Peking duck

Peking duck will require your patience, but the fruit of your labor will certainly bring pleasure to you and your loved ones. Read more about Peking duck .

Duck dishes → Peking duck

Peking duck is not so easy to prepare at home, but thanks to this recipe you can amaze your family with a truly royal duck dish - just replace the unavailable ingredients with the most common ones.

A detailed recipe for Peking duck will certainly help you figure out all the subtleties and aspects of cooking: what to create so that the duck is tender and juicy, how to get a beautiful and tender crust of Peking duck, and how to prepare the dough for tender pancakes.

The most famous dish in Beijing is Peking roast duck, the recipe for which was invented in China many centuries ago. Interestingly, Peking duck was previously cooked only for its thin, golden, crispy skin. But Peking duck is also tender, very tasty meat.

Peking duck should be coated with tangerine marinade before baking, and you will get a stunning golden crust.

Try a particularly delicious recipe for oven-baked tender duck.

Try to cook this tender and unique dish, I think it will not leave you indifferent. It can also be prepared as a hot dish for New Year 2021.

The secret to making a perfect gala duck. Recipe for duck with oranges and a sauce based on Silician orange.

As the name already suggests, the Chinese invented how to cook Peking duck, and, as is clear, they have no problem with patience. Peking duck is a recipe that allows you to prepare a real delicacy from duck for lovers of fried and baked poultry meat. Remember, Peking duck is not an obvious grill for you, you will have to tinker here. Now there are several methods for cooking Peking duck. The first is when the Peking duck is cooked over the fire in a suspended state. In this case, in order for a real Peking duck to come out, the recipe includes an indispensable condition for making the duck: the firewood must be from some kind of fruit tree. Only in this case will the Peking duck have the desired smell. The 2nd option for making Peking duck helps you prepare Peking duck at home. The duck is fried in a closed oven or oven, and in order for a real Peking duck to come out, the temperature in the oven must be reduced evenly. It is also important to know how and with what Peking duck . The making recipe also often includes a recommendation and a recipe for making special duck pancakes. In both options, the duck needs to be well marinated and aged. For the marinade, sherry, ginger, honey, sesame oil, soy sauce, and spices are used. Only in this case will you get a tasty Peking duck . The video recipe will be useful to do all the operations for making Peking duck correctly.

Principled bird: cooking Peking duck at home

Peking duck, without exaggeration, is the most popular dish in China, known far beyond its borders. Almost seven centuries ago, it was invented for the ruler by a court cook. Since that time, the recipe has not actually changed. In addition to suitable products, you will have to stock up on patience and time. After all, we have a whole culinary action ahead of us with many aspects. For a detailed summary and basic tips on how to cook Peking duck, read our article.

First-hand development

To begin with, it would not be superfluous to find out how Peking duck is prepared in China. Not just any bird is suitable for this role. About 300 years ago, a special breed was bred, which is called the Peking duck. It is distinguished by its decent size and brutal appetite by the standards of birds. Such birds are deliberately raised near rice fields. They are not interested in succulent shoots, but are always happy to feast on small vertebrates that pose a danger to the upcoming harvest. It is logical that by the age of two months, ducklings gain significant weight up to 2–2.5 kg.

The Chinese cook Peking duck using 2 methods. In the first case, it is suspended over an open fire, which is lit from the branches of a peach, apple, date or any other fruit tree. As a result, the meat acquires appropriate fruity notes. The second method is to bake the bird in a special oven with a special thermal regime. The temperature is initially set to the highest, and during the manufacturing process it is gradually reduced.

Natural selection

If the supply of real Peking ducks is delayed, a suitable candidate can be found on Russian shelves. The freshest bird always has a uniform pinkish coloration of the skin. There should be no damage, hematomas, bruises or tears. Muscle tissue (the structure of tissues of living organisms is studied by the science of histology) distinguishes red color, but without sharp transitions. High-quality fresh meat is always slightly moist and elastic to the touch. It's easy to check. Lightly press the carcass - it will quickly restore its shape and the dent will disappear.

