the skin thoroughly across entire surface, taking care not to pierce the meat. Apply marinade generously over exterior and interior surfaces.
03 - Fill duck cavity with orange quarters, spring onions, and star anise pods. Refrigerate uncovered for minimum 1 hour, preferably overnight for enhanced flavor development.
04 - Preheat oven to 350 degrees Fahrenheit. Position duck breast-side up and roast for 1 hour, basting with pan juices every 30 minutes.
05 - Increase oven temperature to 425 degrees Fahrenheit and continue roasting for 20 to 30 minutes until skin achieves crisp, golden-brown appearance.
06 - Remove duck from oven and allow 10 minutes resting time. Carve and present with steamed jasmine rice and stir-fried vegetables if desired.

# Expert Tips:

01 -
  • The five-spice marinade seeps into every bite, turning simple roast duck into something that tastes like you ordered from a specialty restaurant.
  • Crispy, lacquered skin gives way to tender, aromatic meat without any deep-frying or complicated techniques.
  • It looks stunning on the table, the kind of dish that makes an ordinary evening feel like an occasion.
02 -
  • Pricking the skin without hitting the meat takes a light touch, but it's essential for rendering the fat and achieving that crispy texture.
  • Leaving the duck uncovered in the fridge overnight dries out the skin even more, which leads to an almost shatteringly crisp finish.
  • Basting regularly is non-negotiable, each brushstroke builds flavor and helps the skin caramelize evenly.
03 -
  • For an even deeper flavor, marinate the duck for a full 24 hours and flip it once halfway through so both sides get evenly seasoned.
  • If the skin starts browning too quickly, tent the duck loosely with foil until the last 20 minutes, then remove it for the final crisping.
  • Always let your oven fully preheat before the high-heat stage, a properly hot oven is what gives you that shattering, crackling skin.
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