Aromatic Crispy Duck

Name: Aromatic Crispy Duck
Prep time: 20 min
Cook time: 220 min
Yield: 4 to 6 servings
Cuisine: Chinese Menu
Ingredients: Whole Duck — 2.4kg; Salt — ½ tsp; Black Pepper — ½ tsp; Vegetable Oil — 1 tbsp; Red Onion — 1; Ginger — 1 tsp; Garlic — 4 cloves; Plums — 600g; Dark Soy Sauce — 6 tbsp; Honey — 4 tbsp; Rice Vinegar — 1 tbsp; Sriracha — 4 tbsp; Chinese Pancakes — 12; Cucumber — 1; Spring Onions — 4

Aromatic Crispy Duck (Xiāng Sū Yā) is the legendary centrepiece of the Chinese "pancakes" course. While often confused with Peking Duck, the Aromatic version is distinct: it is deeply spiced, steam-cooked until tender, and then flash-fried to create a signature "shredded" texture that is both crispy and succulent.

Cuisines

Cooking Instructions

Preparation: 20 minutes
Cooking: 3 hours 40 minutes

Servings: 4 to 6

Notes:

Scoring the skin on the breast side allows the fat to render easily, resulting in exceptionally crispy duck skin.

Turning the duck every hour during slow roasting distributes the internal fat to keep the meat juicy.

Store-bought hoisin or plum sauce can be used if you prefer not to make the plum sriracha sauce from scratch.

Prep and Season Duck
Preheat the oven to 150°C (300°F). Pat the duck completely dry with paper towels. Score the skin across the breast side in a criss-cross pattern using a sharp knife, taking care not to pierce the meat. Place breast-side up on a rack in a roasting tin and season with salt and black pepper.

Slow Roast Duck
Roast in the oven for 3 hours and 30 minutes, turning the duck over every hour to render fat and ensure even cooking.

Make Spicy Plum Sauce
Heat the vegetable oil in a saucepan over low-medium heat. Add the red onion and cook for 5 minutes until soft. Stir in the minced ginger and garlic for 1 minute. Add the stoned plums, dark soy sauce, honey, rice vinegar, and sriracha. Bring to a gentle boil, then simmer on medium heat for 20 minutes before blending smooth with a stick blender.

Glaze and Crisp Duck
Remove the duck from the oven and increase the temperature to 190°C (375°F). Turn the duck breast-side up and brush with 2 tablespoons of the prepared plum sriracha sauce. Return to the oven for 10 minutes until the glaze caramelises to a deep, dark brown.

Rest, Shred, and Serve
Allow the duck to rest for 10 minutes. Shred the meat and crispy skin using two forks. Serve alongside warm Chinese pancakes, cucumber matchsticks, sliced spring onions, and the remaining plum sriracha sauce.