Charcoal-Grill-Roasted Chinese-Style Duck
By America's Test KitchenPublished on August 22, 2007
Yield
Serves 3 to 4
Ingredients
2 wood chunks (3-inches each), or 2 cups wood chips1 whole Pekin duck (about 4 ½ pounds), neck and giblets discarded, excess skin and fat removed, trimmed according to illustration 1, below2 ½ tablespoons soy sauce 2 teaspoons five-spice powder 1 teaspoon toasted sesame oil 3 large scallions, root end trimmed, cut into thirds1 ½ inch piece ginger, peeled and sliced into thin coinsLarge disposable aluminum baking pan 2 tablespoons honey 2 tablespoons rice vinegar
Before You Begin
Buying a duck is usually a simple process: Most stores only carry Pekin ducks. Keep a squirt bottle handy in case of flare-ups.
Instructions
- Soak wood chunks in cold water to cover for 1 hour and drain, or place wood chips on 18-inch square of aluminum foil, seal to make packet, and use fork to create about 6 holes to allow smoke to escape.
- Meanwhile, using tip of paring knife, make many pricks in skin over entire body of duck, (see illustration 2, below). Set V-rack inside large roasting pan Place duck, breast-side up, on rack. Place roasting pan over 2 burners and add enough water to come just below bottom of duck. Bring water to boil over high heat, cover tightly with aluminum foil and adjust heat to medium. Steam, adding more hot water to maintain water level, if necessary, until fat beads on pores of duck and bird is partially cooked, 30 minutes. Lift duck from rack, pat skin gently with paper towels, so as not to break it, to remove excess fat and moisture.
- Mix 1 1/2 tablespoons of soy sauce, five-spice powder, and sesame oil together in small bowl. Brush mixture onto all sides of duck, being careful not to tear skin. Place scallions and ginger into cavity of duck.
- Light large chimney filled with charcoal briquettes (6 quarts, about 100 briquettes) and allow to burn until all charcoal covered with layer of fine gray ash, about 20 minutes. Empty coals into grill and bank half of coals on either side of grill, leaving midsection of grill free of coals. Place aluminum roasting pan in center between two piles. Add one soaked wood chunk to each pile, or place chip packet on one pile. Set cooking grate in place, open grill lid vents halfway, and place lid on grill. Let grate heat for 5 minutes. Use grill brush to scrape cooking grate clean.
- Position duck, breast-side up, in middle of cooking grate between two piles of charcoal. Cover grill, turning lid so vents are between two piles of coals. Grill-roast until skin is crisp, thin, and richly browned, about 1 hour. (Initial temperature inside grill should be about 425 degrees. It will drop to about 375 degrees by the time duck is done.)
- Combine honey, vinegar, and remaining soy sauce in small bowl, then brush duck generously with mixture. Cover grill and cook until glaze heats through, 3 to 5 minutes. (Be careful to make sure glaze does not burn.)
- Transfer duck to cutting board and let rest for 10 minutes. Carve and serve.
Yield
Serves 3 to 4Ingredients
2 wood chunks (3-inches each), or 2 cups wood chips
1 whole Pekin duck (about 4 ½ pounds), neck and giblets discarded, excess skin and fat removed, trimmed according to illustration 1, below
2 ½ tablespoons soy sauce
2 teaspoons five-spice powder
1 teaspoon toasted sesame oil
3 large scallions, root end trimmed, cut into thirds
1 ½ inch piece ginger, peeled and sliced into thin coins
Large disposable aluminum baking pan
2 tablespoons honey
2 tablespoons rice vinegar
Test Kitchen Techniques
Ingredients
2 wood chunks (3-inches each), or 2 cups wood chips
1 whole Pekin duck (about 4 ½ pounds), neck and giblets discarded, excess skin and fat removed, trimmed according to illustration 1, below
2 ½ tablespoons soy sauce
2 teaspoons five-spice powder
1 teaspoon toasted sesame oil
3 large scallions, root end trimmed, cut into thirds
1 ½ inch piece ginger, peeled and sliced into thin coins
Large disposable aluminum baking pan
2 tablespoons honey
2 tablespoons rice vinegar
Test Kitchen Techniques
Ingredients
2 wood chunks (3-inches each), or 2 cups wood chips
1 whole Pekin duck (about 4 ½ pounds), neck and giblets discarded, excess skin and fat removed, trimmed according to illustration 1, below
2 ½ tablespoons soy sauce
2 teaspoons five-spice powder
1 teaspoon toasted sesame oil
3 large scallions, root end trimmed, cut into thirds
1 ½ inch piece ginger, peeled and sliced into thin coins
Large disposable aluminum baking pan
2 tablespoons honey
2 tablespoons rice vinegar
Test Kitchen Techniques
Why This Recipe Works
To solve the problem of cooking such a fatty item as duck for our grill-roasted Chinese-style duck recipe, we turned to a two-step cooking process: before grilling, we steamed the duck for 30 minutes in a roasting pan over two oven burners, which essentially rendered all of the duck’s fat. A drip pan under the duck minimized the risk of flare-ups. We also needed a two-step process to attain the right glaze flavor for our grilled duck. While the bird cooked, we used a sugar-free glaze made with soy sauce, sesame oil, and five-spice powder, and once the bird was cooked we brushed on a sweet second glaze that required only a few additional minutes to dry and darken to a deep mahogany.
Before You Begin
Buying a duck is usually a simple process: Most stores only carry Pekin ducks. Keep a squirt bottle handy in case of flare-ups.
Instructions
- Soak wood chunks in cold water to cover for 1 hour and drain, or place wood chips on 18-inch square of aluminum foil, seal to make packet, and use fork to create about 6 holes to allow smoke to escape.
- Meanwhile, using tip of paring knife, make many pricks in skin over entire body of duck, (see illustration 2, below). Set V-rack inside large roasting pan Place duck, breast-side up, on rack. Place roasting pan over 2 burners and add enough water to come just below bottom of duck. Bring water to boil over high heat, cover tightly with aluminum foil and adjust heat to medium. Steam, adding more hot water to maintain water level, if necessary, until fat beads on pores of duck and bird is partially cooked, 30 minutes. Lift duck from rack, pat skin gently with paper towels, so as not to break it, to remove excess fat and moisture.
- Mix 1 1/2 tablespoons of soy sauce, five-spice powder, and sesame oil together in small bowl. Brush mixture onto all sides of duck, being careful not to tear skin. Place scallions and ginger into cavity of duck.
- Light large chimney filled with charcoal briquettes (6 quarts, about 100 briquettes) and allow to burn until all charcoal covered with layer of fine gray ash, about 20 minutes. Empty coals into grill and bank half of coals on either side of grill, leaving midsection of grill free of coals. Place aluminum roasting pan in center between two piles. Add one soaked wood chunk to each pile, or place chip packet on one pile. Set cooking grate in place, open grill lid vents halfway, and place lid on grill. Let grate heat for 5 minutes. Use grill brush to scrape cooking grate clean.
- Position duck, breast-side up, in middle of cooking grate between two piles of charcoal. Cover grill, turning lid so vents are between two piles of coals. Grill-roast until skin is crisp, thin, and richly browned, about 1 hour. (Initial temperature inside grill should be about 425 degrees. It will drop to about 375 degrees by the time duck is done.)
- Combine honey, vinegar, and remaining soy sauce in small bowl, then brush duck generously with mixture. Cover grill and cook until glaze heats through, 3 to 5 minutes. (Be careful to make sure glaze does not burn.)
- Transfer duck to cutting board and let rest for 10 minutes. Carve and serve.
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