Vietnamese roast duck with glossy mahogany skin and five-spice-scented flesh, a specialty of Lang Son province in the far north. The cavity is stuffed with mac mat (a citrusy mountain leaf), ginger and scallion so the meat steams from within while the skin crisps, and it is served with a tangy dipping sauce.
Perfected centuries ago by the Tay and Nung peoples of Lang Son along the old trade route to China, borrowing Cantonese glazing yet adding wild mac mat leaves. It now appears at feasts and banquets across Vietnam.
The skin shatters with a brittle crackle, rendered thin and burnished, while underneath the meat is moist and fragrant with five spice and the citrus lift of mac mat. The tangy sauce cuts the duck's richness with every bite.
Scalding and a maltose glaze, then long air-drying, dehydrate the skin so it blisters crisp in the oven. Aromatics packed in the cavity release steam that keeps the meat juicy while the exterior roasts.
Variations
Vit quay Lang Son with mac mat; southern versions with hoisin or orange; also served in noodle soups
On the Palate
Where Vit Quay sits in the Vietnamese flavor cloud
Ingredients
Serves 4How it's made
8 steps · 40 min
- 115 min
Clean a whole duck and rub it inside and out with salt, then pat dry.
- 215 min
Stuff the cavity with mac mat leaves, ginger, scallion and five-spice, and sew it shut.
- 35 min
Blanch or scald the skin with boiling water to tighten it.
Watch outPour the boiling water over until the skin visibly tightens and the pores stand up — this is what lets it blister crisp later.
- 410 min
Brush the skin with a maltose-and-vinegar glaze and air-dry it for several hours.
- 5480 min
Continue drying, ideally overnight, until the skin feels taut and papery.
Watch outDon't roast until the skin feels dry and papery to the touch — any surface moisture steams instead of crisping.
- 660 min
Roast the duck in a hot oven, turning, until the skin is deep mahogany and crisp.
Watch outTurn the duck as it colors and pull it at deep mahogany — past that the sugary glaze tips from rich to burnt-bitter.
- 710 min
Rest the duck briefly, then chop it into pieces through the bone.
- 83 min
Serve with the strained roasting juices and a tangy dipping sauce.
