Five Spice Roast Duck

Featured on Eva Pau’s Asian Christmas, this roast duck brings together classic Chinese roasting techniques with festive comfort. The preparation begins well in advance, allowing the skin to dry for maximum crispness — a small step that transforms the final result. The plum sauce adds sweetness, acidity, and spice, balancing the richness of the duck beautifully. It is a dish that feels impressive on the table while following a method rooted in patience and simple flavour building.

This five spice roast duck is a festive centrepiece with crisp golden skin, succulent meat, and rich aromatic flavour. Slowly air-dried before roasting, the duck develops a beautifully crisp finish while the cavity seasoning infuses the meat from within. Served with a homemade plum sauce layered with ginger, star anise, and cinnamon, it is a dish made for special gatherings and celebratory meals.

Five Spice Roast Duck

This five spice roast duck is a festive centrepiece with crisp golden skin, succulent meat, and rich aromatic flavour.

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Prep Time 30 minutes mins

Cook Time 1 hour hr 20 minutes mins

Marinating Time 6 hours hrs

Total Time 7 hours hrs 48 minutes mins

Servings: 4 people

Course: Main Course

Cuisine: Chinese

Ingredients Method Notes

Ingredients

  

For the Duck

• 1 whole duck 2–2.6kg

Seasoning Mix

• 1 tbsp salt
• ¼ tsp white pepper
• 2 tsp sugar
• 1 tbsp Lee Kum Kee Chu Hou Paste
• 1 tbsp Lee Kum Kee Premium Oyster Sauce
• ½ tsp ginger powder
• 2 spring onions cut into 1½ inch pieces
• 1½ inch fresh ginger peeled and sliced
• 2 banana shallots peeled and halved
• 4 star anise

Basting Liquid

• 70 ml vinegar
• 3 tbsp maltose or golden syrup

Plum Sauce

• 6 preserved plums in brine about 120g, stoned and roughly chopped
• 30 g fresh ginger peeled and sliced thickly
• 2 star anise
• 2 cinnamon sticks
• 4 bay leaves
• 120 g rock sugar
• 200 ml water
• 2 tsp Lee Kum Kee rice vinegar
• 2 tsp cornflour mixed with 2 tbsp water

Method

 

Prepare the Duck

1. Place the duck on a wire rack over a roasting tray. Carefully pour a full kettle of just-boiled water over both sides of the duck. This tightens the skin and helps render the fat for crisp roasting later.
2. In a small bowl, mix salt, sugar, white pepper, ginger powder, chu hou paste, and oyster sauce to make the seasoning paste.
3. Rub all the seasoning mixture inside the cavity of the duck using a spatula.
4. Add spring onion, fresh ginger, banana shallots, and star anise into the cavity. Secure the cavity using skewers.

Air Dry and Marinate

1. In a small saucepan, gently melt the maltose (or golden syrup), then stir in the vinegar to make the basting liquid.
2. Brush the duck all over with the basting liquid 2–3 times.
3. Place the duck on a wire rack over a tray, cover loosely with foil, and refrigerate for 6 hours or overnight to air dry.

Roast the Duck

1. Preheat the oven to 190°C fan.
2. Roast the duck breast side up for about 60 minutes until the skin is crisp and golden.
3. Remove from the oven and allow to rest for 5 minutes before carving.

Make the Plum Sauce

1. Heat 1 tablespoon of oil in a non-stick saucepan. Add the preserved plums and ginger, frying for 2 minutes.
2. Add star anise, cinnamon sticks, and bay leaves. Fry for 40 seconds until fragrant.
3. Add rock sugar, water, and rice vinegar. Bring to a simmer and cook for 5–7 minutes until the sugar dissolves.
4. Stir in the cornflour slurry and cook until thickened.
5. Remove the aromatics before serving.
6. Serve the roast duck with warm plum sauce.

Notes

• For best crackling skin, overnight drying gives the best result.
• Letting boiled water tighten the skin is an important roasting step.
• Plum sauce can be made ahead and reheated before serving