If you are purchasing a whole duck, take a close look at the eyes and nose. The eyes should be free of any cloudiness, and the nose should be clean and shiny. If it springs back slightly when pressed, you have a young bird. When cooked, it will be very warm, juicy and delicious. Also study the paws. The freshest carcass has intact yellow elastic membranes, without the slightest flaws.

Without haste and fuss

Please note that preparation of the duck begins at least a day before it appears before the guests. As a standard, you need to take a chilled carcass. If you have a frozen bird, you should remove it from the freezer even earlier. It should defrost completely at room temperature.

The cooked carcass is carefully washed under running water at room temperature. Very hot or cool water at this step can ruin the taste of the meat. Next you need to chop off the phalanges of the wings and carefully remove the hairs. Using a sharp knife, cut off all the fat from the skin, otherwise you won’t get a crispy crust. Particular attention is paid to the neck and tail area.

Until suitable condition

Now the duck needs to be hung on a hook. A steelyard - an ordinary lever scale with a hook - is completely suitable. This way it will be comfortable to scald the carcass with boiling water. This must be done thoroughly and from all sides so that the skin brightens. After this, the bird is wiped, allowed to dry and marinating begins.

Traditional composition

A day later, when the duck meat has been saturated with the smell and taste of the marinade, you can begin production. We present for you a traditional step-by-step recipe for Peking duck.

duck carcass – 2–2.5 kg
honey - 4 tbsp. l.
sesame oil - 1 tbsp. l.
soy sauce - 2 tbsp. l.
salt - to taste
ground cloves, fennel, dark pepper, star anise, cinnamon - optional

1. Prepare the duck carcass for baking as described above.

2. Mix the marinade of sesame oil, honey and soy sauce. If necessary, add salt and spices to taste.

3. Rub the carcass with marinade on all sides, coat the inside well.

4. Preheat oven to 250°C.

5. While the oven is preheating, pour approximately 2-3 cm of water into a baking dish. Place a greased mesh on top.

6. Place the carcass on this system with its back down and place in the oven at 250 °C for 40–45 minutes.

7. Now turn the duck onto its breast, reduce the temperature to 160 °C and bake for an hour.

8. After this, bake the bird on any side at the same temperature for 15–20 minutes.

9. Remove the duck from the oven and leave to cool for 10 minutes.

In all the sparkle of citrus

There is a fairly popular variation of the dish for making in the oven - baked duck in orange glaze. For this recipe, you will definitely need freshly squeezed orange juice. Store-bought juice from a package will not achieve such a distinctive smell and taste.

duck carcass – 1.5–2 kg
honey - 2-3 tbsp. l.
soy sauce - 3 tbsp. l.
orange juice - 200 ml + zest of 1 orange
cognac - 2 tbsp. l.
ground ginger - 0.5 tsp.
salt, dark pepper - 1 tsp each.

Lubricate the prepared carcass with cognac, rub with salt and black pepper on all sides, also on the inside. In this form, put it in the refrigerator overnight (that is, in the dark) . Then brush the bird with a mixture of honey and orange zest and set back for another 3-4 hours.

Now wrap the carcass in two layers of foil and place in an oven preheated to 200 °C for approximately 1.5 hours. All this time, periodically drain the rendered fat. Measure out 2-3 tbsp. l. fat, mix with orange juice and soy sauce, season with salt and spices. Later, remove the foil from the duck, pour over the purchased sauce and continue baking in the oven for another 40 minutes, increasing the temperature to 220 °C.

A good addition

The serving of Peking duck deserves special attention. On New Year's Day in China, the carcass is cut into exactly 108 parts. It is believed that this number attracts prosperity and success in all matters.

