These duck lettuce wraps feature succulent meat, aromatic spices, and a savory sauce. This dish is excellent for large groups since the duck can be made ahead of time, reheated, and crisped before serving.
Ingredients
- whole duck legs: 6 piece
- vegetable oil: 1 Tbsp
- kosher salt: 1 Tbsp
- five-spice powder: 2 tsp
- black pepper: 1 tsp (freshly ground)
- green onions, cut into large pieces: 3 piece
- garlic: 5 clove (halved)
- green onion: 1 Tbsp (chopped)
- hoisin sauce: 0.25 cup
- lemon: 0.5 piece (juiced)
- sesame oil: 1 tsp
- hot sauce: 1 tsp
- whole butter or Bibb lettuce leaves: 18 piece
- cucumber: 1 piece (diced)
- green onions: 5 piece (chopped)
- sesame seeds: 1 Tbsp
Metric Conversion
Stages of cooking
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Preheat the oven to 250 degrees F (120 degrees C).
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Prepare duck: Place duck legs into a large bowl and drizzle with oil. Sprinkle with salt, five-spice powder, and black pepper; mix to evenly coat.
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Sprinkle large green onion pieces into a baking dish large enough to hold duck legs in a single layer. Place duck legs, skin-side up, on top of green onions. Scatter garlic over duck. Place a piece of parchment paper directly on top of duck to help retain moisture. Cover the baking dish tightly with aluminum foil.
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Bake in the preheated oven for 3 hours. Turn off the oven, crack open the oven door, and let duck rest in the oven for 1 hour; do not uncover the dish during this time.
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Remove the dish from the oven and let cool to room temperature. Baste duck with rendered fat in the dish. Place the parchment paper back over duck and re-wrap the dish in aluminum foil. Refrigerate for 8 hours to overnight.
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Make sauce: Mix together hoisin sauce, lemon juice, sesame oil, and hot sauce in a small bowl. Set aside.
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Remove duck meat from bones; leave skin on. Cut meat into 1/2-inch cubes.
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Remove 1 tablespoon rendered fat from the dish to a skillet over medium-high heat. Cook and stir 1/2 of the cubed meat in hot fat until pieces are brown and crispy, 4 to 5 minutes. Add remaining meat; cook and stir until duck is just heated through, about 1 minute more. Stir in 1 tablespoon chopped green onion.
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Spoon duck mixture into lettuce leaves. Drizzle with sauce; garnish with cucumber, green onions, and sesame seeds.
