Peking Duck
Review all the content in the main post, including extra articles on blowing up the duck, etc., so you're well prepared for this fun and delicious project. See Notes for the Mandarin Pancakes info. For an air pump, I used an exercise ball pump but you can use a bicycle pump or something like that. A vertical roaster is what I use but you could try a beer can chicken roaster is key to standing up the bird. It's a great tool to have.
Servings: 6
Equipment
- 1 vertical roaster
- 1 air pump
Ingredients
- 1 (4 ¼ pound | 2kg ) duck, with head and feet intact
- 2 tablespoons fine sea salt
- .75L | 3 cups water
- 160 ml | ⅔ cup Shaoxing rice wine or dry sherry
- 3 tablespoons brown rice syrup or honey
- 1 tablespoon regular soy sauce
- 1 ½ teaspoons plus 1 tablespoon dark soy sauce
Sauce
- 80 ml | ⅓ cup sweet bean sauce or hoisin sauce
- 1 tablespoon Shaoxing rice wine or dry sherry
- 1 tablespoon water
- 1 teaspoon sugar optional
- 1 ½ teaspoons sesame oil optional
Accompaniments
- 4 or 5 slender scallions cut lengthwise into thin strips about 3 inches (7.5cm) long, soak in ice water for 10 minutes
- 1 small English or 2 Armenian cucumbers, quartered lengthwise, seeded and sliced into thin strips
- 16 to 20 Mandarin Pancakes see Notes for link to recipe
Instructions
- Refresh the duck: Remove any excess fat in the body cavity near the rear opening. To refresh the duck, vigorously rub the salt into its cavity and on its skin. Rinse, drain, and pat dry with paper towel. Put the duck, breast side up, on a baking sheet. Sew up the duck’s abdominal cavity with a bamboo skewer; break off the protruding long section, if you like.
- Blow up/inflate the duck: To inflate the duck, use the tip of a paring knife to pierce a hole at the bottom of the duck’s neck. Aim for the firm center of wish bones (like the human clavicle/collar bone).
- Wash the nozzle of an air pump (or bicycle pump or air compressor) before inserting the nozzle under the skin. Inflate the duck, directing air to one side, then the other. The duck should puff up to reveal a six-pack abs like structure. If the duck just puffs, then you may be pumping air into the cavity and not under the skin. Reposition the nozzle higher. If there is an air leak in the skin, make a new hole below the original one and retry. Flip the duck over and inflate its back side, making a hole at top of the spine. Expect the duck to lose some air once you remove the pump nozzle.
- Trim the duck: Put the duck on a cutting board and use a heavy cleaver or knife to cut off its legs, right below the knee joint. Then cut off the first two joints of its wings. Finally cut off its neck, leaving about 2 inches attached to the body. Cut off the head and discard. Refrigerate the remaining spare parts for the soup broth. Put the duck, breast side up, on a rack placed on a baking sheet and set near the stove.
- Scald the duck and give it tan: In a saucepan, combine the water, rice wine, honey, light soy sauce, and 1 ½ teaspoons of the dark soy sauce. Bring to a boil, then lower the heat to simmer. Because the duck will darken more on the breast than legs during roasting, tan the duck lighter on its upper part than its lower part. Slowly ladle ⅔ of the mixture to bathe the duck from the top of its thighs to the top of its neck. Part way through flip the duck over and repeat on its backside.
- Now add the remaining 1 tablespoon of dark soy sauce to the leftover tanning mixture, stir and ladle the liquid over the lower portion of the duck. It’s okay if some of this darker liquid runs to the upper part.
- Chill the duck: Lift the duck off the rack and set aside briefly. Discard the tanning liquid and wash the rack and baking sheet. Replace the rack in the baking sheet, then put the duck on top, breast side up. Slide the duck into the refrigerator and let it air chill, uncovered for 1 ½ days, roughly 36 hours. Expect the skin to darken as it dries and feel somewhat like parchment paper. Meanwhile, make the mandarin pancakes.
- Roast the duck: Return the duck to room temperature before roasting. Position a rack in the lower third or bottom of the oven to allow the duck to roast upright in the middle of the oven; the top of its neck should be about 3 inches from the broiler element.
- Preheat the oven to 450°F (230°C) for 30 minutes. If needed, lightly spray or oil a vertical roaster (or similar tool). Turn and pull the bamboo skewer out to open the duck’s body cavity by about 3 inches. Insert the vertical roaster. It’s okay if the luck leans forward or slouches a bit. Place in a roasting pan, add a good ¼ inch of water, then slide the pan into the oven.
- Roast for 15 minutes, then lower the temperature to 350°F (175°C) and continue roasting for 1 to 1 ¼ hours until the skin is crisp, richly browned and shiny. Turn the pan if the skin browns unevenly. When done, tap on the skin and it should sound hollow.
- Prep the sauce and accompaniments: For the sauce, whisk together the bean sauce, rice wine, and water in a small bowl. Taste and add sugar and/or sesame oil. The sauce is ready to use.
- Put the scallion and cucumber on one or two plates. Set the sauce and vegetable garnishes at the table. Ready the steamer and Mandarin pancakes for reheating.
- Carve and serve: When the duck is done, remove from the oven and let rest for 10 to 15 minutes. Twist and pull the chopstick and skewer out. To remove the skin without it getting soggy, keep the duck on the roaster. Visualize the duck skin as four long quadrants. Now use a knife to cut downward through the skin, first to split the breast, then down the two sides and the back. Pry and peel away the large pieces skin. You will have to make some additional horizontal cuts to remove the skin. Set the skin aside on a plate as you work.
- Remove the vertical roaster from the skinless duck, then disassemble the carcass, cutting and/or pulling the flesh off the bones. Hold on a plate and tent with foil, if not serving right away.
- To serve, cut the skin into pieces about 1 by 2 inches (2.5 by 5cm) big, and arrange on a platter. Include the duck meat or present it separately. At the table, invite guests to take a pancake, smear on some sauce, top with a piece of skin, piece of meat, and a few scallion and cucumber strips. Fold or roll up the pancake and eat.
Notes
For the Mandarin pancakes, check out the Mandarin Pancake Mini Class and recipe at my newsletter, Pass the Fish Sauce. This duck will be more glorious than the hacks.
