Peking Duck

A lacquered skin, as crispy as glass, that cracks to reveal tender and fragrant meat. The aroma of five-spice and toasted honey hits you as soon as the oven opens.

• Prep time: 45 min
• Cook time: 90 min
• Difficulty: Hard
• Calories: 1038
• Protein: 115 g
• Carbs: 58 g
• Fat: 31 g

Ingredients

• 1 piece Smoked duck breast ( whole and cleaned )
• 4 tbsp Honey
• 3 tbsp soy sauce
• 2 tbsp Rice vinegar
• 1 tsp five spice powder
• 2 piece Garlic ( minced )
• 1 tsp Ginger powder
• 1 tbsp Sesame oil
• 100 g hoisin sauce
• 1 piece Cucumber ( in matchsticks )
• 4 piece Scallion or chives ( thinly sliced )
• 100 g Maltose ( heat slightly to liquefy )

Instructions

1. Scalding the skin

   Hang the duck or place it on a rack. Pour 2 liters of boiling water over the skin. The skin should shrink instantly, becoming smooth and slightly translucent.

2. Glaze preparation

   In a bowl, mix the maltose, honey, soy sauce, rice vinegar, and five-spice powder. The texture should be syrupy and coat the back of a spoon.

3. Glazing and drying

   Brush the entire duck with the glaze. Hang the duck in a cool, ventilated place for at least 12 hours. The skin should be dry to the touch, like parchment.

4. Roasting

   Bake at 180°C on a rack. The duck should take on a dark, uniform mahogany color. The fat should bead and drip slowly, a sign that the skin is separating from the meat.

5. Carving and serving

   Slice the skin and meat into thin strips. Serve with warm Peking pancakes, cucumber and scallions cut into thin sticks, and the hoisin sauce.

Chef's tips

• Drying is the secret: if the skin isn't dry before roasting, it will be rubbery instead of crispy.
• Use a hairdryer (cold air) to speed up drying if you don't have 12 hours.
• Never prick the duck's skin during cooking; juices will escape and soften the crust.

Storage

Consume immediately to maintain crispness. Leftover meat can be stir-fried the next day.