Whole Roasted Duck with Citrus and Five Spice

A whole roast duck with crackling, lacquered skin is easier than it looks — and Chinese five-spice and citrus make it a showstopper. The duck is pricked, rubbed with salt, five-spice and orange zest, filled with orange, lemon, ginger and garlic, then roasted hot to start and gently to finish so the fat renders away and the skin turns crisp. A quick orange-honey glaze at the end gives it a glossy finish. Here’s how to roast a whole duck in the oven, whether you choose a classic Pekin duck for a small dinner or a large, rich Moulard duck to feed a crowd.

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Ingredients

• 1 Savenor’s Whole Pekin Duck (3.75–4.25 lb)
• 1 tbsp kosher salt
• 2 tsp Chinese five-spice powder
• ½ tsp freshly ground black pepper
• 1 orange, zested, then quartered
• 1 lemon, halved
• 1-inch piece fresh ginger, sliced
• 3 garlic cloves, smashed
• 2 scallions, cut in half
• Orange-honey glaze simmer together
• ¼ cup fresh orange juice
• 2 tbsp honey
• 1 tbsp soy sauce
• ¼ tsp Chinese five-spice powder

Instructions

1. Prick and season (ideally a day ahead)
   Pat the duck dry inside and out, and trim any excess neck skin and loose fat from the cavity. Using the tip of a sharp paring knife held at a shallow angle, prick the skin all over, especially on the breast and thighs, without piercing the meat; this lets the fat render out. Mix the salt, five-spice, pepper and orange zest, and rub it all over the duck and inside the cavity. For the crispiest skin, refrigerate the duck uncovered on a rack for 12–24 hours, or at least 1 hour.
2. Fill the cavity
   Take the duck out of the fridge 30–45 minutes before roasting. Fill the cavity with the zested orange quarters, lemon halves, ginger, garlic and scallions, and tuck the wings under the body.
3. Preheat the oven
   Preheat the oven to 425°F with a rack in the lower-middle position. Set the duck breast side up on a rack in a roasting pan.
4. Start hot
   Roast for 20 minutes at 425°F to get the fat rendering and the skin browning.
5. Roast low and slow
   Lower the oven to 350°F and keep roasting for about 1–1¼ hours. Every 30 minutes, carefully pour or spoon off the rendered fat from the pan (save it) and prick the skin again anywhere it looks puffy.
6. Make the glaze
   While the duck roasts, simmer the orange juice, honey, soy sauce and five-spice in a small saucepan over medium-low heat until slightly syrupy, about 5 minutes.
7. Glaze and crisp
   Start checking the temperature after about 1 hour at 350°F, with an instant-read thermometer in the thickest part of the thigh, away from the bone. When it reads about 150°F, raise the oven to 425°F and brush the duck all over with a thin coat of glaze. Roast until the skin is deep mahogany and crisp and the thigh reaches 160°F, about 10–15 minutes. Watch closely; the honey can scorch.
8. Rest and carve
   Let the duck rest, uncovered so the skin stays crisp, for 15 minutes. Carve the legs and breasts, slice the breast meat, and squeeze some of the roasted citrus from the cavity over the top. Serve with any remaining glaze.

Roasting Guide by Duck