Roasted Duck Legs with Black Pepper Sauce
These roasted duck legs with black pepper sauce are suitable for either daily meals or special occasions. They can be put on both Asian and Western dinner tables.
Ingredients
Scale
- 4 duck legs
- 2 oz ginger, peeled and crushed, divided
- 1/4 teaspoon salt
- 1/4 cup rice wine or sake
- 1–2 tablespoons whole black peppercorns, crushed (see Notes for more details)
- 2 tablespoons lightly crushed garlic
- 1/4 cup light soy sauce
- 2 tablespoons oyster sauce
- 3 tablespoons shaoxing wine
- 1 teaspoon sugar (to taste)
- 2 teaspoons sesame oil (or replace with vegetable oil)
- 1/2 cup water
Instructions
- Lightly pierce the meat side of the duck legs and score the skin. Avoid cutting through the skin.
- In a large bowl or tray, rub the duck legs with half of the crushed ginger and all of the salt and rice wine (or sake). Set aside for 10-15 minutes.
- In a mixing bowl, add the remaining crushed ginger, crushed black peppercorns, garlic, light soy sauce, oyster sauce, shaoxing wine, sugar and sesame oil. Stir to combine.
- Pat dry the duck legs. Use a shallow plate or tray which is large just enough to snuggle the duck legs on a single layer. Add about 6 tablespoons (90ml) of the marinade to the plate/tray. Then arrange the duck legs on a single layer to marinate the meat side. Alternatively, pour 1½ tablespoons of marinade over the meat side of each duck leg, then place them skin side up.
- If some of the marinade gets onto the skin of the duck legs, pat dry. Marinate for about an hour (or you can marinate overnight in the refrigerator). Reserve the remaining marinade to make the black pepper sauce later.
- Preheat the oven to 205°C (400°F). Arrange the duck legs skin-side up on a wired rack over a baking sheet lined with foil. Roast for about 35 minutes or until just cooked through. During the last 10 minutes in the oven, you can move them to the upper rack and switch to broil, or increase the heat to 220°C (425°F) to help the skin turn golden brown.
- While roasting the duck legs, transfer the reserved marinade to a small saucepan. Place over medium heat and once it starts to simmer, add the water. Adjust the heat and let the sauce simmer with the lid on for about 10 minutes until the flavors are combined and the sauce has reduced slightly. Taste and adjust to your liking with more soy sauce or sugar if desired.
- Transfer the roasted duck legs to serving plates and pour the sauce over them. Serve right away.
Notes
If you are short on time, it is okay to skip the first two steps.
Use more or less black peppercorns depending on how hot you want the sauce to be.
You can serve these roasted duck legs with black pepper sauce and either steamed rice or roasted/boiled potatoes on the side.
Nutrition
- Calories: 468kcal
- Sugar: 2g
- Protein: 49g