chinese duck

This Chinese Soy-Sauce Braised Duck is perfectly succulent and intensely flavorful. Braising this whole duck is simple to cook and so tasty in duck pancakes, drizzled with hot chilli oil.

Chinese Soy-Sauce Braised Duck

duck (2.75lb/1.25kg)

tbsp oil

ginger

garlic

tbsp light soy sauce

tbsp dark soy sauce

tbsp Shaoxing wine

salt

½ tsp white pepper ((or black pepper))

tbsp sugar

tsp 5 spice

peppercorns

bay leaves ((optional))

tangerine peel (½ of a whole tangerine) ((optional))

(475-700 milliliters) water

Wash the duck (2.75lb/1.25kg) under the tap and remove all innards and giblets from the cavity (using gloves). Drain the duck and cavity. Set aside.

Pour 4 tbsp oil into the wok and fry off 5-8 ginger slices (35g) and 12 garlic cloves (chopped in half). Place the duck flat (not breast-side-down) and sear it to brown the skin and render the fat. Flip over and sear breast-side-down until brown.  

Now in the wok, add 2 tbsp light soy sauce, 2 tbsp dark soy sauce, 2 tbsp Shaoxing wine, 1 tsp salt, ½ tsp white pepper, 1 tbsp sugar, 1 tsp 5-spice, ¾ tbsp (2g) Sichuan peppercorns, 4 bay leaves and ½ dried tangerine peel. Baste the duck in this liquid so that the whole duck is a caramel-brown. Then add 2-3 cups (475-700ml) water by pouring on the side of the wok (so you don’t wash off the basting liquid from the duck skin). 

Allow the duck to simmer for 45-60 minutes with the lid on. During the braising process, flip the duck over, 2-3 times (every 15-20 mins) so it cooks evenly, and baste it in sauce every time you flip. Ensure the duck spends most time braising breast-side-down, as the meat is thicker on this side. If your duck is extremely big, cook for 1-1.5 hours. 

To check whether the duck is cooked, poke a chopstick or knife where the thigh meets the body. This is the thickest part of the duck and takes the longest to cook. Juices should run clear. 

Cooking the Duck

Once the duck is cooked, let it rest and place on serving dish. Alternatively, you can chop it up, chinese-style, with a cleaver. I enjoy serving this duck with rice and the sauce drizzled on top. Alternatively, you can serve this chinese braised duck with pancakes, sliced scallions and cucumber, drizzled with chili oil. 

Dealing with the braising liquid: Although it is oily, the sauce can be spooned straight onto the duck. If you want to remove the oil, simply pour the oil into a jar or bowl and refrigerate. Once the braising liquid has cooled sufficiently, you can use a spoon to remove the solidified oil layer on the surface. This braising liquid is delicious poured on top of rice and vegetables. 

Serving the Duck

Try our take on a beloved Chinese takeaway dish – it's easier to recreate at home than you might think. Enjoy with steamed rice or on its own with stir-fried greens

Duck in plum sauce (Chinese-style)

rice and stir-fried greens, to serve (optional)

duck breasts (about 340 grams)

plums (about 160 grams), stoned and sliced

star anise

cinnamon

rock sugar (find online

lemon

tbsp Shaohsing wine

Gently score the skin of both duck breasts using a sharp knife, then rub the dark soy sauce all over the breasts and into the cuts.

Heat the oil into a large frying pan over a medium-high heat and sear the duck breasts, skin-side down, until starting to turn crispy, about 5 mins. Flip over and cook for 5 mins more, then remove to a plate, leaving any fat behind, and set aside to rest.

Add the plum slices, star anise, cinnamon stick, ginger, garlic, rock sugar and lemon zest to the pan. Pour in the Shaohsing wine and light soy sauce, mix well, then add 200ml water and simmer gently for 15 mins over a medium heat. Nestle the duck breasts in, skin-side up, cover with a lid and cook for a further 15 mins.

Season with ¼ tsp salt, then remove the duck from the pan and slice into even pieces. Pass the sauce through a sieve into a bowl, then pour the plum sauce over the duck breasts. Serve with cooked rice and stir-fried greens, if you like.

A classic recipe for honeyed Peking duck, serve with Chinese pancakes, spring onions and hoisin sauce for a mouthwatering main course

Peking duck

duck

tbsp clear honey

Shaohsing rice wine

shop-bought

onions

hoisin sauce

Place all the honey syrup ingredients in a large pan with 1.2 litres water and bring to the boil. Turn the heat to low and simmer for about 20 mins.

Meanwhile, rinse the duck well, blot it completely dry with kitchen paper, then put it on a rack in a roasting tin. Using a ladle, pour the syrup over the duck several times until the skin is completely coated on all sides. Leave the duck to dry out, uncovered, in the fridge overnight. When the duck has dried, the skin should feel like parchment paper.

Heat oven to 240C/220C fan/gas 9. Sit the duck breast-side up on the rack in the roasting tin. Add 150ml water to the tin to prevent the fat from spattering, then roast in the oven for 15 mins. Reduce the heat to 180C/160C fan/gas 4 and continue to roast for 1 hr 10 mins.

Remove the duck from the oven and let it sit for at least 10 mins before you carve it. Using a cleaver or a sharp knife, cut the skin and meat into pieces and arrange them on a warm serving platter. Or, if you prefer, shred the meat using two forks.

Serve at once with the pancakes, spring onions and a bowl of hoisin sauce.

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Chinese Soy-Sauce Braised Duck

Duck in plum sauce (Chinese-style)

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Top 3 chinese duck recipes from across the web

The most viewed chinese duck recipes by Recipe Cart users, saved from over 6,000 sites. Or, go to our Recipe Search Engineic_arrow_forward_48px

Top Tags

Chinese Soy-Sauce Braised Duck

Duck in plum sauce (Chinese-style)

Peking duck

The most viewed chinese duck recipes by Recipe Cart users, saved from over 6,000 sites. Or, go to our Recipe Search Engine