Roast Duck

Name: Roast Duck
Yield: makes 4 servings
Ingredients: 3 tablespoons soy sauce; 2 tablespoons Shaoxing wine or dry sherry; 3 tablespoons brown sugar; 2 teaspoons five-spice powder; 4 scallions, trimmed, cut into 2-inch lengths, and smashed; Six 1/4-inch slices peeled fresh ginger, smashed; 1 tablespoon salt, plus more as needed; 4 whole star anise; One 4- to 5-pound duck, trimmed of excess fat; 1/2 cup hoisin sauce

December 14, 2011

While Peking Duck—which is a big deal—is reserved for special occasions, the simpler Cantonese version of roast duck is made far more routinely. It’s the duck you see hanging in rows in restaurant windows in every Chinatown in the country. Because this is often served at room temperature—or as an ingredient in stir-fries—you can make it ahead of time. If you want to serve it hot, accompany it with rice, noodles, or a panfried noodle cake like the one that forms the base for Shrimp with Crisp-Fried Noodles (page 534), and use hoisin as a dipping sauce.

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