Peking Duck Recipes

PEKING DUCK WITH HONEY AND FIVE-SPICE GLAZE

Steps:

• Combine honey, soy sauce, sugar and 1/2 teaspoon five-spice powder in a small saucepan. Stir over low heat until sugar dissolves, about 3 minutes.
• In a large saucepan, bring 4 quarts water to a boil. Meanwhile, remove giblets and neck from duck cavity and discard (or reserve for another use). Cut off excess fat from cavity and neck area, then cut off tail. (This helps balance the duck vertically over the beer can.)
• Using your fingers, carefully separate the skin from the breast meat through the bottom of the breasts and work your fingers upward to separate the skin from the meat (be careful not to tear skin). Next, separate the skin from the backbone through the neck and working your way down until you reach the legs. (Scissors are helpful, but be careful to avoid piercing the skin.) Transfer duck to a rack set in the sink.
• Using a ladle or measuring cup, pour half of the boiling water evenly over top of the duck. Flip duck and pour the remaining water evenly all over second side. Tilt duck to drain all water from the cavity, then pat dry with paper towels.
• In a small bowl, combine the remaining 1/2 teaspoon five-spice powder with 1 teaspoon salt, the black pepper and 1 tablespoon of the glaze. Rub the mixture inside the cavity. Stand duck vertically by inserting beer can into cavity and place in a roasting pan or on a rimmed baking sheet.
• Using a pastry brush, brush the remaining glaze all over the duck and sprinkle evenly with remaining 2 teaspoons salt. Place duck in the refrigerator, uncovered, until the skin feels dry and leathery, 24 hours.
• Heat oven to 450 degrees with rack in bottom third of oven. Remove duck from refrigerator, and add 1 1/2 cups water to the pan. Wrap wing tips and tips of drumsticks with foil to prevent burning, then loosely tent duck with foil. Roast for 15 minutes. Decrease temperature to 350 degrees and roast, tented with foil, until skin is mahogany and an instant-read thermometer inserted into the thickest part of the thigh registers 165 degrees, 1 hour to 1 hour 15 minutes more, adding more water to the pan if needed.
• Leaving duck on the can, transfer duck vertically to a cutting board and let rest for 15 minutes. Carve the crispy skin from the back and legs of the duck, and slice into strips.
• Carefully remove duck from the beer can and return to cutting board. Carve off the breasts and legs; thinly slice the breasts and shred dark meat.
• Carefully strain pan juices into a small bowl and pour off all the fat. In another small bowl, whisk together the hoisin, sesame oil and up to 1/4 cup of the pan juices to form sauce.
• To serve, spread 1 tablespoon prepared sauce on each tortilla. Top each with some scallions, cucumbers, duck meat and crispy skin. Roll up and enjoy warm.

PEKING DUCK

Steps:

• Soak the whole duck in the large pot of boiling water. Remove it as soon as the skin changes color.
• Sprinkle the inside of the duck with sugar, salt, and five-spice powder. Rub the skin of the duck with molasses. Truss the duck with string and hang in an airing place for 2 hours, or put the duck in the refrigerator overnight without any cover. This will dry the skin of the duck so that it will be crispy.
• Preheat rotisserie oven to 375 degrees and bake for 45 minutes or until the skin is reddish brown.
• Before serving, pour hot oil over the skin to increase the crispiness. Carve the skin and meat from the duck, and serve.

PEKING DUCK

Steps:

