Poultry Recipes -
Peking Duck
Recipe
Ingredients
-
duck, about 2.25kg/5lb
-
45ml/3 tbsp clear honey
-
5ml/1 tsp salt
-
1 bunch spring onions (scallions), cut into strips
-
1/2 cucumber,
seeded and cut into matchsticks
-
24-32 mandarin
pancakes
For the dipping
sauces:
Serves 8
Method:
-
Place
the duck on a trivet in the sink and scald with
boiling water to firm up the skin. Drain thoroughly.
-
Tie kitchen string
(twine) firmly around the legs of
the bird and hang it in a cool place, with a bowl
underneath to catch the drips. Leave the duck
overnight.
-
Next day, blend the honey, 30ml/2 tbsp
water and salt and brush half the mixture over the
duck skin. Hang up again, or 2-3 hours. Repeat and
leave to dry completely for a further 3-4 hours.
-
Preheat the oven to 230°C/450°F/Gas 8. Stand the duck
on a rack in a roasting pan, place in the oven and
reduce the temperature to 180°C/350°F/Gas 4.
-
Roast
for 1 1/2 hours without basting. Check the skin is
crisp, if not, increase the oven temperature to the
maximum. Roast for 15 minutes more.
-
Pat the
cucumber pieces dry on kitchen paper. Heat the
pancakes by steaming them in a foil parcel for 5-10
minutes over boiling water. Pour the dipping sauces
into small dishes to share between the guests.
-
Carve the duck into 4cm/1
1/2in pieces. At the
table, each guest smears a little sauce on a
pancake, tops it with a small amount of crisp duck
skin and meat and adds cucumber and spring onion
strips before rolling the pancake up and eating it.
Note:
As the Chinese discovered centuries ago, this is
quite the best way to eat duck.
Asian Poultry Recipes - Peking Duck Recipe
