China · Chinese

Hanging-oven roast duck

A home duck-leg / half-duck version of the Beijing hanging-oven roast duck technique, served with thin pancakes and scallion. Public reference · home adaptation, not a historical original.

85 minutes · 4 servings · advanced

Hanging-oven roast duck

Public reference · Home adaptation Hanging-oven roast duck (Quanjude style) and oven-stewed duck (Bianyifang style) are the two Beijing schools; the dish traces back to the Northern and Southern dynasties. A home oven cannot replicate fruitwood open-flame flavour. Traditional hanging-oven duck uses fruit wood and a stuffed Beijing duck; this version keeps the four core steps (scald skin, maltose glaze, dry, hot short roast) but uses a home oven and duck legs / half duck. Glaze ratio ~ maltose : vinegar : warm water = 1 : 1 : 2. Temperatures and times are editorial for 4. Codex check: retained air drying and added the Hong Kong CFS conditions for poultry. Removed the unsupported minimum-six-hour/overnight room-temperature option; refrigerated drying is a home alternative. Contains duck; rice wine contains alcohol. 科普中国：浇淋糖色（烤鸭工艺） — Maltose glaze concentration, pouring rhythm and colouring logic. https://www.kepuchina.cn/article/articleinfo?ar_id=253892&business_type=100&classify=0 搜狗百科：北京烤鸭 — Hanging-oven craft, schools and the traditional 230–250°C oven-temperature window. https://baike.sogou.com/v184730475.htm FoodSafety.gov: Safe Minimum Internal Temperature — ≥74°C centre temperature for poultry. https://www.foodsafety.gov/food-safety-charts/safe-minimum-internal-temperatures 香港食物安全中心：烧味——给食物业的食物安全指引 — Section 4, air drying roast duck/goose/chicken: ventilation, separation from cooked food, core temperature no higher than 25°C and no more than 6 hours. Not evidence for pork or prolonged curing. https://www.cfs.gov.hk/english/multimedia/multimedia_pub/files/Siu_Mei_Food_Safety_Guidelines_for_Food_Businesses_c.pdf AI-generated illustration; not kitchen-tested.

Ingredients

  • duck leg or half duck1200 g
  • maltose syrup (glaze)30 g
  • white vinegar (glaze)30 ml
  • salt5 g
  • five-spice powder2 g
  • ginger10 g
  • scallion15 g
  • Shaoxing rice wine15 ml

Directions

  1. 1

    Pat the duck legs dry, rub salt, five-spice, ginger, scallion and rice wine over the meat and cavity (not the skin), and cure 1–2 hours.

  2. 2

    Pour 100°C water evenly over the skin 2–3 times to set the proteins, then pat the skin dry.

  3. 3

    Whisk maltose, vinegar and a splash of warm water; brush onto the skin at least 3 times, drying about 15 minutes between coats.

  4. 4

    Dry in a clean, well-ventilated space separated from ready-to-eat food. For outdoor air drying, keep the duck’s core at or below 25°C throughout and limit drying to 6 hours total; shade alone is not a temperature check. If these conditions cannot be maintained, humidity is high, or drying overnight, use refrigeration below 4°C rather than leaving it at room temperature. The skin should feel dry, not sticky.

  5. 5

    Preheat to 220°C (convection). Roast skin-side up on a rack over a drip tray for 15 minutes, brush with more glaze, drop to 200°C and roast 35–45 minutes until the skin is mahogany and the centre reaches ≥74°C.

  6. 6

    Rest 5 minutes, slice thinly and serve with thin pancakes, sweet bean sauce, scallion and cucumber strips.

Source: WorldBite · public-reference adaptation · Source-attributed editorial adaptation; AI illustration; not an authenticated original recipe.