Guo Shao Ya (Crispy Fried Duck)
Crispy outside, tender inside. This traditional dish features succulent duck with a golden, crunchy skin that is simply irresistible.
Ingredients
16 items- Whole duck 1 (about 1500g)
- Spring onion 3 pieces
- Ginger 5 slices
- Sichuan peppercorns 1 tsp
- Star anise 2 pieces
- Cinnamon stick 1 small piece
- Shaoxing wine 3 tbsp
- Light soy sauce 3 tbsp
- Dark soy sauce 1 tbsp
- Salt 2 tsp
- Sugar 1 tbsp
- Five spice powder 1 tsp
- All-purpose flour 100g
- Eggs 2
- Baking powder 1/2 tsp
- Oil sufficient
Nutrition
Steps （9 steps）
Place duck in cold water with ginger, scallion, and wine. Bring to a boil over high heat, skim foam, reduce to medium-low, and simmer for 10 minutes. Drain.
Transfer duck to a pot. Add remaining scallion, ginger, Sichuan peppercorns, star anise, cinnamon, wine, soy sauces, salt, sugar, five-spice. Add water to cover. Bring to a boil, then reduce to low heat, cover, and simmer for 1.5 hours until duck is tender.
Remove duck and steam over high heat for 30 minutes to further tenderize and dry the skin.
Pat duck dry with paper towels. While hot, brush with dark soy sauce for color. Let cool to room temperature.
In a bowl, mix flour, eggs, baking powder, a little water, and salt into a smooth batter. Let rest for 15 minutes.
Coat the duck evenly with the batter.
Heat oil to 180°C (350°F). Fry duck over medium heat for 5 minutes to set the coating, then turn and fry another 5 minutes until golden brown.
Remove duck. Increase oil temperature to 200°C (400°F). Re-fry for 1-2 minutes until very crispy. Drain on paper towels.
Chop into serving pieces and arrange on a plate.
Tips
Steaming after braising ensures tender meat and drier skin for better frying. Adding baking powder to the batter makes a lighter, crispier crust. The final high-temperature re-fry is key to ultra-crispy skin.
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