On ordinary days, duck is served like this. Place a rice pancake on a plate. They are fried literally like regular pancakes, only rice flour is used instead of wheat flour. Place several slices of baked duck on the pancake, having previously removed the skin. At the same time, the meat is dipped in hoisin sauce. Next to it are placed cucumber straws and several green onion feathers. The filling is covered with duck skin and the pancake is folded into an envelope. The Chinese cleverly do all this with chopsticks. If you want to repeat the experiment, here is a recipe for hoisin sauce.

chili pepper - 0.5 pods
reddish canned beans - 100 g
garlic - 2 cloves
soy sauce - 3 tbsp. l.
rice vinegar - 2 tbsp. l.
Chinese mix “5 spices” - 0.5 tsp.
sesame oil - 1 tbsp. l.
honey - 1 tbsp. l.

Remove the seeds and light membranes from the chili pepper and finely chop the pulp. Pass the garlic through a press. In a blender bowl, combine beans, chili peppers and garlic, beat everything into a smooth mass. Add honey, soy sauce, rice vinegar and sesame oil and whisk again. If the sauce is very thick, dilute it with bean juice from a can. Let the hoisin sauce sit for a couple of hours and you are ready to serve.

This is what it is, Peking duck. Naturally, the preparation of this dish requires a certain culinary skill. And it's never too late to buy it. Our tips and detailed step-by-step recipes for Peking duck will help even newbies master this famous Chinese dish. Try to cook Peking duck and amaze your family with a real culinary masterpiece that you create.

Peking duck recipe

Peking duck is a common Chinese dish, which, according to former US President Nixon , should be tried by anyone who comes to see the Great Wall of China. But, if you are not planning a trip to China yet, this is not a reason to give up on juicy duck covered with a sweetish crispy crust. Experience Chinese culture with this Peking duck recipe.

Content:

Peking duck recipe

What to serve Peking duck with?

History of Peking duck recipe

Peking duck is the most famous and popular dish of Chinese cuisine, which has a rich history.

The ancient recipe for making this bird has remained constant since 1330, when the personal nutritionist of the ruler Hu Sihui published it in his own work “Important Principles of Nutrition”.

In those days, farmers specially gave the fattest ducks to the imperial table, which were prepared for several days under the tireless supervision of the ruler’s personal chef.

Choosing the right Peking duck

You won’t be able to simply go to the store and buy the first bird you come across: choosing the perfect duck for roasting is a whole rite of passage for the Chinese.

The duck must be young, but already quite mature, large and meaty, but with a lean crust. There is even a special breed of duck, which is called Peking duck and is used only for making ordinary food.

Although not all of us have the opportunity to purchase a duck of a certain breed, some rules should still be followed. Thus, it is best to purchase the freshest poultry from a familiar farmer, rather than a frozen carcass in a hypermarket: this is the only way you can appreciate the softness and freshness of the meat. Pay special attention to the thighs, which should be firm and meaty.

Ingredients

Ecstasy among fans of Peking duck is caused not only by its taste, but also by the number of ingredients used to prepare the dish.

This dish is not one of those where you can exchange a certain product in the composition for a similar one or abandon it completely: here any particle of spice plays a decisive role in the taste of the bird.

So, to make Peking duck you will need:

Fat young duck weighing at least 2 kg

Sherry – 1 tablespoon

Honey (watery floral honey is ideal) – 4 tablespoons

Sesame oil – 1 tablespoon

Soy sauce (without additional flavorings) – 5 tablespoons

Ginger powder or grated ginger root – 1 tablespoon

Freshly ground dark pepper – 1 tablespoon

Are you ready to touch the mystery of Chinese cuisine?

Peking duck recipe

You should start cooking our duck at least a day before you want to serve it. In China, it is not customary to rush, so take the duck out of the refrigerator in advance, prepare the ingredients and start cooking.

For convenience, we have divided the recipe for Peking duck into four steps: first we prepare the bird by washing it and making cuts in the right areas, then we keep it under different fillings for 24 hours, then we bake it and, in the end, we conjure up that crispy crust that creates made the Beijing duck recipe popular.

