Honey glazed Whole Roasted Duck with Anise & Ginger

Ducks have a unique taste. Thru the years, duck has been craved for its gamey flavor and nutritional qualities.  Continuously gaining popularity on our plates when food is plentiful as well as when it’s short in supply.

For some reason, the idea of cooking chicken seems to be more openly accepted than cooking duck. Misconceptions on the complexity of its preparation have intimidated our kitchens.
There is however just 3 important elements that have to be considered when preparing this waterfowl.

1^st: Flavor

The objective is to enhance the natural distinctive essence of the duck & not to disguise it (otherwise, you should have gone for chicken instead). Duck goes well with anything fruity & spice. The ‘wild’ character in the zest of its meat is usually tempered best with alcohol, wine, rum, scotch or beer. Strong aromatic spices like ginger, coriander, cinnamon, and lemongrass are compatible seasonings as they are easily counterbalanced by the waterfowl’s gaminess. 


2^nd: Texture
Duck meat is normally tougher than that of the chicken. It is just important to ensure that it is cooked tender enough to the bite

3^rd: The Crunch
High fat meats like duck generally should be cooked at a higher temperature and for a longer time than low-fat meats. The Cliché “Crisp on the outside, soft on the inside.” still very much applies to ideal duck preparation.
Roasting duck is not that hard. Mainly its mixing & playing the waiting game..
Sit your duck in a colander in the sink and pour boiling water, leave to dry for 15 min.. Combine your marinade in a deep pot, stir to mix & bring to boil. Turn the heat down to low simmer and immerse the whole fowl making sure the liquid is almost covering the duck. Cover with the lid and braise for 1 hr. Turn the bird over and continue braising for 30 min.

Remove the duck from the pot to the rack and allow to dry for 2 hrs. or overnight. 

Once set, poke holes on the duck's skin & brush with glaze mixture then stuff with lemongrass and roast in a 300 degree Celsius oven for 30 min or until its golden brown and crisp. 

Mix the gravy and heat on low until thick , salt & pepper to taste.

Serve Duck whole with gravy on the side…rice, corn, potatoes for accompaniment your stomach desires.

Best wine pairing? Cabernet Sauvignon, Merlot, Pinot Noir or Pommard...any rich fruity & spicy red...what else?

Marinade:
1 whole                      onion roughly chopped
3 cups                         chicken stock
3 tbsp.                         Miso paste
400 ml.                        Chinese rice wine or Red wine
6 tbsp.                         Honey
3 tbsp.                         Star Anise
1/4 cup                        citrus juice ( lime/lemon/calamansi)
3 tbsp.                         5 spice
3 tbsp.                         garlic crushed
3 tbsp.                         ginger crushed
1 tbsp.                         red pepper flakes
8 pcs.                          Huang Gua Shu or Cucumber tree / kamias
½ cup                          Soy Sauce
to taste                        Molasses (optional for sweetness)

Glaze:
¼ cup                         Honey
¼ cup                         Canola Oil

Gravy:
1 part                          roast drippings
1 part                          marinade
1 tbsp.                         Corn starch (thickener)
3 pcs.                          Ground saltines

Stuffing:

1 bunch                      lemongrass or herb of choice