Ingredients:

  • 1 whole duck (approx. 5 lbs / 2.3 kg), giblets removed
  • 2 tbsp Kosher salt
  • 1 tsp black pepper, freshly cracked
  • 1 tbsp boiling water (for the scald)
  • 1 orange, halved
  • 4 cloves garlic, smashed
  • 2-inch piece ginger, sliced
  • 3 star anise pods
  • 1 bunch green onions
  • 3 tbsp honey or maltose
  • 2 tbsp soy sauce (low sodium)
  • 1 tbsp rice vinegar

Instructions:

  1. Pat the duck extremely dry with paper towels. Use a sharp skewer to prick the skin all over, especially around the legs and lower breast, ensuring you do not pierce the meat. Place the duck on a rack over the sink and pour boiling water over the skin until it tightens. Pat dry again.
  2. Rub Kosher salt and pepper inside the cavity and all over the skin to draw out moisture. Stuff the orange halves, ginger, garlic, star anise, and green onions into the cavity.
  3. Preheat oven to 425°F (220°C). Place the duck breast-side up on a V-rack in a roasting pan. Roast for 20 minutes.
  4. Reduce oven temperature to 350°F (175°C) and continue roasting for 1 hour 30 mins, flipping the bird every 30 minutes to ensure even fat drainage, or until the internal temperature reaches 165°F (74°C) and the skin is mahogany and crisp.
  5. Whisk the honey, soy sauce, and rice vinegar together. During the last 20 minutes of cooking, brush the glaze over the duck in three separate layers.