Peking Duck (traditional recipe)

Peking duck is iconic. And rightly so. It's a wonderfully delicious duck dish that's on every Chinese menu, and for good reason. These days, you can buy pre-roasted or cooked duck, but let's be honest... making it yourself is much more fun and much tastier!

I'll say it right up front: this recipe requires patience. If you want to make it completely traditional, it will take three days. After glassing, the duck needs to air-dry for two days in the refrigerator. Want to speed things up? You can also put a strong fan on it for an hour. It's a little less tasty, but quicker.

Traditionally, Peking duck is served in strips on wafer-thin pancakes. The same goes for those: buying is fine, making is better. Choose how much you're in the mood for and have the time!

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Ingredients

Duck

• 1 whole duck of 2000 to 2500 gr

Spice mix

• 2 star anise
• 1 tbsp fennel seeds
• 1 tsp Szechuan pepper
• 5 cloves
• 1 cinnamon stick
  (or 2 tbsp five spice)

Marinade for the inside

• 1 tsp salt
• 2 cloves garlic
• 4 cm ginger
• 3 tbsp dark soy sauce
• 2 tbsp honey

Blanching liquid

• 1000 ml water
• 3 tbsp dark soy sauce
• half of the spice mix
• 2 tsp salt

Glaze

• 3 tbsp maltose*
• 1 tbsp dark soy sauce

*Maltose is a sticky syrup that gives duck its shine and crispiness. You can find it at Asian supermarkets. If you can't find it, use honey or golden syrup.

Pancakes

• 250 gr wheat flour
• 200 ml of boiling water
• 1 tbsp neutral oil
• pinch of salt

Sauce

• 2 tbsp duck fat
• 4 tbsp dark soy sauce
• 2 tbsp hoisin sauce
• 1 tbsp rice vinegar
• 1 tbsp honey
• 1 tsp sesame oil

Preparation:

Start with the duck. Insert a straw or small pump into the neck opening between the skin and the meat and gently blow air under the skin. Work all the way around until the skin is almost completely separated from the meat. This is necessary for a crispy finish.

Making a marinade

Blend star anise, fennel seeds, Szechuan peppercorns, cloves, and cinnamon into a fine powder. Take half of these spices and blend them with the salt, garlic, ginger, dark soy sauce, and honey to form a thick paste. Apply this to the inside of the duck only. The outside will remain completely dry.

Blanching duck

Bring the water to a boil and add the dark soy sauce, remaining spices, and salt. Place the duck in a large bowl or container and continuously ladle the hot liquid over the skin for about three minutes. You'll see the skin tighten and darken slightly.

Place two chopsticks or wooden spoons on a baking sheet and place the duck on top so it can hang freely. Let the duck dry completely.

Glass and roast Peking Duck

Meanwhile, melt the maltose with the dark soy sauce over low heat. Brush the duck thinly and evenly with this glaze. Then place the duck uncovered in the refrigerator and let it dry for 48 hours.

Remove the duck from the refrigerator an hour before roasting to allow it to come to room temperature. Roast for 20 minutes at 200°C (400°F), then reduce the oven temperature to 180°C (350°F) and roast for another 30 minutes. The internal temperature should be around 60°C (140°F). Let the duck rest for about 10 minutes after roasting, then thinly slice the skin and meat.

Making pancakes

For the pancakes, combine the flour and salt in a bowl. Pour in the boiling water and stir with a spoon or chopsticks until flakes form. Add the oil and knead into a smooth dough. Let the dough rest for 20 minutes, covered with cling film.

Roll the dough into a sausage shape and divide it into 16 equal pieces. Roll each piece out paper thinly and fry the pancakes in a dry, hot pan. About 30 seconds per side is enough. Keep them warm under a clean cloth.

Cut the spring onion into fine strips.

Making sauce for Peking Duck

For the sauce, heat the duck fat in a small saucepan. Add the dark soy sauce, hoisin sauce, rice vinegar, honey, and sesame oil. Combine the cornstarch with the water and stir into the sauce. Simmer briefly until the sauce thickens slightly.

To serve

Place a pancake on the table, top with duck, spoon some sauce over it, and add scallions. Roll up and eat immediately.