Easy "Peking Duck" Lettuce Cups

Ingredients

• 6 whole duck legs
• 1 tablespoon vegetable oil
• 1 tablespoon kosher salt
• 2 teaspoons five-spice powder
• 1 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
• 3 greens onions , cut into large pieces
• 5 cloves garlic , halved
• 1 tablespoon chopped green onion

Instructions

1. 1

   Preheat the oven to 250 degrees F (120 degrees C).

2. 2

   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.

3. 3

   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.

4. 4

   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.

5. 5

   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.

6. 6

   Make sauce: Mix together hoisin sauce, lemon juice, sesame oil, and hot sauce in a small bowl. Set aside.

7. 7

   Remove duck meat from bones; leave skin on. Cut meat into 1/2-inch cubes.

8. 8

   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.

9. 9

   Spoon duck mixture into lettuce leaves. Drizzle with sauce; garnish with cucumber, green onions, and sesame seeds.