Wong Crispy Aromatic Duck (8)
Ingredients
Instructions
  1. For the ginger and spring onion sesame oil, mix all the ingredients except the spring onion greens together in a bowl until well combined. Store in a sterilised airtight container in a cool, dark place for up to a month, adding the spring onion greens to the oil just before serving.
  2. For the salt, mix the ingredients together and store in an airtight jar in a cool, dry place, for up to a month.
  3. Run a knife around the bottom of each duck leg to free the skin from the bone. This will allow for shrinkage.
  4. Use a pestle and mortar to crush the whole spices, then dust lightly over the duck legs with the salt. Lay the legs flat on a tray and refrigerate for six hours.
  5. Dust off the excess salt, keeping the spices in place, and transfer the duck legs to a saucepan with the remaining ingredients except the oil. Bring to a gentle simmer – the secret is not to boil the duck for it to remain moist.
  6. Transfer the duck legs and cooking liquor to a steamer and steam over a low heat for four hours or until the meat is tender and falls off the bone. Or, keep the legs in the saucepan and braise over a low heat for three hours. Leave to cool in the cooking liquor.
  7. Lift the duck legs out of the cooking liquor and remove the thigh bone only from each leg by gently teasing it away with your hands, then pat dry with kitchen paper. Chill the duck until needed – it helps the deep-frying process if left to dry out overnight.
  8. When ready to serve, heat the oil for deep-frying in a deep-fat fryer to 180C. Dry the legs again to minimise spitting, then deep-fry, in two batches, until crisp – place skin-side down in the oil, then turn once when the underside is crisp. Remove from the oil and drain on kitchen paper.
  9. To serve, scrape the meat off the bone and serve with the accompaniments.