Chinese Take Out Peking Duck With Peking Pancakes Recipes

PEKING DUCK WITH PANCAKES

Steps:

• To make the pancakes: Mix the flour, lard, and hot water together and kneed it into dough. Roll it out making the pancakes about 2 millimeters thick, cut out the pancakes in circles 5-inches in diameter. Then slightly pan-fry both sides in a hot pan without oil.
• To make the Peking duck: Rinse and pluck the duck and then hang to dry for about 15 minutes. Put the salt, pepper, hoisin sauce, and five-spice powder inside the duck to marinate it. Then put the duck into the refrigerator for 4 to 6 hours.
• Hold the duck upright and pour the hot boiling water onto its body until it is puffed. Combine the corn syrup, maltose, and vinegar. Paint the duck with a thin layer of the corn syrup mixture. Hang the duck for 4 to 5 hours in a dry area while using a fan to help blow dry it. Preheat the oven to 450 degrees F oven and roast the duck for 40 minutes.
• Let meat rest for 15 minutes after cooking. Remove the skin and fat layer from the duck. Scrape the fat from the skin and cut the skin into thin strips. Cut the meat into thin slices. Paint a pancake with hoisin sauce. Put the skin and meat slices onto the hoisin, top with shredded carrots and scallion slices, and then roll the pancake up. Repeat with remaining ingredients.

CHINESE TAKE-OUT PEKING DUCK WITH PEKING PANCAKES

Steps:

• To make the Peking duck: Arrange the duck breasts on a rack over a baking pan, skin side up.
• Mix the honey, rice vinegar, and soy sauce together in a small bowl and brush over the skin of the duck. Let the duck breasts sit at room temperature for 1 hour, then brush them again and let sit for 15 minutes.
• Meanwhile, begin making the dough for the pancakes. Combine the flour and water in a large bowl and stir with a wooden spoon. When the dough comes together, turn it out on a lightly floured surface and knead gently for 10 minutes, or until it is smooth and elastic. Divide the dough into 2 pieces, cover it with an inverted bowl or damp towel, and let it rest for 20 minutes.
• Preheat the oven to 375º.
• Add 1/2 cup of water to the baking pan with the duck breasts. Bake for 30 minutes or until the skin is crispy and the duck is cooked through. (If the skin isn't crispy enough, run the breasts under the broiler for about 3 minutes.) Remove the duck from the oven and let it rest until it is cool enough to handle, about 15 minutes.
• While it cools, make the pancakes. On a lightly floured surface, roll out the dough until it is 1/8-inch thick. Cut into 24 rounds using a 2 1/2-inch round cookie cutter.
• Brush the tops of the half the dough rounds with sesame oil and top with the unbrushed rounds. Roll out the rounds until they are 6 inches in diameter, stack them on a plate, and cover them with a damp towel. Continue with the remaining dough. You can combine any scraps and roll them out one more time before discarding them.
• To cook the pancakes, heat a skillet over medium heat and add a pancake to the hot pan. Cook about 1 minute, then flip it and cook for 1 minute longer. The pancake will puff up and brown slightly. Gently separate the halves and stack the cooked pancakes on a dish. Cook the remaining pancakes in the same manner.
• Peel the skin from the cooled duck and cut it into small slices. Carve the duck into thin slices and arrange it on a plate next to the skin.
• Allow your guests to assemble their own pancakes. Spread about 1 teaspoon of duck sauce down the middle of each pancake. Top with green onion, cucumber, duck, and skin and roll the pancake up.
• Make ahead: You can freeze cooked pancakes for up to 1 month or hold them in the refrigerator for up to 2 days. Just separate them with a layer of parchment or waxed paper to make peeling them apart easier, cover with plastic, and, if freezing, cover with a layer of aluminum foil. Thaw and reheat in a steamer, or wrapped in foil in a 350º oven for 10 minutes.

CHINESE TAKE-OUT MU SHU PORK

Steps:

• Prepare the pancakes according to the directions with the Chinese Take-Out Peking Duck. In a small bowl, combine the pork, 2 tablespoons of the sherry, 2 tablespoons of the soy sauce, 2 tablespoons of the vegetable oil, and half the garlic. Toss together, and refrigerate while assembling the remaining ingredients.
• In a separate bowl, combine the remaining 2 tablespoons of soy sauce and sherry, the stock, 1 tablspoon of the sesame oil, the sugar, chili paste, 1/2 tsp of the salt, and black pepper to taste. Set aside.
• Heat 2 tablespoons of vegetable oil in a wok or saute pan set over medium heat. Add the eggs and stir-fry until they become firm, about 1 minute. Transfer the eggs to a large bowl.
• Add another 2 tablespoons of vegetable oil to the wok and heat. Add the cabbage, mushrooms, and green onion. Saute the vegetables until they begin to soften, about 3 minutes. Add the remaining garlic, the ginger, and 1/2 teaspoon of salt, and continue to cook for another minute, or until the garlic and ginger are fragrant. Transfer the mixture to the bowl containing the eggs.
• Heat the remaining 2 tablespoons of vegetable oil in the wok, then add the pork and its marinade and stir-fry until it is almost cooked, about 2 minutes.
• Return the cabbage and eggs to the wok along with the sauce. When the sauce boils, add the cornstarch mixture and cook for another minute, or until the sauce thickens. Transfer the mixture to a heated platter.
• To serve, arrange a platter with mu shu pork, pancakes, and hoisin and let your guests make their own mu shu.