Chinese Roast Duck with Angelica Root "Dang Gui" Sauce Recipe

Dang gui, or Angelica root, is a Chinese herb that was restricted to only female-members of my family in my early childhood.  I had to sneakily ingest it by the tablespoon, and like all forbidden fruits, I grew obsessed with it. Now, even when my family reversed its stance, it still feels like an indulgence.

One of my favourite destination in Johor Bahru is Ya Wang. Because they're so close to the Singapore-Malaysia customs, I often end up there for breakfast right after crossing the border. And reallyso far, nobody had objected to tucking into a roast duck for breakfast. Their ducks are roasted and drizzled with herb-infused sauces, and taste absolutely decadent. 

With the ongoing pandemic and travel restrictions, I hadn't been back for almost a year. Dian Xiao Er is a mid-range restaurant chain that was set up in Singapore using Ya Wang’s recipes, and luckily, which remains available for all duck-related cravings. On a recent trip there, I had an inkling that I could attempt a version of this Angelica Root duck-of-my-dreams. 

It took perhaps half a dozen ducks and 12 months to tweak the recipe. There may be further changes down the line, but now I’m happy to report that this is pretty darn good as it stands.  

Chinese Roast Duck with Angelica Root "Dang Gui" Sauce 

Adapted from Crispy Roast Duck from Gordon Ramsay and Beyond Norm's Dang Gui Duck

====== INGREDIENTS ======

Duck + Marinade 
1 whole duck, about 1.5-2kg
1/2 tablespoon salt
1½ tablespoons light soy sauce
½ tablespoon five spice powder
1 tablespoon honey
½ tablespoon white pepper

Dang Gui Sauce
1 Angelica Root / Dang Gui, soaked in 2 cups water for at least 1-2 hours before cut into slices. (Reserve the water, it goes into the sauce as well)
1½ tablespoons cooking oil
2 tablespoons minced garlic
2 tablespoons minced ginger
3 star anise
1/2 tsp salt
2 tablespoons of Chinese cooking wine (optional)
2 tablespoons of brown sugar
2 tablespoons dark soya sauce
2 tablespoons oyster sauce

====== STEPS ======
Duck Marinade 
1. Butterfly the duck: Remove the wingtips, feet, head, neck and spine, which can be reserved to make stock. Flipping the duck breast-side up, press down hard on its chest to break the breast bone. This turns the duck from a hollow cylindrical structure into a flat shape for even roasting. This has two advantages: the duck can cook in a shorter period of time, and this prevents the breast meat from overcooking and drying out before the thigh meat finishes cooking.

2. In a small bowl, combine salt, light soy sauce, five spice powder, honey and white pepper. Rub the marinade evenly over the skin and inner portion of the duck. For best results, marinate the duck a day before roasting. An hour before roasting the duck, remove the duck from the fridge and allow to come to room temperature. 

3. Preheat your oven to 160C. In a baking tray lined with aluminium foil, place the duck breast-side up. Roast for 160°C for 1 hour then reduce the temperature to 140°C and cook for a further 1-1.5 hours, until until a fork goes in the thigh region with minimal resistance and the skin is crisp.

Dang Gui Sauce
4. As the duck is in the oven, prep the sauce. In a saucepan set over medium heat, heat oil until lightly smoking. Add in the minced garlic, minced ginger, star anise and the sliced dang gui. Sauté until fragrant and then deglaze with Chinese wine. Add brown sugar and then the rest of the liquid marinade ingredients, including the 2 cups of water that the dang gui was steeped in. Bring it to a boil, then cover with a lid and remove from heat. 

5. As the duck finishes roasting, pour the collected duck juices into the dang gui sauce. Return to a boil, and let simmer until ready to serve. Strain the oil out, pour the sauce over the prepared duck and serve immediately.