Steamed Duck Recipes

SEARED DUCK BREAST

Steps:

• With a sharp knife, score the fat of the duck breast in a crisscross pattern, being careful to not cut into the meat. Season the duck with salt and pepper. Warm a cast-iron or heavy-bottomed pan over medium-low heat and add enough oil to just coat the bottom of the pan.
• Place the duck breast fat-side down in the skillet to render off the fat, about 8 minutes. Once the fat has rendered out and the skin is golden brown and crisp, turn the duck breast over and add the butter, thyme and garlic. Turn up the heat to medium-high and, once the butter is foamy, begin basting the duck breast using a spoon. Continue basting until the duck breast reaches medium rare and measures 135 to 140 degrees F. on an instant-read thermometer, 2 to 3 minutes. Remove from the pan and let rest for 3 to 4 minutes before slicing.

PEKING DUCK

Steps:

• Rinse the duck inside and out, and pat dry. Cut off tail and discard. In a small bowl, mix together the cinnamon, ginger, nutmeg, white pepper and cloves. Sprinkle one teaspoon of the mixture into the cavity of the duck. Stir one tablespoon of the soy sauce into the remaining spice mixture and rub evenly over the entire outside of the bird. Cut one of the green onions in half and tuck inside the cavity. Cover and refrigerate the bird for at least 2 hours, or overnight.
• Place duck breast side up on a rack in a big enough wok or pot and steam for an hour adding a little more water, if necessary, as it evaporates. Lift duck with two large spoons, and drain juices and green onion.
• Preheat the oven to 375 degrees F (190 degrees C). Place duck breast side up in a roasting pan and prick skin all over using a fork.
• Roast for 30 minutes in the preheated oven. While the duck is roasting, mix together the remaining 2 tablespoons of soy sauce and honey. After 30 minutes, brush the honey mixture onto the duck and return it to the oven. Turn the heat up to 500 degrees F (260 degrees C). Roast for 5 minutes, or until the skin is richly browned. Do not allow the skin to char.
• Prepare the duck sauce by mixing the plum jam with the sugar, vinegar and chutney in a small serving bowl. Chop remaining green onions and place them into a separate bowl. Place whole duck onto a serving platter and garnish with orange slices and fresh parsley. Use plum sauce and onions for dipping.

STEAMED DUCK

Steps:

• Place duck in a deep-sided heatproof dish to collect juices as the duck will release a large amount of fat and moisture during the steaming process.
• Place vegetables (onions - ginger root) inside the duck.
• Place a small plate that fits into steamer (with a 1-inch clearance) for steam to circulate. Spray plate with Pam and place duck on plate in steamer (you may need to cut duck into quarters to fit).
• Place a lot of water into bottom of steamer, bring it to a boil and steam duck for about 1 1/2 hours or until it reaches 180-degrees F using a meat therometer. (While duck is steaming check water in steamer as you may need to add more water during the cooking process).
• Preheat oven to 450-degrees F.
• Remove duck from steamer.
• Heat soy suce and honey together and then brush over duck.
• Roast duck for 20-30 minutes or until skin is brown and crisp.
• Cut into serving pieces to serve.

STEAMED AND ROASTED WHOLE DUCK

Steps:

• To reduce the fat and produce a crispy skin, begin by trimming the excess fat from the neck and body.
• Rinse the duck, inside and out, and pat dry thoroughly with paper towels.
• Combine the Chinese five-spice, sugar, and salt in a small bowl.
• Rub the spice mixture all over the duck, inside and out.
• Salt and five-spice powder makes a fragrant dry marinade, which draws some of the moisture from the duck so that the spices penetrate.
• Stuff the duck cavity with the aromatics: the ginger, garlic, green onions, and tangerine peel.
• Fold the wing tips back under the duck and tie the legs together with kitchen string.
• Poke the duck breast a few times, piercing the skin.
• Place a roasting pan on the stovetop over 2 burners and fill with 2-inches of water, turn the heat to medium.
• Set a V-rack insert inside the pan and lay the duck on the rack, breast-side up.
• Cover tightly with aluminum foil.
• Steam the duck for 45 minutes, checking the water level periodically.
• Steaming the duck first melts away some of the fat and shrinks the skin.
• In a small saucepan combine the vinegar, honey, and soy sauce over low heat.
• Bring to a boil and simmer and stir for 15 minutes until sauce thickens.
• The duck will be lacquered with the sweet glaze, which caramelizes during roasting, making the skin crisp and brown.
• Preheat the oven to 375 degrees F.
• Take the foil off the duck, remove the rack with the duck, and pour out the water and all the fat that has rendered out.
• Put the rack with the duck back inside the roasting pan.
• Baste the duck with the vinegar mixture, until all the skin is completely coated in the glaze.
• Stick the whole thing in the oven.
• Roast the duck for 1 hour, basting periodically with any remaining glaze to set in a deep mahogany color.
• Tent the breast with some foil if it gets too dark.
• The legs will wiggle easily when it's done.
• Carve and serve.

