Cantonese Roast Duck with Plum Sauce
Why this recipe works
- Crisp skin: Drying and pricking the skin helps the fat render, while the hot initial roast encourages a deep golden finish.
- Aromatic seasoning: Five-spice, ginger, garlic and soy season both the skin and cavity, giving the duck a savoury, fragrant depth.
- Richness balanced: The plum sauce cuts through the duck’s natural richness with rice vinegar, fruit acidity and gentle sweetness.
Get the most out of this recipe
Texture tips
- For crisper skin: Pat the duck thoroughly dry before seasoning, and leave it uncovered in the fridge for a few hours if time allows.
- Lift it from the pan: A rack helps air circulate and keeps the duck from sitting in rendered fat, which gives the skin a better chance to crisp.
- Rest before carving: Let the duck rest before slicing so the juices settle and the meat carves more neatly.
Ingredient notes
- Use fresh five-spice: Chinese five-spice should smell warm and aromatic; if it is dull or dusty, the seasoning will taste flat.
- Choose the right plums: Ripe but firm plums give the sauce fruitiness without becoming watery or overly sweet.
- Balance the sauce: Taste the plum sauce at the end and adjust with a little more vinegar for sharpness or a touch more sweetness if needed.
Common mistakes
- Do not pierce the meat: When pricking the duck, pierce only the skin. Cutting into the flesh can release juices and make the meat drier.
- Use a thermometer: Check the thickest part of the thigh and cook to 75°C (165°F) for reliable doneness without unnecessary extra roasting.
- Protect darkening skin: If the skin colours too quickly, loosely cover the duck with foil, then uncover near the end to restore crispness.
Make-ahead tips
- Dry the duck ahead: The duck can be dried uncovered in the fridge before roasting, which improves the final skin texture.
- Keep sauce separate: Store carved duck and plum sauce in separate sealed containers so the skin and meat keep a better texture.
- Reheat gently: Warm duck portions in a 180°C (355°F) oven until piping hot, and loosen the sauce in a saucepan with a splash of water if needed.
Equipment you'll need
Ingredients
Instructions
- Heat the oven to 220°C (430°F). Pat the duck very dry with kitchen paper, then prick the skin all over with the tip of a knife, taking care not to pierce the meat. Rub the duck all over with the fine sea salt.
- Peel and finely grate the ginger, then crush the garlic. Mix the ginger and garlic with the Chinese five spice powder and 30 ml of the light soy sauce to make a paste. Rub the paste over the duck, including inside the cavity.
- Set the duck breast-side up on a rack in a roasting pan, or directly in the pan if you do not have a rack. Roast for 20 minutes to start crisping the skin, then reduce the oven to 180°C (355°F).
- Continue roasting for 60 to 70 minutes, basting every 20 minutes with the pan juices and brushing on the remaining 30 ml light soy sauce in the last two bastes. The duck is ready when the skin is deep golden and a thermometer in the thickest part of the thigh reads 75°C (170°F).
- Transfer the duck to a board and rest for 15 minutes before carving. Pour off most of the fat from the roasting pan, leaving the browned bits behind for flavour. Keep the pan nearby in case you want to spoon a little of the juices over the carved duck.
- While the duck rests, make the plum sauce: halve and stone the plums, then put them in a saucepan with the rice vinegar, brown sugar and water. Simmer for 10 to 12 minutes, stirring, until the plums collapse and the sauce turns glossy and thick enough to coat a spoon. Taste and adjust with a splash more rice vinegar for sharpness or a pinch more brown sugar for sweetness.
- Carve the duck into neat slices or joint it into portions. Serve with the warm plum sauce on the side for dipping or spooning over. Any extra sauce can be cooled and kept for leftovers.
Recipe notes
Tips
- For the crispest skin, take your time drying the duck thoroughly before seasoning, and keep it uncovered in the fridge for a few hours if you can.
- If the skin is browning too quickly, loosely cover the duck with foil for the final part of roasting, then uncover for the last 10 minutes to re-crisp.
- Food safety: make sure the duck is cooked to at least 75°C (170°F) in the thickest part of the thigh, especially for children, pregnant people, and anyone who is immunocompromised.
Substitutions
- Replace rice vinegar with white wine vinegar for a slightly sharper, less sweet acidity.
- Replace brown sugar with honey for a rounder sweetness in the plum sauce.
- Replace light soy sauce with dark soy sauce for deeper colour and a slightly sweeter, richer flavour.
Storage
- Refrigerate up to 3 days
- Cool the duck and sauce quickly, then refrigerate separately in sealed containers. Reheat duck portions in a 180°C (355°F) oven until piping hot, and warm the sauce gently in a saucepan with a splash of water if needed. Freeze carved duck and sauce separately for up to 2 months for best texture.
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Recipe overview
- Servings: 4 servings
- Total time: 2h 5min (35min active)
- Difficulty: Medium
- Cuisine: Chinese
-
Allergens:
Soybeans
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