Nanning Roast Duck

Nanning Roast Duck

　　A long time ago, there was a saying in the Lingnan region: "In Guangzhou, eat roast goose; in Nanning, eat roast duck." The people of Nanning have loved eating duck since ancient times, which is largely related to the local climate. Nanning has a hot weather, and the ancestors who lived here believed that duck meat clears heat and removes internal fire, while goose meat is considered toxic—it can cause inflamed or swollen sores to worsen if consumed, and overeating may lead to excessive internal heat and boils. It is said that roast duck first appeared in Nanning during the early Qing Dynasty, in the Kangxi era. The main ingredient for Nanning roast duck is usually the locally raised sesame duck, known for its fragrant skin, tender meat, and even aromatic bones. Due to regional differences, variations have emerged in selection of ingredients, cooking processes, and serving styles. Nanning roast duck and Beijing roast duck represent the northern and southern styles of Chinese roast duck, respectively.

　　Nutritional Value:

　　Roast duck contains a variety of nutrients such as protein, fat, water, vitamin B1, B2, calcium, phosphorus, iron, and more, all in relatively high amounts.

　　The protein content in roast duck is about 16%–25%, significantly higher than other types of livestock meat.

　　Roast duck contains almost all the amino acids required by the human body, and the levels of the two umami amino acids are higher than in other meats.

　　The fat content in roast duck is moderate, about 7.5%, lower than other livestock meats, and it is evenly distributed throughout the meat. It also contains a relatively high level of essential fatty acids, mainly unsaturated fatty acids and low-carbon saturated fatty acids, giving it a low melting point and making it easy for the body to digest and absorb.

　　Roast duck is rich in vitamins, and 100 grams of edible roast duck meat contains higher levels of B vitamins and other vitamins compared to other meats.

　　Roast duck also contains a variety of minerals, such as calcium, phosphorus, iron, potassium, sodium, magnesium, manganese, zinc, copper, iodine, and others.

　　Preparation Method:

　　1. Slaughter the duck, clean it, press the wings together, hold the base of the duck’s wings with your left thumb and index finger, place the duck’s back close to the back of your hand, hook the right leg with your little finger, and grip the duck’s beak with your right hand. Bring the duck’s head to where your thumb and index finger grip the base of the wings, holding it between the head and neck. Make a small cut on the outside of the neck just enough to sever the trachea. Immediately use your right hand to pull the neck into a diagonal straight line, letting the blood drip into a bowl.

　　2. Dip the duck in boiling water and pluck the large feathers.

　　3. When placing the duck in the pot, use your left hand to move the duck’s feet so it floats, while using a stick in your right hand to rub the whole duck to help loosen the feathers. Then soak it in clean water to remove fine hairs. Make a small cut under the left wing, remove the internal organs, esophagus, crop, and also the duck tongue. Chop off the feet at the joint.

　　4. Cut a section of reed stalk and shape both ends into forks to make a “duck support,” about 50–60 mm in length.

　　5. Insert the “duck support” through a side opening into the keel bone inside the duck’s chest to puff up the breast, making it easier to pour in broth and preventing the duck from flattening or shrinking after roasting. Then rinse the duck clean inside and out.

　　6. Hook the duck by the neck with a roasting hook, dip it briefly in boiling water—just one quick dip—then lift it up immediately to tighten the pores of the skin and solidify the surface proteins.

　　7. Dilute honey with water, dip your fingers in the honey mixture, and rub it onto the duck. Hang it in a ventilated area to dry.

　　8. Before putting the duck in the oven, insert a 4 cm section of reed into one opening to block it and prevent the poured-in broth from leaking out.

　　9. Mix the broth with refined salt and MSG to season, then pour it into the side cut of the duck until it is about 80% full.

　　10. Roasting the duck allows it to cook both externally by roasting and internally by steaming, speeding up the cooking process, ensuring thorough cooking, and replenishing moisture loss to achieve a crispy outside and tender inside texture.

　　11. Preheat the closed roasting oven using pine needle ropes. Once the pine smoke fades, immediately hang the duck in the oven, cover the fire vent and the top lid, and use the reflected heat from the oven to cook the duck.

　　12. The duck must not come into direct contact with the flame. During roasting, adjust the duck’s position according to the heat to ensure even coloring. Roasting should neither be too long nor too short, typically lasting about 10 to 15 minutes, until the skin turns a date-red color. Then it's ready to be taken out of the oven.

　　13. After taking the duck out, first remove the reed plug, scoop out the juice inside the cavity, slice the duck vertically in half, then cut into 1 cm wide rectangular pieces, and arrange them on a plate while maintaining the shape of the duck.

　　14. Serve with a separate plate of Sichuan pepper salt, sweet bean sauce, and sliced scallions for dipping.