CRISPY-SKIN STEAMED DUCK

Steps:

• Rinse duck well and thoroughly dry with paper towels.
• Rub inside and out with brandy, then salt, distributing evenly.
• Place in large dish and cover with plastic wrap.
• Refrigerate for 1 to 3 days, turning daily.
• Rinse salt off duck under cold running water; dry with paper towels.
• Pull off excess fat in cavity; cut off tail bone and excess neck skin.
• Using metal skewer or toothpick, prick skin all over on angle, especially in fatty areas, being careful not to prick underneath meat under fat.
• In small bowl, combine garlic, chopped rosemary and pepper, mashing slightly with fork.
• Rub inside duck cavity.
• Using vegetable peeler, peel off strips of lemon rind; set aside.
• Place 2 inches (5 cm) water in wok or large pot. Add all but 4 strips of the lemon and2 of the rosemary sprigs; bring to boil.
• Place duck, breast side up, in large bamboo steamer; lay remaining lemon rind and rosemary sprigs on top. Place on top of wok.
• Reserving 1 1/2 teaspoons (7 mL) lemon juice, squeeze remaining juice over duck.
• Cover and steam over medium-high heat for 70 minutes, adding more boiling water to wok as necessary.
• Remove duck from steamer; carefully pour out excess liquid from body cavity. (Make-ahead: Cool slightly at room temperature; transfer to glass dish and refrigerate until completely cooled. Cover with plastic wrap and refrigerate for up to 1 day.)
• Discard rosemary and lemon rind.
• In small bowl, mix maple syrup and reserved lemon juice; lightly brush over bottom skin of duck.
• Place duck, breast side down, on rack in roasting pan.
• Roast in 425°F (220°C) oven for 15 minutes or until golden.
• Turn duck over; brush all over with remaining maple syrup mixture.
• Roast for about 15 minutes or until well browned, watching carefully in final minutes to avoid burning.

CHINATOWN STEAMED AND ROASTED DUCK

Steps:

• Duck is notoriously a fatty bird, to diminish the fat and produce a crispy skin, begin by trimming the excess fat from the neck and body. Rinse the duck, inside and out, and pat dry thoroughly with paper towels. Combine the Chinese five-spice, sugar, and salt in a small bowl. Rub the spice mixture all over the duck, inside and out. Salt and five-spice powder makes a fragrant dry marinade, which draws some of the moisture from the duck so that the spices penetrate. Stuff the duck cavity with the aromatics: the ginger, garlic, green onions, and tangerine peel. Fold the wing tips back under the duck and tie the legs together with kitchen string. Poke the duck breast a few times, piercing the skin.
• Place a roasting pan on the stovetop over 2 burners and fill with 2-inches of water, turn the heat to medium. Set a V-rack insert inside the pan and lay the duck on the rack, breast-side up. Cover tightly with aluminum foil. Steam the duck for 45 minutes, checking the water level periodically. Steaming the duck first melts away some of the fat and shrinks the skin.
• In a small saucepan combine the vinegar, honey, and soy sauce over low heat. Cook and stir for 5 minutes until thick. The duck will be lacquered with the sweet glaze, which caramelizes during roasting, making the skin crisp and brown.
• Preheat the oven to 375 degrees F.
• Take the foil off the duck, remove the rack with the duck, and pour out the water and all the fat that has rendered out (this is great to use in other dishes like fried rice.) Put the rack with the duck back inside the roasting pan. Baste the duck with the vinegar mixture, until all the skin is completely coated in the glaze. Stick the whole thing in the oven. Roast the duck for 1 hour, basting periodically with any remaining glaze to set in a deep mahogany color. Tent the breast with some foil if it gets too dark. The legs will wiggle easily when it's done. Carve and serve.

