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Cantonese Roast Duck
5 from 15 votes

Cantonese Roast Duck

Cantonese Roast Duck features a whole duck seasoned inside and out with a dry spice rub of cinnamon, Sichuan peppercorns, star anise, and other aromatics, then marinated with a wet mixture of hoisin, black bean sauce, oyster sauce, and red bean curd. The duck is cleaned carefully before marinating, then roasted to develop flavorful crispy skin and tender meat. A glaze of black vinegar and maltose adds shine and depth to the final dish.

Prep Time
1 hr
Cook Time
1 hr 15 mins
Additional Time
12 hrs
Total Time
14 hrs 15 mins
Servings: 12
Calories: 708 kcal
Course: Main Course
Cuisine: Asian, Chinese

Ingredients

Dry spice rub (乾抹):
  • 20 g sea salt a little over 1 Tbsp, 鹽
  • 1 tablespoon granulated sugar 砂糖
  • 1 ½ teaspoon ground cinnamon 肉桂粉
  • 1 teaspoon sand ginger powder 沙薑粉
  • ½ teaspoon white pepper 胡椒粉
  • 1 dried orange peel chen pei (陳皮), dry aged
  • 1 tablespoon Sichuan peppercorns red and green, 四川胡椒
  • 5-6 cloves 丁香
  • 2 star anise
Wet marinade (醃泡汁):
  • 2 tablespoon hoisin sauce 海鮮醬
  • 1 tablespoon black bean sauce Chinese name 豆豉醬
  • 1 tablespoon oyster sauce 蠔油
  • 1 red bean curd with sauce, cube, 玫瑰腐乳
  • 1 tablespoon soy sauce 醬油
  • 1 tablespoon rosé wine Chinese, 玫瑰露酒
  • 1 shallot minced, 蔥
  • 1 " ginger minced, piece, 薑
  • 4 cloves garlic minced, aka 蒜
Glaze (塗油):
  • 1 tablespoon black vinegar 黑醋
  • 1 teaspoon maltose or honey, 麥芽糖
  • ¼ teaspoon red yeast rice powder optional, 紅曲粉
For cleaning the duck:
  • 1-2 tablespoon sea salt coarse, 粗鹽
  • 4 tablespoon all-purpose flour 麵粉
  • 2-3 tablespoon rosé wine aka 玫瑰露酒
Main:
  • 2 kg duck whole, about 4 lbs, 成隻鴨
  • water hot, boiling, aka 沸水

Instructions

Make the dry spice rub:
    Cup of Yum
  1. Combine all the ingredients into a spice grinder.
  2. Blitz until it becomes a fine powder.
  3. Pour into a bowl and set aside.
Make the wet marinade:
  1. Combine all the ingredients in a bowl and mash the red fermented bean curd cube into the sauce until smooth.
  2. Set aside.
Make the syrup glaze:
  1. In a small bowl, combine black vinegar, maltose, and red yeast powder.
  2. Warm it up in a microwave for about 20 seconds if the maltose is too stiff.
  3. Stir together. Set aside.
Clean and prepare the duck:
  1. Use about 1-2 tablespoon coarse salt, rub the all over the duck and skin and remove any innards. Rinse with water. Rub the duck with the flour, and rinse under cold water.
  2. Pat duck dry with paper towel.
  3. Rub duck with a few tablespoon of rose wine.
  4. Stitch up the neck hole of the duck with a metal skewer.
Dry and wet marinade:
  1. Add dry spice rub into the cavity of the duck and gently rub it all over inside with your hands.
  2. Add the wet marinade into the duck cavity and repeat, coating the entire cavity.
  3. Use a second metal skewer to stitch up the abdominal cavity.
  4. Place duck onto a trivet or steaming rack in a roasting pan.
Scald the duck:
  1. Bring a kettle of hot water to a boil.
  2. Slowly pour the hot water over the entire surface of the duck, and watch for the skin to tighten up, about 15-20 seconds.
  3. Flip the duck and repeat pouring the hot boiling water over the skin.
  4. Carefully drain the water from the roasting pan into the sink.
  5. Use paper towel to pat the duck dry.
Glaze the duck:
  1. Brush the maltose glaze over the entire duck; flip and repeat with the other side.
Air-dry:
  1. Place the duck into the refrigerator (uncovered) and let it air dry for at least 12 hours.
  2. The next day, remove the duck from the fridge and let it sit at room temperature for 30 minutes.
Roast the duck:
  1. Preheat oven to 450°F/232°C.
  2. Use aluminum foil to cover the wing tips of the duck.
  3. Roast the duck for 15 minutes at 450°F/232°C.
  4. Reduce heat down to 350°F/177°C and roast for another 20 minutes for a total of 35 mins on the back side.
  5. Carefully flip duck with the breast side facing up. Continue roasting for another 20 minutes.
  6. Remove foil from wing tips. Roast for another 20 minutes.
  7. Insert an instant-read thermometer at the thickest part of the duck and check to see if it reaches an internal temperature of 165°F/74°C.
  8. Remove the duck from the oven and let it rest, covered with foil.
  9. Slice into pieces and serve.

Nutrition Information

Calories 708kcal (35%) Carbohydrates 7g (2%) Protein 20g (40%) Fat 66g (102%) Saturated Fat 22g (110%) Polyunsaturated Fat 9g (53%) Monounsaturated Fat 31g (155%) Cholesterol 127mg (42%) Sodium 1512mg (63%) Potassium 389mg (8%) Fiber 1g (4%) Sugar 3g (6%) Vitamin A 286IU (6%) Vitamin C 5mg (6%) Calcium 32mg (3%) Iron 4mg (22%)

Nutrition Facts

Serving: 12 Serving

Amount Per Serving

Calories 708

% Daily Value*

Calories 708kcal 35%
Carbohydrates 7g 2%
Protein 20g 40%
Fat 66g 102%
Saturated Fat 22g 110%
Polyunsaturated Fat 9g 53%
Monounsaturated Fat 31g 155%
Cholesterol 127mg 42%
Sodium 1512mg 63%
Potassium 389mg 8%
Fiber 1g 4%
Sugar 3g 6%
Vitamin A 286IU 6%
Vitamin C 5mg 6%
Calcium 32mg 3%
Iron 4mg 22%

* Percent Daily Values are based on a 2,000 calorie diet.