Nanjing Salt Water Duck
盐水鸭
Nanjing's 400-year-old specialty — duck dry-rubbed with salt and Sichuan pepper, then poached to silky perfection. Elegant and pure.
📋 Ingredients
What Is Nanjing Salt Water Duck?
💡 Ingredient Notes: Nanjing Salt Water Duck (盐水鸭, yán shuǐ yā) is a 400-year-old Nanjing specialty and one of Jiangsu's most iconic dishes. A whole duck is dry-rubbed with roasted salt and Sichuan peppercorns, marinated for hours, then gently poached in spiced water until silky tender. The result is pale, elegant duck with delicate seasoning — the meat should be tender but not falling apart, the skin smooth and slightly gelatinous. Served cold, sliced, with no sauce. Pure, clean, and refined — the essence of Jiangsu cuisine. Nanjing is called the 'Duck City' because of this dish.
Ingredients You'll Need
The Duck
- 1 whole duck (about 2kg/4.5 lbs)
- 3 tbsp sea salt
- 1 tbsp Sichuan peppercorns
- 1 tsp star anise powder
Poaching Liquid
- Water to cover
- 3 slices ginger
- 3 scallions
- 2 tbsp cooking wine
- 1 tbsp salt
- 1 star anise
- 1 cinnamon stick
📝 Instructions
Toast and rub the salt
Toast the sea salt and Sichuan peppercorns in a dry pan until fragrant (2 minutes). Grind coarsely. Rub this mixture all over the duck — inside and out. Refrigerate for 2-4 hours (or overnight for deeper flavor).
Rinse and poach
Rinse the duck to remove excess salt. Place in a pot with water, ginger, scallions, wine, salt, star anise, and cinnamon. Bring to a boil, then reduce to the barest simmer. Cook for 45-60 minutes — the water should barely move. Test: thigh should reach 75°C/165°F internally.
Cool in the liquid
Turn off the heat and let the duck cool in the poaching liquid for 1-2 hours. This keeps the meat moist and tender. Remove and refrigerate until cold — cold duck slices better and tastes better.
Carve and serve
Carve the cold duck into thin slices — bone-in, Chinese style. Arrange on a plate. Serve cold with no sauce. The flavor should be subtle, clean, and savory.
💡 Pro Tips
- 💡Poach at a bare simmer, never a boil — boiling makes the meat tough and dry.
- 💡Cool the duck in its liquid — this is the secret to juicy meat. Don't skip.
- 💡Slice cold — warm duck falls apart. Refrigerate before carving for clean slices.
- 💡Salt water duck improves with time — make it a day ahead. The flavor deepens overnight.
📊 Nutrition Facts
❓ Frequently Asked Questions
Why no sauce? The duck is seasoned during cooking — the dry rub and poaching liquid provide all the flavor. Sauce would overpower the delicate taste. This is Jiangsu elegance: less is more.
