Salted Roast Duck

After all the Australia Day meat and barbecues, my thoughts turn to the next celebration Chinese New Year and Chinese food.
If you can, join in a meal for the Chinese New Year of the Horse. It is a wonderful experience complete with fire spitting dragon parade and lion dancers. It is the time for family get togethers and sharing of food.
I am not sure if this duck is Chinese but would fit very well into a Chinese banquet. Whilst staying at Whale Beach with my able cooking class assistant Viki last week end she reminded me of this yummy dish we haven't cooked for years. Needless to say we set about cooking it.
It is very simple and the only cost is the duck and the oven ! It takes about 3 hours.
America is very good at creating amazing chicken wings. A lot of recipes call for brining braising and then frying. This gives the wings a crispy texture.
Well this duck is the same but the brining or salting is done as it cooks.

1 fresh duck 
If purchasing from a Chinese butcher get them to chop it for you. If not you will need a very sharp knife or a meat cleaver. Cut down the back into 2 pieces. Then remove the legs and the wing joint.
The main body now in 2 parts will then need to be cut into 4-6 pieces each. 
Salt, table salt is better than seat ,smaller grain so it stays on.
Canola oil just enough to coat the duck so the salt adheres to the skin


Preheat the oven to 150C, or a slow oven. Now I have cooked this at 150C and 170C. Different ovens of course. Start at 150C and if after 3 hours it isn't crispy raise the temp and give it 20-30 minutes on 170C or until crispy.
Put all the chopped duck into a plastic bag and pour in the olive oil with a couple of tablespoons salt.
Remove and place on a rack over a baking dish.
Sprinkle with more salt on both sides and rub in.
Place the rack into the oven, it takes 3 hours approx. As the duck cooks baste in the salty duck fat every 20 minutes. Delicious. You may like to play around with the salt amount. You will be surprised how unsalted it tastes as the salt and duck fat cooks off.
Serve with a dipping sauce before dinner or as part of a banquet. Everyone wants to know what is in the duck ….. simple and probably very naughty but so yummy.