• For the duck: Prick the duck all over with a small knife or fork. Carefully pour hot water over the duck to rinse. Discard the hot water. Place the duck on a rack in a roasting pan and dry all over by patting it with paper towels. Sprinkle the duck with salt and pepper and leave it in the roasting pan until ready to cook.
• In a small bowl, mix together the honey, 6 tablespoons water, five-spice, soy sauce and brown sugar. Brush the duck all over, inside and out. Let dry for about 10 minutes and then brush again. Repeat this process until you have used all but 4 to 5 tablespoons of the glaze (reserve this glaze). Ideally, let the glaze marinate on the duck overnight, leaving it uncovered in the fridge.
• Preheat the oven to 350 degrees F. Place the duck in the oven and cook for 45 minutes. Flip the duck over, baste with the reserved glaze and cook until the skin is crisp and golden brown, another 45 minutes. Make sure you check halfway through that it is not getting too dark. If it is getting too dark before half the cook time is up, turn your heat down and lower the rack in the oven. When the duck is cooked, remove from the oven and let rest while you make your sauce.
• For the sauce: In a small bowl, mix the cornstarch with 1 tablespoon cold water and set aside. Next, heat a pan or wok over medium heat and add the hoisin, sugar, sesame oil and soy sauce. When the sauce starts to bubble slightly, add the cornstarch mixture and stir well to thicken. Set aside and let cool. Carve and slice some duck. Place a teaspoon of the sauce in the center of each pancake, add a couple slices of duck, garnish with the scallions and cucumbers and serve immediately.

PEKING DUCK

Steps:

• Rinse the duck inside and out, and pat dry. Cut off tail and discard. In a small bowl, mix together the cinnamon, ginger, nutmeg, white pepper and cloves. Sprinkle one teaspoon of the mixture into the cavity of the duck. Stir one tablespoon of the soy sauce into the remaining spice mixture and rub evenly over the entire outside of the bird. Cut one of the green onions in half and tuck inside the cavity. Cover and refrigerate the bird for at least 2 hours, or overnight.
• Place duck breast side up on a rack in a big enough wok or pot and steam for an hour adding a little more water, if necessary, as it evaporates. Lift duck with two large spoons, and drain juices and green onion.
• Preheat the oven to 375 degrees F (190 degrees C). Place duck breast side up in a roasting pan and prick skin all over using a fork.
• Roast for 30 minutes in the preheated oven. While the duck is roasting, mix together the remaining 2 tablespoons of soy sauce and honey. After 30 minutes, brush the honey mixture onto the duck and return it to the oven. Turn the heat up to 500 degrees F (260 degrees C). Roast for 5 minutes, or until the skin is richly browned. Do not allow the skin to char.
• Prepare the duck sauce by mixing the plum jam with the sugar, vinegar and chutney in a small serving bowl. Chop remaining green onions and place them into a separate bowl. Place whole duck onto a serving platter and garnish with orange slices and fresh parsley. Use plum sauce and onions for dipping.

PEKING DUCK CHINESE

Steps:

• Cut off duck wings at second joint, remove excess fat and skin, rinse and dry well.
• Insert chopstick thru neck opening and force along the wing bone under the skin until it protrudes slightly at the second joint.
• Push other end along other wing so that you end up with a duck that has its arms straight out like a crucifix.
• Tie a string on to the middle so you can hold the duck and hang it up.
• Bring 6 cups of water to boil in a wok.
• Add maltose or honey and stir to dissolve.
• Add sherry and vinegar.
• Make a slurry out of the cornstarch and add to wok.
• When liquid returns to a boil, dip the duck into liquid and spoon liquid over duck.
• Repeat until duck is thoroughly moistened.
• Repeat dunking once more.
• Hang duck by string in a cool airy place with a bowl underneath to catch drips.
• Leave for 4-6 hours until skin is dry and taught.
• Put roasting pan on lower oven rack and fill with 2-3 inches of water.
• Oil rack above pan.
• Preheat oven to 350.
• Remove chopstick and string.
• Put duck on oiled rack in center of oven breast side up.
• Cook 30 minutes.
• Turn duck breast down for 45 minutes.
• Turn breast up for 30 minutes or until skin is dark brown.
• While duck is cooking make scallion brushes.
• Trim roots,cut off most of green part, leaving a 3 inch piece.
• Make several 1 inch lengthwise slits in each end of scallion, put in ice water for 20 minutes, drain and refrigerate.
• Carve duck and separate meat and skin.
• Mix hoisin with sesame oil and 1 tbl water.
• To serve: use scallion brushes to wipe hoisin mixture on to pancakes, add duck skin and meat and scallion, fold one end over and roll up.

