Char Siu Duck Legs over Braised Cabbage

Char Siu Duck Legs over Braised Cabbage
🦆 🥬 🦆 🥬 🦆
Celebrating the Lunar New Year

The year turns. The celebration continues…

Food is central to 🧧 Lunar New Year because the holiday is rooted in family reunion, symbolism, and wishes for the year ahead. The celebration isn’t just about marking a date — it’s about expressing hope, gratitude, and continuity through the shared table.

Char siu — literally “fork roasted” — is the Cantonese barbecue style known for its glossy, caramelized finish and sweet-savory depth. While traditionally associated with pork, the same lacquered glaze works beautifully with duck, where the rendered skin takes on a deep mahogany sheen and delicate crispness.

I served the duck over wedges of green cabbage slowly braised with sliced carrots and sweet onion in olive oil and chicken stock, then finished under the broiler so the vegetables picked up their own smoky edges.

The char on the cabbage mirrors the roasted notes of the duck, while the hearty winter vegetables anchor the dish in the season. A scattering of fresh cilantro sprigs brightens the plate and adds a fresh, herbal contrast. With poultry long associated with unity and celebration, it feels like a thoughtful festive way to mark the Lunar New Year.

Char Siu Duck And Cabbage Recipes

Braised Green Cabbage with Carrots and Sweet Onion

• medium green cabbage, cut into medium wedges
• large carrot, sliced into thick coins on the bias
• 1/2 sweet onion, cut pole to pole, then sliced into half-moons
• 4 T. olive oil
• 4 T. chicken broth
• sea salt and fresh ground pepper
• red chile flakes

Preheat oven to 375°F.

In a baking dish just large enough to hold the vegetables snugly, toss the cabbage, carrot, and onion with the olive oil, salt, pepper, and a pinch of red chile flakes until evenly coated.

Arrange the cabbage wedges cut-side down, tucking the carrots and onion around and between them. Pour the chicken broth around the vegetables.

Cover tightly with foil and bake for 45–50 minutes, until the cabbage is tender.

Remove the foil and continue baking for 20–25 minutes, until the edges begin to caramelize. Finish under the broiler for 2–4 minutes to lightly char.

Char Siu Duck Legs

Cuisine Solutions is using the same Cantonese barbecue flavor profile as pork, but applying it to duck instead — so you’ll get that sweet, savory glaze paired with rich duck. The ingredients are simply duck legs, soy sauce, sugar, honey, soybean paste, water, corn starch, and garlic powder.

The product includes three fully cooked duck legs per package and is found in the refrigerated section at Costco. Prepared using the sous vide method, the legs are vacuum-sealed and cooked to a precise time and temperature, so they simply need to be reheated before serving.

Remove the duck legs and their juices from the pouch and place in a baking dish. Let stand at room temperature for 20 minutes, then roast in a 375°F oven for 25–30 minutes. They can cook alongside the cabbage — simply time them so everything finishes together.

To Plate

• cilantro sprigs

Arrange the vegetables on serving plates and spoon a little of the pan juices over them. Place a duck leg on top and drizzle with some of its braising liquid. Garnish with fresh cilantro sprigs.

Happy Lunar New Year!

🏮 🏮 🏮

As I continue cooking my way through Lunar New Year dishes, this one feels especially satisfying — deeply roasted, softly braised, and finished with a handful of cilantro for balance and brightness. 🌿

More Lunar New Year Dishes

Vietnamese Hoi An- Style Fried Wontons (Shrimp & Pineapple)

Korean Rice Cake Soup with Brisket – Tteokguk