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1
Combine the soy sauce, dark soy sauce, Shaoxing wine, rock sugar, garlic, galangal, and five spice powder in a pot large enough to hold the duck. Add sufficient water to submerge the bird entirely. Bring to a gentle simmer over medium heat, stirring until the rock sugar has dissolved. The brine should smell deeply aromatic — galangal, anise, and soy in equal balance.
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2
Lower the whole duck into the brine, breast side down. Adjust the heat so that the liquid never rises above a bare, trembling simmer — no rapid boiling. Braise, submerged, for 45 to 60 minutes. The duck is ready when a skewer inserted into the thickest part of the thigh meets no resistance and the juices run clear.
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3
This is where the dish lives or dies: remove the pot from the heat and allow the duck to rest in the brine, off the heat, for a full 30 minutes. Do not lift it out early. The residual heat continues to cook gently while the brine penetrates the flesh; cutting this step short produces a duck that is dry at the bone and lacking in depth.
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4
Lift the duck from the brine and allow it to cool to room temperature. Reserve the brine — do not discard it. For maximum flavour, refrigerate the duck overnight in the brine; the colour deepens to mahogany and the flavour penetrates more fully.
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5
Slice the duck thinly against the grain. Arrange on a serving plate cold or at warm room temperature. Combine the white vinegar, sliced chilli, and chopped garlic to make the dipping sauce, and serve alongside.
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6
After service, replenish the brine with a measure of fresh soy sauce, Shaoxing wine, and water as needed to restore its volume. Bring briefly to the boil, skim, and store refrigerated or frozen. The brine gains complexity with every subsequent use; old Teochew restaurants maintain brines that are decades old.