PEKING DUCK

Steps:

• Fasten neck skin of duckling to back with skewers. Fold wings across back with tips touching. Mix garlic, wine, soy sauce, sugar and salt. Place garlic mixture and 2 green onions in body cavity of duckling. Bring edges of tail opening together with skewers; tie tightly with heavy string. Insert needle of bicycle pump between skin and fat; pump air under skin until duckling is 1 1/2 times larger. (Do not let air escape. For crisp skin, it is necessary to separate skin from fat to release grease.)
• Heat water and honey to boiling in wok; add vinegar. Tie 40-inch piece of heavy string to duckling legs. Hold duckling over wok. Pour water mixture over duckling for about 3 minutes. Hang duckling in refrigerator to dry at least 12 hours, placing pan under duckling to catch juices, but no longer than 24 hours.
• Heat oven to 400°F. Place duckling, breast side up, on rack in shallow roasting pan. Insert meat thermometer so tip is in thickest part of inside thigh muscle and does not touch bone. Roast uncovered 30 minutes. Turn duckling; roast 30 minutes longer.
• Reduce oven temperature to 375°F. Turn duckling; roast about 20 minutes longer or until 180°F (drumstick meat will feel very soft). Let stand 15 minutes. Meanwhile, cut green onion tops into 3-inch pieces; cut 3/4-inch slits in each end. Chill in iced water about 10 minutes or until ends curl.
• 5. Remove skin and meat from bones; cut skin and meat into about 1 1/2-inch pieces. Arrange skin and meat on platter. Serve with steamed rolls or mandarin pancakes if desired. Brush hoisin sauce on opened roll or pancake with green onion brush. Place green onion brush, skin and meat on roll or pancake; roll up.

AUTHENTIC CHINESE 5-SPICE PEKING DUCK

Steps:

• thaw duck overnight in refrigerator.
• remove giblets and trim excess fat from tail area or anywhere hanging.
• pierce chopstick or skewer under wing and bring through to other side to pierce through under the other wing on the other side in order to give you a way to dunk and hang duck. wings may be removed if desired.
• in large wok or pot bring water to a boil.
• add in ginger, vinegar, soy sauce, xiao xing, and honey and stir to dissolve honey completely.
• make a slurry with cornstarch (mix with water) then add to boiling mixture.
• dunk duck into boiling mixture and spoon liquid over duck for a couple of minutes making sure you completely moisten duck and render some fat.
• repeat process for another couple of minutes.
• immediately hang duck in cool room with a fan on high pointed directly on duck. make sure you put a pot or similar under duck to catch drippings.
• rotate duck to ensure even drying. should take about 5 hours. skin will become taunt and tight.
• after 4-6 hours, rub duck with 5-spice powder to taste.
• heat oven to 375 degrees.
• place duck onto roasting or cooling rack on middle or top rack of oven with a large pan filled with about 2 inches of water on bottom rack of a 375 degree oven. this will catch any drippings, keep your oven clean, and keep duck moist.
• roast uncovered for about 1-1 1/2 hours rotating it 2-3 times.
• check internal temperature for doneness. mine was perfect at 175 degrees in the breast. note that convection ovens will cook duck quite fast.
• remove duck and rest 10 minutes before serving whole or chopping Chinese style on the bone.

ORANGE PEKING DUCK

Steps:

• Make syrup:
• Bring syrup ingredients to a boil in a heavy saucepan, stirring, then simmer, stirring occasionally, 20 minutes.
• Season duck:
• While syrup is simmering, fold neck skin of duck under body and fasten with a small skewer.
• Stir together five-spice powder, salt, and pepper, then rub inside cavity. Put duck on a rack set in a roasting pan.
• Coat and dry duck:
• Ladle hot syrup over duck (do not ladle any into cavity), turning duck occasionally to coat all over. Discard syrup in roasting pan and set duck, breast side up, on rack in pan. Prop rack up over a short edge of pan so duck is tilted (large-cavity side down) to facilitate draining of any moisture it gives off. (To prevent rack from slipping, put a piece of crumpled plastic wrap between pan and rack.)
• Dry duck, uncovered and chilled in refrigerator, 3 days.
• Roast duck:
• Preheat oven to 325°F. Let duck stand at room temperature 30 minutes.
• Remove plastic wrap and set rack back into pan. Stuff duck with orange quarters and ginger and close cavity opening with a wooden skewer. Prick duck all over with tip of a sharp paring knife and pour 1 cup water into pan.
• Roast duck in middle of oven 1 1/2 hours. Increase oven temperature to 450°F and roast until skin is dark brown and very crisp and a thermometer inserted in thick part of thigh registers 170°F, 25 to 30 minutes more.
• Transfer duck to a heated serving platter and remove cavity skewer. Let stand 30 minutes before carving.

