Last Updated on June 15, 2021 by Simon Fan
If you’re looking for a special duck recipe for a holiday feast or dinner party, this fragrant crispy duck (香酥鸭) would be a great option.
This dish is made all over China with numerous regional variations. Although each of them produces a delicious bird with crisp skin and juicy meat, my favorite is the Sichuan version. What sets their dish apart from the rest is the wonderful Sichuan pepper salt, which creates magic when used as a dipping salt for the duck.
Sichuan pepper salt, known as hua jiao yan (花椒盐) or simply jiao yan (椒盐) in China, is an iconic ingredient in Sichuan cuisine. Although it’s a simple mixture of salt and ground Sichuan pepper, it lends complex and rich flavors to meat and seafood dishes, especially fried ones.
This fantastic dish is completed in two simple steps:
- Steaming. This process not only produces very juicy and tender meat but also renders a lot of fat from the duck.
- Frying. Frying briefly in very hot oil, around 390 °F/200 °C, creates beautifully crispy skin without drying out the meat.
I’ve tweaked the classic recipe by using duck legs instead of a whole duck. You can certainly use a whole bird if you have a large crowd to please and impress. Simply follow the same steps and consider cutting the duck in half before cooking to make it easier to handle.
Fragrant crispy duck with Sichuan pepper salt (香酥鸭)
Serves 2
Ingredients
Rub
¼ teaspoon salt
⅛ teaspoon freshly ground white pepper
½ teaspoon Sichuan peppercorns
2 teaspoons Shaoxing wine
2 duck legs, about 14 oz (400 g)
1 (about 1½ x 1½ inches/4 x 4 cm) piece of cassia bark, broken into small pieces
1 whole star anise, broken into small pieces
1 scallion, cut into 1-inch (2.5 cm) lengths
½-inch (1.3 cm) piece of ginger, thinly sliced
Dipping salt
1 teaspoon Sichuan peppercorns (about 2.5 g)
¾ teaspoon salt (about 5 g)
2 cups (480 ml) vegetable oil with a high smoke point, or enough to create a pool at least 1 inch (2.5 cm) deep for frying
Directions
- In a bowl, mix the ingredients for the rub. Spread the rub over the cut side of the duck legs. Let marinate for 30 minutes.
- Place the legs, skin side down, on a heatproof plate that fits into a steamer. Scatter the pieces of cassia bark and star anise over the meat (avoiding the skin), then scatter the scallion and ginger on top. Steam over high heat until the duck meat is cooked through and tender, about 40 minutes.
- Transfer the legs to a wire rack to cool and dry. When they’re cool enough to handle, wipe off the spices and aromatics and pat them completely dry with paper towels, taking care not to tear the skin.
- While the legs are cooling, prepare the dipping salt. Heat the Sichuan peppercorns in a pan over low heat until fragrant and lightly browned, about 2 minutes. Transfer them to a plate and allow to cool. Heat the salt in the pan over low heat to remove any moisture, about 1 minute, then transfer it to a bowl. Use a spice grinder to grind the cooled peppercorns into a powder. Transfer to the bowl with the salt, and stir to combine.
- Heat the oil in a wok or pan that’s suitable for deep-frying over medium-high heat until the oil temperature reaches 390 °F/200 °C (use a thermometer to check the temperature, and exercise extra care whenever working with hot oil). Add the duck legs and fry until golden brown on both sides, about 1 minute per side. Transfer them to a plate lined with paper towels to drain.
- Cut the legs crosswise through the bones into 1-inch (2.5 cm) pieces. Serve right away with the dipping salt.
