Peking Duck

The process of preparing Peking duck is rooted in tradition that has been perfected over thousands of years since the Yuan Dynasty was established by Kublai Khan. Today, you don’t have to travel all the way to China to taste excellent duck – it’s readily available in Chinese restaurants across the world. The trademark of a well-done Peking duck is its crispy, flavorful skin. 

Roast duck was one of the cooked foods sold door-to-door by street vendors, and it became a specialty of nearby Nanjing, the first capital of the Ming dynasty. Some time during the Ming dynasty, a roast duck shop named Old Bianyifang, in Beijing’s Rice Market Hutong, became known for the quality of its birds, which were cooked in an oven.

Offering an irresistible combination of flavors and textures, this classic Chinese dish has a long and complex history — and a cooking process to match. Our Peking Duck recipe is easier than many traditional methods, but still yields a delicious duck, full of the classic flavors. If this process sounds intimidating, read on. We’ve simplified it so that it’s much more manageable in the home kitchen.

This recipe would go very well with these appetizer dishes:

• Sichuan Pork Wontons – Chao Shou
• Egg Rolls
• Perfect Potstickers

Peking Duck

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This easy Peking Duck recipe features crispy duck breast & homemade Mandarin pancakes. Impress guests with a Peking Duck dinner that’s easier than it looks!

• Author: Woks of Life
• Prep Time: 12:00
• Cook Time: :25
• Total Time: 12:25
• Yield: 4 1x
• Category: Dinner
• Method: Oven
• Cuisine: Asian

Ingredients

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• 4 boneless duck breasts (about 6–7 oz./170-200g each with the skin on; rinsed and thoroughly patted dry with a paper towel)
• ▢ 1/4 teaspoon salt
• ▢ 1 teaspoon light soy sauce
• ▢ 1 teaspoon Shaoxing wine
• ▢ 1/8 teaspoon five spice powder
• ▢ 1 tablespoon oil

For the mandarin pancakes:

• ▢ 1 1/2 cups all purpose flour
• ▢ 1/8 teaspoon salt
• ▢ 2/3 cup boiling water
• ▢ 1 teaspoon oil

For the fixings:

• ▢ 1 cucumber (de-seeded and julienned)
• ▢ 1/2 cup cantaloupe (julienned, optional)
• ▢ 2 scallions (julienned)
• ▢ 3 cloves garlic (finely minced and mixed with 1 teaspoon oil to make a paste, optional)
• ▢ 3 tablespoons hoisin sauce

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Instructions

Marinate the duck:

• Mix the salt, soy sauce, wine, and five spice powder in a small bowl and massage into the duck. Leave the duck breasts skin side up on a plate uncovered, and let sit in the refrigerator overnight to marinate and to let the skin dry out. (If you don’t want to wait overnight, reduce the marinating time to 30 minutes).

Prepare mandarin pancakes:

• Mix the flour and salt in a heatproof bowl. Pour the boiling hot water into the flour mixture and use chopsticks or a spatula to mix until a dough ball forms. Once it is cool enough to handle, knead the dough for 8 minutes until smooth, adding flour if the dough is too sticky. Cover with plastic and allow the dough to rest at room temperature for at least 1 hour.
• Roll the dough into a cylinder and cut into 12 equal pieces. Form each piece into a dough ball, then flatten them out into a small disc about 2 inches in diameter. Lightly brush 6 of the discs with oil, ensuring the sides of the discs are also brushed with oil. Layer the remaining 6 discs over the 6 oiled discs so you have 6 pieces, each comprised of 2 discs.
• Use a rolling pin to roll the discs into 7-inch circles, flipping the pancakes frequently so both of the dough discs are rolled into the same size.
• Heat a wok or frying pan over medium low heat, and place one pancake into the pan. After 30 to 45 seconds, you should see air pockets begin to form between the two pancakes. Flip the pancake; it should be white with just a couple of faint brown patches. Any more than that, and they are overcooked. After another 30 seconds, the air pockets should be large enough to separate the two pancakes. Remove the pancake to a plate, and let it cool for another 30 seconds. Now carefully pull apart the two pancakes at the seams. Place finished pancakes onto a plate and cover with a warm kitchen towel. Repeat until all pancakes are done.
• The pancakes can be reheated in a steamer for about a minute when ready to serve. They also keep in the freezer for up to 3 weeks if you decide to make a larger batch.

Cook the duck and assemble:

• Next, preheat the oven broiler on low heat. Heat an oven-proof pan over medium-high heat, and add 1 tablespoon of oil to coat the pan.
• Sear the duck breasts, skin side down, for 6-8 minutes. Move them frequently so the skin crisps up and fries in the duck fat that renders out. Turn the heat down to medium if needed. 
• After 6-8 minutes, or when the duck skin is a bit crispy and dark golden brown, carefully drain off the duck fat and discard (or save for later application to other recipes!). Flip the duck breasts (so they are skin side up), and transfer them to the broiler for about 3 minutes. Be careful not to burn the skin, which at this point should be a bit crispy.
• Remove the duck from the broiler and let rest for 10 to 15 minutes. The duck will be cooked about medium well and will be very juicy. Transfer to a cutting board and, using a sharp knife, cut into thin slices.
• Serve the duck with your warmed pancakes, fixings, and sauce.