Aromatic crispy duck

Your ingredients

Get ready: Steamer with deep heatproof plate, food thermometer, deep saucepan and oil thermometer.

• 🍗4 duck legs, about 220–300 g each
• 💧1 tbsp unsalted stock instead of cooking wine
• 🥣1 tbsp fine salt
• 🥣1 tsp five-spice powder
• 🥬4 spring onions, cut into sections
• 🥣1 thumb-sized piece ginger, sliced
• 🥣Neutral oil suitable for frying
• 🍗Ready-made duck pancakes, heated to packet instructions
• 🥬Cucumber matchsticks and spring-onion slivers
• 🥣Hoisin or sweet wheat sauce to serve

Let’s make it

1. Season overnight

   Pat duck dry without washing raw poultry. Rub with stock, salt and five-spice. Arrange on a deep heatproof plate with ginger and spring onions. Cover and refrigerate for at least 10 hours.

2. Steam until tender

   Remove covering and set the plate in a steamer over boiling water. Steam for about 90 minutes, topping up the water regularly. Check duck reaches 75°C for 30 seconds and the meat is tender.

3. Dry the surface

   Transfer duck to a rack, removing aromatics. Let steam escape until safe to handle, about 30 minutes, then pat the surface thoroughly dry. Surface water causes oil to spit. Work promptly and do not leave cooked poultry out for extended periods.

4. Crisp carefully

   With experienced help, heat oil to 190°C in a stable saucepan no more than one-third full. Fry one or two legs at a time for about 2–3 minutes until crisp and steaming hot throughout. Drain; avoid crowding or increasing the temperature beyond this.

5. Shred and share

   Once safe to touch, remove bones and shred with forks. Serve in warmed pancakes with cucumber, onion and sauce. The steam stage creates tenderness; the final fry supplies crunch.