If you are thinking about serving Peking duck during your Christmas or holiday parties but don’t know how to make it, here is a recipe that you can follow. Here you’ll find the ingredients you will need, the steps you need to follow, and the correct way of serving Peking duck to your guests, giving your dinner a more authentic feeling.
Ingredients
For the main duck dish, you will need:
- 5 to 6 pounds of whole duck
- 6 tablespoons of honey
- 4 tablespoons of powdered Chinese five-spice
- 2 tablespoons of brown sugar
- 2 tablespoons of Kikkoman soy sauce
- Salt and pepper to taste
For the Peking duck sauce, you will need:
- 6 tablespoons of fine sugar
- 6 tablespoons of hoisin sauce
- 2 tablespoons of sesame oil
- 1 tablespoon of cornstarch
- 1 tablespoon of Kikkoman soy sauce
Additional ingredients:
- 1 package of Chinese-style pancakes
- 3 scallions, sliced or chopped, for garnish
- 1 cucumber, seeds removed and cut into strips, for garnish
Recipe
- Prepare the duck by poking it with a pointed knife or a fork to create small holes all over its body. Then, pour hot water over the duck to clean it, discarding the water after a minute or two. Make sure to pat dry the duck with paper towels after draining the water.
- Put the duck in a roasting pan and season with salt and water. Set aside.
- To make the duck glaze, combine the rest of the ingredients listed under the main duck dish and mix well. Using a brush, put the marinade on the outside and inside of the duck, letting it sit for 10 minutes or until dry so that the duck can soak the flavors.
- Once the coat dries, repeat the process again until about 4 tablespoons of the glaze is left in the bowl. Set the remaining glaze aside and let the duck marinade overnight in the refrigerator.
- To cook the Peking duck, preheat your oven to 350°F, and then cook the duck in it for 45 minutes.
- Take the duck out of the oven after 45 minutes, flip it over, and then use the remaining glaze to cover the skin. Cook the duck for another 45 minutes or until the skin is crisp. If the skin gets too dark before the 45 minutes is over, lower the heat of your oven and put your roasting pan in a lower rack. Once cooked, take the duck out of the oven and let it rest.
- While the duck is resting, make the sauce by combining all the ingredients but the cornstarch in a saucepan over medium heat. Combine a tablespoon of water with the cornstarch and then add this to the rest of the sauce when it starts to bubble. Remove from heat once the sauce thickens and cool down slightly.
Serving
Here’s how to serve Peking duck properly:
- Cut the duck into slices.
- Place a slice of duck on a Chinese-style pancake and pour a teaspoon of sauce over.
- Top with cucumber strips and scallions.
- Fold the pancake and serve.