Preparing the duck before production

First, the duck must be thoroughly washed under running water at room temperature. Beware of very high and low temperatures, as well as defrosting in a microwave oven - do not injure the meat ahead of time.

Use a sharp knife to walk along the skin of the bird and remove excess hair. Cut off the upper phalanges of the wings.

Now you need to cut off excess fat from the carcass, which may interfere with the formation of a light crispy crust. Particular attention should be paid to the neck and tail area.

After the excess fat has been removed, hang the duck on a hook (a steelyard can serve as a candidate) and thoroughly pour boiling water over the carcass. There must be at least half a liter of water!

Wipe off the duck and leave it to dry. Now we can move on to the next step of making Peking duck, the longest and most exciting.

Marinate the bird. For a long time, for a very long time...

Marinating a duck is a very important step in its preparation. During the day during which the bird is infused, its flesh acquires a simply divine taste, juiciness and softness.

First you need to pour sherry (snow-white fortified wine) over the duck. Even pour it inside the bird.

After 10-15 minutes, without wiping the carcass, place it on its butt on a round glass or bottle and carefully rub it with large, but not iodized, salt.

Place the duck in an upright position on a tray, and periodically pour the liquid dripping from the bird into it for 12 hours.

After 12 hours, without removing the duck from the glass, coat it with half of the prepared watery honey. Place the carcass in a cold space for another 12 hours and go to bed with the idea that tomorrow you will finally try the Peking duck recipe.

Put the duck in the oven

After 12 hours, we put the duck, which has already absorbed a huge part of the honey (just imagine how juicy it has become!), into the oven.

Preheat the oven to 190 degrees. Place the duck not in a baking dish, but directly on the mesh - breast side up. Cover the entire mesh with foil.

Pour water into the pan and place the mesh on the pan. Place the resulting system in the oven and bake for 70 minutes.

Prepare crispy crust

When the duck is fried from the inside, you can move on to forming a crispy crust, similar to glaze. After this step, you will associate Peking duck with a caramel apple. At least that’s what happened to me.

So, we take the bird out of the oven. Remove the foil and remove the bottom baking sheet. Mix half the soy sauce, ginger, sesame oil and dark pepper in a deep bowl and brush the duck with this mixture using a brush.

Place the well-greased carcass back in the oven (this time only on a wire rack, without foil or baking sheet) at the highest temperature - about 250-260 degrees. You need to watch carefully for 25 minutes so that the duck does not burn.

While the duck is roasting, mix the remaining halves of honey and soy sauce. The browned duck must be coated on all sides with the resulting glaze. Try to make the layer thick enough - this way the bird will look more appetizing.

Turn on the grill setting and place the duck in the oven for another 10 minutes until the crust is cooked through and deep golden brown. Allow the bird to cool for another 10 minutes in the oven, then remove and cut into portions.

They say that experienced Chinese chefs can masterfully cut a Peking duck into more than 100 thin pieces, without damaging the skin. Try it too!

What to serve Peking duck with?

In a classic Chinese restaurant, you will certainly be offered a whole range of dishes and snacks that you need to savor along with the Peking duck: they will help to reveal the taste and smell of the dish and truly enjoy the food.

These are definitely special egg pancakes. Made from a narrow dough, they serve as the basis for making typical duck rolls. Peking duck cut into thin pieces is wrapped in pancakes along with several slices of cucumber and onion feathers.

It is very important that before they end up in your mouth, onion feathers (greenish wide onion stalks) will serve as a brush with which you apply a special plum sauce to the egg pancake.

It is curious that, unlike the traditions of European cuisine, when eating Peking duck, all ingredients, appetizers and sauces should be served immediately, along with the duck. Perhaps with one exception.

After you enjoy the wonderful sweet taste of duck, you will be offered to try a special Chinese cabbage soup. This soup will be prepared using duck broth made from unused duck pieces.

Recipe for egg pancakes as a side dish

Naturally, we couldn’t ignore the recipe for egg pancakes, which must certainly accompany the sacrament of eating Peking duck.

