The thing about Peking roast duck is that it's so, so close to being naturally gluten free.

Roast ducks in North America are typically a Cantonese interpretation of Peking roast duck, which means that they usually contain soy sauce and other fermented sauces to develop flavor. In contrast, the Quanjude Beijing style of Peking duck contains no dark sauces. The duck is stuffed with aromatics, given a bath of hot water and red vinegar or honey, and roasted on a wood fire. It's typically served with fresh thinly sliced scallions, a wheat-based fermented sauce (tianmianjiang), and thin translucent wrappers. When you order the whole duck in Beijing, it's carved up beautifully into thin slices, and you're allowed to select what happens to the rest of the carcass. My favorite option is duck broth soup to finish out the meal.

In this recipe, I've borrowed the brilliant Cantonese Pipa duck preparation, in which the duck is butterflied down the breast, to make the drying (and therefore crisping) process simple for small home kitchens. However, I've kept the other flavoring techniques simple.

The flavor for this beautiful duck is developed with technique and time, not just with aromatics and sauce. I hope you get to enjoy this lovely duck recipe at home. Enjoy!

Strongly recommended

Dishwashable Kitchen Shears

Gooseneck Kettle

Silicone Brush

Nice to have

Baker's Half Sheet

All-Clad Roasting Pan - we will only use the raised rack, so any raised rack will do

Angled Measuring Cup

Fish Bone Tweezer

Compost Bin, 1 gallon, Graphite

Bamboo Cutting Board

Butcher

1. Place the bird breast-side up. Using kitchen shears, or a knife, open the duck along the breast bone, working your way around the wishbone when you get there. Remove the wishbone if desired. Optional: Trim any remaining organs or membranes from inside the bird, as these are great dog treats. Optional: Score the inside of the bird without piercing through the muscle all the way to the skin. When you're done, the bird should lie very flat.
2. Pat the bird dry inside and out, including in all the nooks and crannies inside the rib cage.
3. With the inside of the rib cage facing up, generously apply kosher salt and five spice. Avoid getting salt on the rest of your work surface or the skin of the duck, as it will cause uneven cooking.

Take the duck to the spa

Now you will be bathing and resting your duck

1. Flip the bird skin side up on the back of a baking sheet and rest the sheet and duck on an angle into a kitchen sink. The back of a baking sheet will help the water run into the sink without pooling on your duck. Using a gooseneck kettle, apply boiling hot water to the skin so that it shrinks.
2. Mix honey and apple cider vinegar solution, and use a brush to apply the solution all over the duck's skin.
3. Place your duck on an upside down roasting rack inside a baking sheet (right side up this time) to maximize air flow while catching any drippings from the bird. Place in your refrigerator overnight. This will dry out the bird.

Roast

1. Preheat your oven to 325°F. When the oven reaches temperature, place the entire rack setup straight into the oven. Optional: add 1 cup of water to the baking sheet to prevent smoke.
2. Rest the duck for at least 10-15 minutes. Carve and serve with these thin, bendy cassava flour tortillas, thinly sliced scallions, and a funky fermented GF Hoisin sauce.