BASIC STEAMED DEEP-FRIED DUCK

Steps:

• 1. Wipe duck inside and out with a damp cloth. Rub liberally with salt and pepper. Let stand 1 hour. 2. Place bird in a deep, heatproof bowl and steam 1 1/2 to 2 hours by the bowl-in-a-pot method (see HOW-TO, _Steaming). 3. Drain duck and let cool. Wipe dry, then truss (see HOW-TO, _Poultry: To truss). 4. Heat oil to boiling. Using a wire basket or long-handled Chinese strainer, gently lower in duck and deep-fry, basting and turning, until golden. Drain on paper toweling. 5. Let duck cool slightly, then chop, bones and all, in bite-size pieces. Serve with scallion brushes (see HOW-TO, _Onion Brushes: To make), a plum or hoisin sauce dip, or any other dip for deep-fried duck (see Seasonings and Sauces, Deep-Fried Duck Dip). NOTE: The technique of double-frying can be used here. In step 4, deep-fry the duck 5 minutes, lift out reheat the oil. Then return the bird and deep-fry again until crisp and golden. VARIATIONS: * In step 1, rub duck with any of the following mixtures: 2 teaspoons salt, 1/4 teaspoon anise pepper and 1/8 teaspoon Five Spices 2 tablespoons sherry, 2 teaspoons salt, 1/2 teaspoon sugar, 1/4 teaspoon red pepper 1 1/2 tablespoons soy sauce, 1 tablespoon brown bean sauce, mashed and 1/2 teaspoon Five Spices 1 to 2 scallion stalks and 3 or 4 slices fresh ginger root, both minced 1 tablespoon Szechwan peppercorns, crushed and 2 teaspoons salt * In step 2, before steaming, add to bowl with duck 2 scallion stalks and 2 or 3 slices fresh ginger root. * In step 3, before trussing duck, coat with a mixture of 2 tablespoons cornstarch and 1 tablespoon soy sauce or 3 tablespoons flour and 1 egg, lightly beaten. The Thousand Recipe Chinese Cookbook. ©1994 by Gloria Bley Miller.

DEEP-FRIED STEAMED WEST LAKE DUCK

Steps:

• 1. Soak dried mushrooms. 2. Wipe duck inside and out with a damp cloth. Dry well with paper toweling or hang up to dry in a cool, airy place 1 to 2 hours. 3. Rub duck lightly with soy sauce. Then truss (see HOW-TO, _Poultry: To truss). 4. Heat oil to boiling. Using a wire basket or long-handled Chinese strainer, gently lower in duck and deep-fry, basting and turning, until golden. Drain quickly. Rinse in a pan of cold water and drain again. Untie duck. 5. Transfer bird to a large heatproof bowl. Dice giblets slice ginger root and add, along with star anise. Combine sherry, salt, honey and remaining soy sauce and pour over. Meanwhile boil water in another pan, and also pour over duck. 6. Steam by the bowl-in-a-pot method until duck is done, but stil1 firm (about 1 3/4 hours). See HOW-TO, _Steaming. 7. Remove duck and let cool. Bone then cut meat in bite-size squares, each with a piece of skin. Strain duck liquid, skimming off fat. 8. Return duck squares, skin-side up, to heatproof bowl. Add strained duck liquid and steam 15 minutes more. 9. Meanwhile shred bamboo shoots, celery and soaked mushrooms. In a saucepan, bring remaining duck liquid to a boil. Add shredded vegetables and simmer, covered, 10 minutes. 10. Cut smoked ham in strips. Chop Chinese parsley. Blend cornstarch and cold water to a paste and stir into duck liquid to thicken. Pour over duck squares and serve, garnished with ham strips and chopped parsley. NOTE: This recipe can be made with chicken as well as duck. VARIATIONS: * In step 5, omit the seasonings given and pour over duck and giblets the following mixture: 1 1/2 cups stock 1 slice fresh ginger root and 1 clove garlic, both minced and 1 cup canned button mushrooms. Also omit the water. * In step 10, arrange duck squares on a serving platter over 1 head lettuce, shredded or over 1 pound of any of the following: asparagus, broccoli, Chinese cabbage, mushrooms, mustard greens, onions or spinach. (These must be stir-fried first.) The Thousand Recipe Chinese Cookbook. ©1994 by Gloria Bley Miller.

STEAMED AND CRISPED DUCK

Steps:

• In small bowl, mix all ingredients except duck. Rub mixture on duck, inside and out. Put duck in dish, breast side down. Cover with plastic wrap; refrigerate overnight.
• The next day, take duck out of refrigerator, and let it warm to room temperature. Place duck on steamer tray or rack small enough to fit into a wok. Fill wok with water up to bottom edge of tray; bring to boil. Place tray over boiling water, cover with lid or foil and steam duck over high heat until extremely tender, for about 1 1/2 to 2 hours. Replenish boiling water when necessary.
• Preheat oven to 450 degrees. Transfer duck to cutting board, and let cool. Quarter the duck. Heat large nonstick saute pan over medium-high heat. When hot, add duck pieces, skin side down; saute until skin begins to sizzle and brown, for about 1 minute. Reduce heat to low, and crisp skin for 5 to 7 minutes. Turn and brown other side. Turn again, cover and cook in oven until heated through, for about 8 to 10 minutes. Transfer pieces to platter; serve.