Marianne Martinez
Aromatic crispy duck is a popular Chinese dish that can be made at home using an air fryer. The duck is marinated, simmered until tender, and then cooked in an air fryer until the skin is crisp. This method of cooking duck is cost-effective and healthier compared to other cooking methods. The duck is typically served with Hoisin sauce, spring onions, cucumbers, and pancakes. The whole dish can be prepared and cooked in about 30 minutes, making it a relatively quick and easy meal to make for any occasion.
| Characteristics | Values |
|---|---|
| Ingredients | Duck legs, Hoisin sauce, Chinese pancakes, rice wine, dry sherry, Mirin, orange, apple, garlic cloves, honey, salt, black pepper |
| Utensils | Air fryer, slow cooker, oven, frying pan, sharp knife, fork, instant-read thermometer |
| Preparation | Marinate duck legs, simmer until tender, pat skin with kitchen towel, score skin, season with salt and pepper, place in air fryer, fold wings under duck, drain fat, poke skin with toothpicks, brush with honey and Hoisin sauce |
| Cooking time | 25 minutes at 300 degrees, 20 minutes at 375 degrees, 5-10 minutes at 375 degrees, 8-10 minutes at 400 degrees, 15 minutes at 400 degrees |
| Serving suggestion | Shred the meat, heat the pancakes, spread Hoisin sauce on pancakes, add shredded duck, spring onion, and cucumber, roll up and serve |
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What You'll Learn
Defrosting and seasoning the duck
If you're using a frozen whole duck, it's important to defrost it completely before air-frying. Place the duck in the fridge, uncovered, and allow it to thaw for a day or up to 48 hours, depending on its size. Leaving the duck uncovered helps dry out the skin, which will ensure a crispier texture once cooked.
Once the duck is fully defrosted, remove it from the fridge and take off all the packaging, including any giblets stored inside the cavity. Leave the duck to come to room temperature for about 30 minutes.
To prepare the duck for cooking, use a sharp knife to score the breast diagonally, being careful to only cut the skin without piercing the meat underneath. Scoring the skin will help it crisp up better in the air fryer and allow the fat to render out during cooking.
After scoring the skin, season the duck liberally with salt and pepper all over. This will add flavour and balance out the sweetness from the honey and hoisin sauce that will be added later.
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Air fryer settings
The ideal air fryer settings for cooking crispy aromatic duck depend on the type of duck you are cooking. For example, the settings for cooking duck legs will differ from those for cooking a whole duck.
Duck Legs
To cook duck legs in an air fryer, preheat your air fryer to 200°C/400°F for 5 minutes. Place the duck legs, skin side up, on a rack or directly in the basket and cook for 8-10 minutes, or until the skin is crisp and golden brown. You can also cook duck legs in the air fryer at 180°C for 20-30 minutes, either on their own or on top of par-boiled potatoes, which can be cooked in the duck fat.
Whole Duck
For a whole duck, the air fryer should be set to 300°F for the first 25 minutes. Then, increase the temperature to 375°F and cook for another 5-10 minutes to make the skin crispier. Alternatively, you can set the air fryer to 400°F and cook the duck for 30 minutes, then 10 minutes to crisp up the skin. The recommended safe cooking temperature for duck is a minimum of 165°F (74-75°C).
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Cooking the duck
To cook crispy aromatic duck in an air fryer, you can use either duck legs or a whole duck. If you are using duck legs, marinate them and simmer until tender before placing them in the air fryer. If you are using a whole duck, you should stuff the cavity with quartered orange, apple, and whole garlic cloves. You can also marinate the duck in a mixture of soy sauce, rice wine, and other spices.
Before cooking, you should always ensure that your duck is fully defrosted. Place it in the fridge uncovered for several days to dry out the skin. This will help the skin to crisp up better in the air fryer. You can also score the skin with a sharp knife, making small cuts or a diamond pattern, being careful not to pierce the meat. Pricking the skin will help the fat to render while cooking, making the meat more tender and juicy. Season the duck with salt and pepper, or salt and five-spice powder, and rub the seasoning into the skin.
Place the duck in the air fryer basket, breast side up, with the wings tucked under the duck. You can also secure the legs with foil. Preheat the air fryer to 300°F and cook for 25 minutes. Drain the fat from the bottom of the air fryer basket and poke the skin with a toothpick to allow more fat to escape. Mix honey with Hoisin sauce and brush the duck with the glaze. Cook for another 20 minutes, then increase the temperature to 375°F and cook for a final 5-10 minutes to crisp the skin.
The duck is cooked when the skin is crisp and burnished, and the internal temperature has reached a minimum of 165°F. Remove the duck from the air fryer and let it rest for at least 30 minutes before serving to ensure maximum juiciness.
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Preparing the pancakes and vegetables
To prepare the pancakes, steam them for 6 minutes or microwave them in their packet for 20-30 seconds, depending on your microwave's power.
Once the duck is cooked and rested, shred the meat from the bone using two forks. Now you are ready to assemble your dish. Spread Hoisin sauce on a warm pancake, add the shredded duck, spring onion, and cucumber, roll it up, and enjoy!
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Serving the duck
Once you've cooked your duck, it's important to let it rest for a minimum of 5 minutes or up to 30 minutes to ensure maximum juiciness. If you're cooking duck legs, you can then use two forks to shred the meat from the bone. If you're cooking a whole duck, you'll need to remove it from the bone before serving.
For a classic Chinese crispy duck dish, serve the duck with warm pancakes, hoisin sauce, and thinly sliced spring onions and cucumbers. Spread the hoisin sauce on a pancake, add the shredded duck and vegetables, roll up, and enjoy!
If you're looking for a more substantial meal, you can serve the duck with roasted or mashed potatoes. The duck's juices can also be used to make a gravy to accompany the dish.
Finally, don't forget to remove the duck from the fridge and let it come to room temperature for about 30 minutes before serving. This will ensure that your duck is juicy and tender.
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Frequently asked questions
Cooking a whole duck in an air fryer takes about an hour, which is much faster than oven-roasted duck, which can take up to 3 hours.
Preheat your air fryer to 200°C/400°F for 5 minutes. Then, cook the duck at 300°F for 25 minutes. Finally, increase the temperature to 375°F and cook for another 5-10 minutes to make the skin crispier.
If your duck is frozen, defrost it in the fridge uncovered for several days to let the skin dry out. Then, score the skin with a sharp knife, being careful not to cut into the meat. Season the duck with salt and pepper and secure the legs with foil.