The manufacturing method is quite simple and you will like it because, unlike the duck itself, it will only take about 10 minutes.

So, mix wheat flour with water and add 1-2 eggs to it. Beat the mixture until it forms a watery pancake batter.

Cut the green onions into small pieces and add them to the dough. Pour a small amount of batter into a preheated Teflon frying pan without oil and fry the pancakes. They should remain light.

Now place the chopped poultry meat and its crispy skin on the pancake, add all the necessary ingredients and enjoy the Peking duck prepared according to the classic recipe.

Peking duck

Manufacturing method:

It's very painstaking to cook the duck*. Gut, wash well, and wipe dry. Remove any remaining feathers. Remove all visible fat.

Separate the skin from the meat by forcing air with a compressor between the skin and the meat. You can use a bicycle pump, you can use an iron tube and the strength of your own lungs. Insert the compressor hose between the skin and meat, from the bottom of the duck, and also create a small hole below the duck’s crop, and pump air through this hole**.

Finely grind half the spices (the second half will be used for another function), add grated ginger, garlic, salt and Hoisin sauce. Mix well until smooth.

Carefully rub the marinade inside the duck. Using a wooden knitting needle, sew the belly so that nothing leaks out.

Take a huge saucepan and fill it with water so that when the duck is immersed in water, it completely covers the bird, but does not splash out. Boil.

Add the rest of the spices without crushing them. Add 200 gr. soy sauce. Scald the duck with this brine until its skin turns white.

After this, hang the duck in a cold place for 12 hours until the skin dries.

The next step is to make syrup from a glass of sugar and a glass of soy sauce. Cook until the sauce thickens.

Cover the duck with syrup using a brush and leave for 3 days. Insert a spacer between the wings of the duck to allow it to dry between the wings. You need to hang the ducks in a refrigerator or room at +5C.***

After three days, when the syrup has soaked the skin, cut off the tail of the duck so that all the internal marinade with liquid comes out of the suspended duck.

Let's prepare a “smoke” to give the duck a smoked aroma, because in the original the ducks are cooked on the wood of fruit trees. You can create a pocket out of foil, light fruit sawdust so that the smoke covers the duck for 30 minutes. ****

Preheat the oven to 175 C, without any upper grills, etc., and make a spacious bag of 2 layers of foil around the duck. Attention, the number of layers matters!

In addition to the smoke, place a baking tray with water on the bottom. The duck does not have to come into contact with the baking sheet or any other hot metal parts of the oven. It can be placed over a baking sheet, on several wooden knitting needles. Cook the duck for 30-60 minutes depending on your oven. If there is a temperature indicator, then the temperature inside the duck should reach 40 C

Remove from the oven, hang, and cover the duck with the remaining syrup or honey.

Place in the oven again at the same temperature for 30-50 minutes. The temperature inside the duck should be 55C. Get the duck.

In a saucepan you need to heat 750 ml of good vegetable oil to 200C. The amount of oil is needed to ensure the stability of the temperature of the oil itself.

Pour oil over the entire duck in a ladle, pouring 3-4 ladlefuls of oil over a small area at a time. The skin will immediately begin to become crispy and change its color to red. The standard is a crispy, reddish skin and pink, very juicy meat!

For the sauce, mix all the indicated ingredients together.

How to cut a duck, watch a video about it. Serve with mandarin pancakes, green onions, sliced cucumber, leek and sauce.

*Buy the duck with the head included. Otherwise it will be very difficult to hang it up! **If you don’t have anything handy, you can use your fingers to separate the skin from the back of the duck, carefully peeling the skin away. ***Basically, the duck is protected from the inside by the marinade, from the outside by the syrup - this is enough so that it does not disappear even at the highest temperatures of +10-15C and when stored for up to 7-10 days ****Or put a bowl of sawdust in the oven and use smoldering coals from the hookah to maintain smoke.