Place the duck on a rack in the kitchen sink. Bring 1.5 litre of water to a boil. When the water comes to a rolling boil, carefully pour half of the boiling water all over the skin. Carefully flip the duck over and pour the rest of the boiling water. Use an absorbent paper towel to pat the skin dry
Marinade the duck:
Whisk honey, five-spice powder, and salt to combine. Rub this mixture inside the cavity of the duck all over
Prepare maltose solution to brush on skin:
Maltose is kinda hard to scoop when the temperature is cool. Simply warm it up a bit and it will loosen and easier to scoop. Combine maltose with warm water to help loosen the maltose. Add the apple cider vinegar and wine
I use a tall wine bottle to prop the chicken up. You can actually use a cooling rack or roasting rack set on a roasting rack or rimmed baking pan to catch any juices
Apply 3 layers of maltose solution and air drying:
Use a brush to apply the maltose solution all over the skin, including every nook and cranny. I use a hair dryer set on low heat to blow on the skin to accelerate the drying. You can just let it air dry if you have the time. Once it's dry, apply the second layer of maltose solution and let it dry again or use the hair dryer to dry it again. Repeat for one last time, the 3rd time and the let it air dry for 24 hours in the fridge (uncovered)
Stuff the duck with apples and garlic:
Preheat the oven to 320 F (160 C) with the fan on. If you don't have the fan, increase the temperature to 350 F (180 C).
Core the apples and discard the seed. Cut the apples into cubes. Remove the papery skin from the garlic bulb but don't need to separate into individual clove. Cut in half horizontally. Stuff the diced apples and garlic bulbs inside the cavity of the duck
Use a toothpick to "close" the cavity by threading the toothpick through the skin. You will need 2-3 toothpicks to do this
Wrap the wing tips and the tip of the drumsticks with foils. Those were the spots that usually got burnt easily
Roasting:
I place the duck, breast side up on a roasting rack and place this directly on the middle rack inside the oven. I put the roasting pan on the rack below it to catch the drippings during roasting. This ensures great circulation all over for the duck and it roasts evenly.
Roast the duck for 15 minutes and then flip over and roast for another 15 minutes. Increase the temperature to 350 F (180 C) with fan on or 375 F (190 C) if you don't have the fan. Roast for another 30 minutes or until a digital thermometer inserted into the innermost part of the thigh and the thickest part of the breast read 165 F (74 C)
I then turn off the oven and turn on the broiler on low, flip the duck to the breast side and let it broil to crisp up the skin further. Do not walk away during this time as we don't want to burn the skin. This may take just 2-3 minutes at most
Remove from the oven and leave it on a rack, breast side up, and place on a roasting pan. Let it rest for 15 minutes. Do not carve into the duck right away as you will lose all the juices and the meat will be awfully dry
How to serve them:
Use a very sharp knife to slice the crispy skin off the center of the breast and place it aside on a serving platter. Then carve the meat from one side of the breast, in one large piece and then cut into serving slices. Repeat with another side. Use your knife to cut at the joint that attaches the leg to the breast. Place all the leg pieces, sliced meat, and skin on a serving platter
Place one Chinese pancake on a plate. Smear with 1 tsp (or more if you like) of hoisin sauce. Place some cucumbers and spring onions. Top with some slices of duck meat and some of the crispy skin. Fold the bottom towards the center and flip the two sides over enclosing the content and enjoy your labor of love
The meat of the duck on its own doesn't have a whole lot of flavor because it's not heavily marinated. They are usually eaten with pancakes, hoisin sauce, and veggies.
Video
Notes
This recipe was last published in 2015 and has been updated with improved techniques, new photos, and short video on December 28, 2023.