China

Peking Duck

Name: Peking Duck
Prep time: 24 h 40 min
Cook time: 2 h 20 min
Total time: 27 h
Yield: 4 servings
Cuisine: Chinese
Ingredients: 1 whole duck, 5 to 6 lb (2.3 to 2.7 kg), fully thawed; 1 tbsp kosher salt; 1 tsp Chinese five-spice powder; 8 cups (1.9 L) boiling water, for scalding, plus 3/4 cup (180 ml) for the pancakes and more for the roasting pan; 3 tbsp maltose or honey; 2 tbsp Shaoxing rice wine or dry sherry; 1 tbsp soy sauce; 1 tbsp rice vinegar; 2 cups (250 g) all-purpose flour, plus more for rolling; 2 tbsp toasted sesame oil, divided; 1/2 cup (120 ml) sweet bean sauce (tianmianjiang), or hoisin sauce; 6 scallions, white and pale green parts, cut into thin 3-inch (8 cm) strips; 1 cucumber, seeded and cut into thin 3-inch (8 cm) strips

Běijīng Kǎoyā / 北京烤鸭

Beijing restaurants roast Peking duck in specialized ovens, often after pumping air under the skin to lift it from the meat. Neither is possible in a home kitchen, so this is an adapted oven method and it won't match the original exactly. What it keeps is the step that matters most: a full day of air-drying in the fridge. Dry skin is crisp skin, and no amount of oven heat makes up for skipping it.

Prep: 24 hr 40 min
Cook: 2 hr 20 min
Total: 27 hr
Serves: 4

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An illustration of Peking Duck — Peking Duck, illustrated for Tastybop

Ingredients

1 whole duck, 5 to 6 lb (2.3 to 2.7 kg), fully thawed
1 tbsp kosher salt
1 tsp Chinese five-spice powder
8 cups (1.9 L) boiling water, for scalding, plus 3/4 cup (180 ml) for the pancakes and more for the roasting pan
3 tbsp maltose or honey
2 tbsp Shaoxing rice wine or dry sherry
1 tbsp soy sauce
1 tbsp rice vinegar
2 cups (250 g) all-purpose flour, plus more for rolling
2 tbsp toasted sesame oil, divided
1/2 cup (120 ml) sweet bean sauce (tianmianjiang), or hoisin sauce
6 scallions, white and pale green parts, cut into thin 3-inch (8 cm) strips
1 cucumber, seeded and cut into thin 3-inch (8 cm) strips

Instructions

Pull the excess fat from the duck's cavity and pat the bird dry. Slide your fingers gently under the skin of the breast and thighs to separate it from the meat without tearing it. Rub the cavity with the salt and five-spice.
Set the duck on a rack in a clean sink. Carefully ladle the 8 cups of boiling water over all sides until the skin tightens. Pat it dry, then wash and sanitize the sink and anything that touched the raw duck.
Warm the maltose or honey with the rice wine, soy sauce and vinegar until fluid. Brush it all over the duck. Set the duck on a rack over a tray on the bottom shelf of the fridge, uncovered, and let it dry for 24 hours, brushing on a second coat after the first 30 minutes. Discard any leftover glaze. The skin should feel dry and papery.
While the duck finishes drying, make the pancake dough. Stir the 3/4 cup of boiling water into the flour with chopsticks, then knead for 5 minutes, until smooth. Cover and rest for 30 minutes.
Heat the oven to 350°F (175°C). Put 1/2 inch (1 cm) of water in a roasting pan and set a rack over it, which keeps the dripping fat from smoking. Roast the duck breast side down for 30 minutes.
Turn the duck breast side up and roast for 60 to 90 minutes more, until the skin is deep mahogany and the thickest part of the thigh reads 165°F (74°C). Top up the water if it runs low. If the skin needs more color, raise the oven to 400°F (200°C) for the last 10 minutes. Rest the duck for 15 minutes.
While the duck roasts, roll the dough into a rope and cut it into 16 pieces. Flatten each one, brush half of them with 1 tablespoon of the sesame oil and press an unoiled piece on top of each oiled one. Roll each pair into a 6-inch (15 cm) circle.
Cook each circle in a dry skillet over medium heat for about 1 minute per side, until puffed with pale spots. Peel the two layers apart while hot and stack them under a clean towel. You'll have 16 pancakes.
Warm the sweet bean sauce with the remaining 1 tablespoon of sesame oil. Carve the crisp skin and meat into thin slices. Spread a little sauce on a pancake, add duck, scallion and cucumber, and roll it up.

Tips

Soft skin almost always means too little drying. If you see damp patches after 24 hours, leave the duck uncovered in the fridge for several more hours, as long as it's within 2 days of thawing.
If the glaze darkens too quickly, cover those spots loosely with foil. Sugar burns fast, and the wing tips usually go first.
Save the rendered fat from the top of the pan water for roasting potatoes. Refrigerate it in a sealed jar and use it within 1 month.

Did you know?

Peking duck has been served in Beijing since imperial times.
Peking duck is famous for its thin, crispy, shiny skin.
It's wrapped in thin pancakes with scallion, cucumber and sweet sauce.

Questions

Can you make Peking duck at home?

You can make a good version in a regular oven by air-drying the duck for a full day. It won't be identical to a restaurant bird, since those ovens and techniques aren't available at home.

What's the difference between Peking duck and crispy aromatic duck?

Peking duck is air-dried and roasted, and the skin is the star. Crispy aromatic duck is seasoned, steamed and then deep-fried, which gives it shreddable meat.

Can I buy the pancakes instead?

Yes. Asian grocery stores sell them frozen, often labeled Mandarin pancakes or Peking duck wrappers. Steam them for a few minutes until soft and pliable.