Description
The most famous duck dish proudly presented to the world by Nanjing, the 'Duck Capital'. Unlike roast Peking Duck, a whole duck is dry-brined with roasted salt and Sichuan pepper, then poached perfectly in a scallion-ginger broth and served cold. The skin is smooth and white, the meat pink and astonishingly juicy.
Restaurants serving Nanjing Salted Duck
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On this site you can check dictionary details and, later, places to buy or eat related items.
The Recipe section below is a general reference, not a recipe from the listed shops.
Recipe
Ingredients
- Whole duck
- Coarse salt
- Sichuan pepper
- Star anise
- Scallion
- Ginger
Instructions
- [Authentic Recipe]
- (Roasted Salt) Dry-roast coarse salt, Sichuan pepper, and star anise on low until fragrant.
- Clean a whole duck; vigorously rub the hot roasted salt all over the skin and inside the cavity. Brine for
- hours.
- Rinse off salt; soak overnight in a seasoned brine (Lu Shui).
- Hang to air-dry for hours to tighten the skin.
- Boil water in a large pot with scallion, ginger, and star anise.
- Submerge duck and poach at a sub-boil (85-90°C) for
- mins using 'low-temp cooking' (Men).
- Extract, chill completely, cleave bone-in, and plate.
Learn more Spice, substitutes, tips
Key spices
Roasted aroma of salt and Sichuan pepper、and the rich dark meat umami of duck
Substitutes at Japanese supermarkets
Dry-brine JP duck breast with Sichuan pepper salt and sous-vide (like Salad Chicken)
Pairing
Cold Beer / Warm Jasmine Tea
Trivia
Nanjing locals love duck so much they say 'we can't eat lunch without duck', with specialty shops everywhere. Ducks prepared in autumn when Osmanthus flowers bloom are considered the best, earning the alternate name 'Osmanthus Duck'.
Eating tips & etiquette
Served as a cold appetizer. Put the bone-in piece in your mouth to savor the moist meat. Seasoned minimally with just salt and a faint Sichuan pepper aroma, yet the more you chew, the more duck juice gushes out.
Allergen
Poultry