Whole Roasted Duck Ssäm Recipe
Includes one whole dry-aged, roasted duck stuffed with duck and pork sausage, served over duck fat rice with confit duck legs with scallion pancakes, lettuce wraps, hoisin, Korean barbeque sauce and crispy shallots.
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Ingredients
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Whole roasted duck with stuffing
Confit duck legs
Duck fat rice
Scallion pancakes
Wraps & sauces
Finishing & garnish
Method
Whole roasted duck with stuffing
- 1
Prepare and brine (dry-age style)
Pat the whole duck very dry with paper towels. Remove excess fat from cavity and neck. Score skin in a diamond pattern without cutting meat. Combine 2 tbs kosher salt, 1 tsp five-spice, 2 tsp black pepper and rub all over the duck and inside the cavity. Place on a rack in the refrigerator, uncovered, for 8–24 hours to dry and concentrate flavor (if already dry-aged, 2–4 hours is fine).
- 2
Make sausage stuffing
In a bowl, combine 1 lb ground duck-and-pork sausage, 1 diced shallot, 2 scallions (thinly sliced), 4 minced garlic cloves, 1 tbsp grated ginger, 2 tbsp soy sauce, 1 tbsp mirin, 2 tbsp honey and 2 tbsp cold water. Mix gently to combine. Chill until ready to stuff so it holds shape.
- 3
Stuff, truss and roast
Preheat oven to 425°F (220°C). Stuff the duck cavity loosely with the sausage mixture; do not overpack (reserve any extra sausage to roast alongside or to make meatballs). Truss the legs and tuck wings under. Place duck breast-side up on a rack in a roasting pan. Roast at 425°F for 20 minutes to render initial fat and brown skin. Reduce oven to 350°F (175°C) and continue roasting until internal temperature in the thickest part of the thigh (avoiding bone) reaches 165–170°F (74–77°C), about 70–90 more minutes for a 5–6 lb bird. Every 25–30 minutes, spoon off excess fat from the pan (reserve fat for rice and confit) to prevent smoking. If skin is browning too quickly, tent loosely with foil.
- 4
Finish and glaze
When duck reaches target temperature, brush with a glaze of 1 tbsp soy sauce + 1 tbsp honey and return to oven for 5–8 minutes to set. Remove duck and let rest on a cutting board for 15–20 minutes before carving. Reserve pan juices for serving.
Confit duck legs
- 5
Salt cure
If using separate duck legs for confit, rub each leg with 2 tbs coarse sea salt evenly, scatter smashed garlic, thyme and bay leaves over them, and refrigerate uncovered for 4–8 hours or overnight. Rinse off the salt, pat dry, and pat with paper towels.
- 6
Cook confit
Preheat oven to 275°F (135°C). Place duck legs in a deep ovenproof dish in a single layer. Pour duck fat over legs so they are fully submerged (about 2 cups for 4 legs). Add 1 tsp peppercorns. Cover tightly with foil. Bake gently 2.5–3 hours until meat is tender and pulls away from bone. Remove from fat and cool slightly.
- 7
Crisp confit for service
Shortly before serving, heat a skillet over medium-high and sear confit legs skin-side down to crisp and reheat (about 3–5 minutes). Alternatively, place under a broiler on a rack for 3–5 minutes, watching to avoid burning. Keep warm until plating.
Duck fat rice
- 8
Prepare rice
Rinse 3 cups short-grain rice in cold water until the rinse runs clear. Drain well.
- 9
Cook rice in duck fat
In a medium saucepan, melt 4 tbs duck fat over medium heat. Add the drained rice and stir to coat the grains in fat for 1–2 minutes. Add 3.25 cups water or low-sodium stock and 1 tsp kosher salt. Bring to a simmer, cover, reduce heat to low and cook 15–18 minutes until liquid is absorbed. Remove from heat and rest, covered, 10 minutes. Fluff with a fork and fold in 2 sliced scallions.
Scallion pancakes
- 10
Make dough
In a bowl, combine 2 cups all-purpose flour and 1 tsp salt. Pour 3 tbs boiling water over the flour while stirring with a fork; then add 5 tbs cold water and 1 tsp sesame oil, mixing until a shaggy dough forms. Knead on a lightly floured surface 3–5 minutes until smooth. Cover and let rest 20–30 minutes.
- 11
Form pancakes
Divide dough into 4 equal pieces. Roll each piece into a thin circle (~7–8 inches). Brush lightly with a little oil, sprinkle a quarter of the sliced scallions across each circle. Roll up jelly-roll style, coil into a round, flatten and roll gently into a 6–7 inch pancake.
- 12
Wraps & sauces
- 13
Prepare sauces and garnishes
Place hoisin and Korean barbecue sauce in small bowls. Warm slightly if desired. Put crispy shallots, lime wedges and cilantro in small bowls for assembly.
- 14
Carve and assemble proteins
Carve the rested whole roasted duck: separate legs, wings and remove breast meat in slices. If you reserved extra sausage stuffing and roasted it, slice into rounds. Arrange sliced duck breast, confit legs (crumbled or whole), and sausage rounds on a platter. Spoon some reserved pan juices over the meat for extra flavor.
- 15
Finishing touches
- 16
Garnish and serve
Scatter toasted sesame seeds over the meats and rice, place remaining sauces and lettuce leaves on the table. Offer scallion pancakes warmed and cut, crispy shallots for crunch and extra duck fat for drizzling if desired. Serve family-style so guests can build their own ssäm.