MARTHA LIAO'S PEKING DUCK

Steps:

• In a very cool room, tie duck wings together using kitchen twine. In a cool room, hang duck from kitchen twine over a large bowl overnight, about 8 hours.
• Fill a large pot with 4 cups water, 2 scallions, ginger, and honey; cover and bring to a boil. In a medium bowl, whisk together cornstarch and 1 cup cold water until well combined. Whisk cornstarch mixture into boiling water mixture until it is the consistency of a light gravy. Stir in wine and vinegar; remove sauce from heat.
• Add duck to pot and spoon over sauce, for 3 to 5 minutes, until very well coated. Remove from sauce and hang duck again, in a cool room, over a large bowl for 4 hours.
• Preheat oven to 300 degrees.
• Fill the drip tray of a vertical poultry roaster with water; set in a roasting pan. Place duck on vertical roaster and transfer to oven. Roast until duck is golden and an instant-read thermometer inserted into the thickest part of the thigh (but not touching the bone) reaches 175 degrees. Take care with duck grease as you roast; if too much begins to accumulate in roasting pan, ladle into a disposable heatproof container as the duck cooks and discard.
• Meanwhile, prepare frozen steamed rolls according to package directions. Quarter white parts of remaining 5 scallions and cut into 2-inch pieces, reserving green parts for another use.
• Thinly slice duck and serve with steamed rolls, scallions, and sweet bean or hoisin sauce.

PEKING DUCK

Steps:

• Place all the honey syrup ingredients in a large pan with 1.2 litres water and bring to the boil. Turn the heat to low and simmer for about 20 mins.
• Meanwhile, rinse the duck well, blot it completely dry with kitchen paper, then put it on a rack in a roasting tin. Using a ladle, pour the syrup over the duck several times until the skin is completely coated on all sides. Leave the duck to dry out, uncovered, in the fridge overnight. When the duck has dried, the skin should feel like parchment paper.
• Heat oven to 240C/220C fan/gas 9. Sit the duck breast-side up on the rack in the roasting tin. Add 150ml water to the tin to prevent the fat from spattering, then roast in the oven for 15 mins. Reduce the heat to 180C/160C fan/gas 4 and continue to roast for 1 hr 10 mins.
• Remove the duck from the oven and let it sit for at least 10 mins before you carve it. Using a cleaver or a sharp knife, cut the skin and meat into pieces and arrange them on a warm serving platter. Or, if you prefer, shred the meat using two forks.
• Serve at once with the pancakes, spring onions and a bowl of hoisin sauce.

PEKING DUCK

Steps:

• Bring water to a boil in a pot large enough to allow for dipping the duck. Add the honey, ginger, sherry, and vinegar. Tie string under duck wings long enough to control duck while boiling and pull out when complete. Dip duck into boiling water, use ladle to pour water over duck if some remains exposed. Keep in water for just two minutes. Remove from water and place on vertical chicken roaster with cookie sheet and paper towels beneath to catch fat as the duck drains. Leave on counter overnight. Next day preheat oven to 400 degrees. Place duck directly on rack in center of oven with a drip pan with water directly under duck on the rack below. DON'T FORGET THE DRIP PAN OR YOU WILL BE SORRY!!! Cook breast side up for 30 minutes, breast side down for 30 minutes, breast side up again for the final 30 minutes. Remove from oven and allow to cool. debone and cut into pieces with matching skin 1 inch square. Put on new cookie sheet lightly greased to be reheated just before serving at about 375 degrees for about 5 minutes. Immediately serve with tortilla's, brushed with some hoisin sauce, some scallions and some duck. Roll into wrap and serve with scallion brush as garnish.