Cantonese Roast Duck

Although the recipe called for a chicken, since I have two ducks in my deep freeze, I decided that a duck would be more festive!

Fill the cavity of the duck with

• large slice of ginger smashed
• 4-6 garlic cloves
• 1/2 white onion. 

Rub the skin of the duck with

• 2T Rice Vinegar
• 4 T sake

Sprinkle generously salt and fresh pepper over the duck

Insert pieces of garlic between skin and meat randomly over the duck.  This is a step one can skip as it really did not flavor the meat as it does with lamb, even though the high test organic garlic was used! 

Roast the Duck on an open rack at 500degrees for 15 minutes, then lower the temperature  to 325 degrees and roast until the meat is cooked.  Pierce the skin during the roasting to ensure the fat runs off. 

There were two dipping sauces for the duck, but really only one needs to be made

Ginger Soya Dipping Sauce 

• 1T dark soya sauce
• 1T light soya sauce
• 1 T minced fresh ginger
• 2 tsp sesame seed oil
• 1 tsp sugar

The recipe started with 

Hoisin Lemon Ginger Dipping Sauce 

which I thought was the marinade for the bird as.   But it was the dipping sauce for the duck and I have named it as such. This dipping sauce is delicious  with the sweetness of the Hoisin sauce and I would make it again. 

Whisk the following ingredients and let sit to develop flavors

• 3/4 c Hoisin sauce* 
• 3 T rice vinegar
• 1/2 cup fresh orange juice*
• 1 tsp fresh minced ginger
• pepper
• 2 T sesame seed oil

*I used fresh lemon juice and the rind of lemon

I also would not use as much Hoisin sauce