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1
Rinse duck and pat dry.
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2
Remove neck and giblets and save for another purpose.
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3
Remove excess fat from cavity and tail area and trim off a bit of flappy neck skin.
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4
Prick duck skin all over with tip of sharp paring knife, making sure not to penetrate meat.
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5
Mix together salt and 5-spice powder.
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6
Season interior of duck with 1 tablespoon salt mixture; use remainder to generously season exterior (you may have a little left over).
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7
Combine orange zest with grated ginger and garlic, then smear mixture inside cavity.
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8
Place orange wedges in cavity.
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9
Tie legs together.
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10
Secure neck flap with wooden skewer or toothpicks.
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11
Place duck on rack in roasting pan breast-side-up and refrigerate overnight, uncovered.
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12
Heat oven to 350 degrees.
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13
Meanwhile, bring duck to room temperature and make the glaze: Bring orange juice, honey, sugar and soy sauce to a simmer.
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14
Add sliced ginger and star anise, then reduce mixture until you have a medium-thick syrup, about 10 minutes.
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15
Remove from heat and set aside.
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16
Roast duck for 2 hours, carefully pouring off fat and turning duck over every 30 minutes.
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17
Paint with glaze and roast another 30 minutes (2 1/2 hours in all).
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18
Tent with foil if glaze begins to get too dark.
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19
Duck is done when temperature at thickest part of leg reads 165 degrees.
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20
Paint duck once more, keep warm and let rest 20 minutes.
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21
Use poultry shears to cut into quarters (remove backbone first) or carve in the traditional way, removing legs from carcass and slicing breast.
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22
Serve with mashed butternut squash if desired.
