CHINESE COOKING: If you enjoy BBQ duck at Chinese restaurants, you should try this recipe to reproduce a very tasty duck at home. The recipe is not complicated but it's a bit time-consuming to cook it at home, and the result is well-worth the effort.

ROAST DUCK “PIPA”**** STYLE琵琶鴨:



1 duck, about 4-5 lbs. in weight

2-3 tsp. salt


skin-treatment mixture:

1 cup hot water
2 ½-3 tbsp. red or dark Chinese vinegar
3 tbsp. honey
1 tbsp rice wine


basting sauce:

1 tbsp. brown bean sauce
2 tsp. each hoisin sauce, sesame paste & wine
1 tsp. sugar
1 clove garlic, crushed
2 tsp. light soy sauce


****”pipa” is a Chinese musical instrument that is flat with long neck and a body that is similar to a guitar’s shape****



Rinse duck, pat dry and remove excess fat. Rub with salt all over cavity, and let stand 1-2 hours.

In a large stock pot, bring 8-10 cups water to a vigorous boil. Immerse duck in boiling water and boil for 2 minutes, turning frequently.

Tie a kitchen string under and around the wings and hang duck up in a cool and well-ventilated place to dry for 5 hours.

Cut duck open through the back bone, pressing duck to flatter with palm. Mix skin-treatment ingredients together and brush it all over duck repeatedly. Hang duck up to dry for 4 hours.

Rub basting sauce all over duck cavity and let it marinate for 30 minutes.

Preheat oven to 400 degrees F. Place duck on a rack over a roasting pan of water. Roast duck, skin side up, for 20 minutes. Reduce oven to 350 degrees F. Turn duck over and roast for 25 minutes. Roast another 30 minutes more, during which time turn duck over to breast-or-cavity-side-up every 10 minutes. Turn oven to broil and crisp duck skin for 2 minutes.

Cut duck up into serving pieces but arrange pieces back into original duck shape to serve.