Chinese Style Roast Duck

Duck Prep:
The night before the hot bath, season the duck with salt and pepper inside and out. Refrigerate until ready to proceed with the next steps.

Make Glaze:
0.5 c cider vinegar
3 c water
0.5 tub maltose (rice malt syrup, found in Chinese grocers)
zest from 1 orange (use vegetable peeler to get wide strips)
2 – 3” cinnamon sticks
3 star anise
2 in” fresh ginger, slice into thin slices
1 t whole cloves

Simmer all together.
Thicken with 1 T water chestnut flour/starch (found in Chinese grocers) dissolved in 2 T cold water. With the glaze simmering and while stirring the glaze, pour in the chestnut flour slurry.
Bring back to a simmer, strain & cool
This can be done many days ahead of time. You can use this glaze for many ducks.

Hot Bath:
2 gal water
1T baking powder

Bring water to boil and scald duck for 2-3 minutes. The fat skin should feel soften and loosened from the body. If the fat does not feel loose you can dunk for a few more minutes. You can use this bath for many ducks.

Preparing & Drying Duck:

Dip duck in glaze. Salt & pepper inside of duck. Hang in a cool dry place with a fan blowing for at least 6 hours*. Put a tray under to catch any drippings. Roast in a preheated 350 oven on a rack for 1 hour. Turn over once to brown evenly.

Hanging – I used a wire coat hanger, hanging the duck under it’s wings. You can use some butcher’s twine to secure it if needed.

*Note and disclaimer: this method of hanging a scalded raw duck at room temperature goes against all food safety rules

The temperature danger zone is the temperature at which bacteria multiply rapidly. The temperature is from 40 degree Fahrenheit to 140 degree Fahrenheit. Foods should not be allowed to stay in this temperature zone for more than 2 hours (1 hour on a very hot day).

In other words, hanging the duck at room temperature for 6 hours can cause food poisoning so prepare using this recipe at your discretion!

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