Special REPORT : All Its Quacked Up to Be!

Discover Taipei PekingPeking Duck:Duck: 10 AllAll ItsIts QuackedQuacked UpUp toto Be!Be! By Brian Asmus Peking Duck: All Its Quacked Up to Be! Special REPORT

rguably, one of the finest Ducks of the Right In Hot Water accomplishments of Kind of Feather 's nearly 3,000-year To prepare the duck, says Liu, it is A Like the Far Eastern Plaza Hotel, first cleaned of feathers and then boiled. history is Peking duck. Highly prized among both Chinese and foreign diners Jorden Yang(楊德興), chef de cuisine Hot air is blown inside, and the duck is alike, the crispy skin and juicy meat at the Yi Yuan restaurant, also reports rubbed with sugar water and left to hang are tantalizingly tempting. Discover that the Westin Taipei buys its ducks for 12 hours to dry. “Natural drying is Taipei checks into what is available from the east-coast area as well, in this preferred; we do not use fans because it around town, revealing the ins and outs case Ilan County. “We cooperate with will dry too fast and that is not good for of roasting the perfect Peking duck. one farm in Ilan(宜蘭) to better control the skin,” he says. Usually, three dishes are prepared quality, quantity, and weight. Most other The Westin, however, sees no from one duck: crispy skin, duck meat farms cannot meet our standards.” problem with artificial drying, according (occasionally some is also stir-fried in a “While most restaurants buy ducks to Yang. “The skin must be separated separate dish), and soup made from the that are 90 days,” says Eddie Liu(劉冠 from the meat through blowing. After bones. 麟), assistant food and beverage director that, we let the duck hang with a fan Peking duck has been served on at the Far Eastern blowing on it for Chinese tables since the Yuan Dynasty Plaza Hotel, about eight hours or for nearly 800 years. Established in “ours are 60-days in the winter, 1864, the (全聚德) Restaurant old. We prefer six hours in the in is famous for its Peking duck. these smaller summer. If you let Its importance in the Chinese culinary ducks because it go too long in the world is reflected in the saying: “You the meat is more summer when the have not been to China until you have tender. Ducks temperatures are climbed the Great Wall and tasted used by the higher, the duck can develop gamy, Peking duck at Quanjude.” famed Quanjude Discover Taipei It was precisely because of its Restaurant, on liver-like flavors.” fame that Taipei’s Far Eastern Plaza which we have To achieve 11 Hotel (FEPH) decided to partner modeled our own crispier skin, with Quanjude on a special culinary duck variety, nothing is stuffed exchange, creating a “win-win scenario are 45-days old into the cavity of for everyone,” says General Manager and weigh 2,000 Duck can be eaten with either scallion or cumber, but the duck. “This is never together. (Photo courtesy of the Westin Hotel) Wolfgang Krueger. “It is an opportunity grams.” very different from for Quanjude Restaurant to showcase L i u f i n d s Western-style duck its excellent creations and for us to that, in , 45-day-old ducks are recipes,” says Liu, “where spices, herbs, offer our guests the unique opportunity simply not big enough—an important and other ingredients might be stuffed to savor the exquisite quality of those factor influencing fat content. “You need inside.” Another reason is because with creations.” a certain amount of fat to give the meat traditional Peking duck, the meat and To achieve the most authentic flavor and keep it juicy during cooking.” bones are also used to make soup. “If flavors possible, the hotel held a number The discrepancy in size can be you have all of these other ingredients of duck-selection sessions. Finally, the accounted for by the fact that Beijing inside, it changes and masks the original best duck—from a farm in Hualien(花 ducks are force-fed, while in Taiwan flavors.” 蓮) County (eastern Taiwan)—was they roam free. “Taiwanese ducks get “We use an anise-type herb to rub determined to have met the highest more exercise since they can swim and the inside of the duck before cooking. standards and worthy of Quanjude. walk around, and this gives the meat It gives the meat a more complex Those qualities include a pleasing, full- a better, less flabby texture,” says Liu. flavoring,” says Yang. The Westin, like bodied appearance, crisp skin and tender Traditionally, however, it is precisely the FEPH, also rubs the outside of the meat, and fresh, delicious flavors. that kind of fatty duck that has been duck with sugar water to get a nice, crisp most preferred in Beijing. skin. Special REPORT Peking Duck:Duck All Its Quacked Up to Be! ipei

One method of drying: just let them air dry after rubbing with sugar water. (Photo by udndata) Taiwan-made ovens can be seen at restaurants ranging from hotels to smaller restaurants. (Photo by udndata) Light My Fire oven. Gas is best in controlling the heat. Quanjude’s preference for German- DiscoverDiscover TaTaipei We then leave the duck in the oven made ovens, he prefers Taiwanese makes After all these preparations, the duck another 10 minutes to continue cooking. because the cooking temperatures inside 12 is ready for cooking. “We put it in the This is different from the approach of German units are too high. One special oven for 45 to 50 minutes,” says Liu. “It most Western chefs, who depend on challenge is from customers who like to really depends on customer preference for standardization to a far greater extent. It have charcoal used in the oven. “It gives crispiness.” Ultimately, is determined in advance the meat a special flavor,” says Yang, “but he adds, culinary skill is exactly how much of makes controlling the temperature very determined by how well each ingredient to use and difficult; it is a real challenge.” the chef cooks the duck. how long exactly to cook There are differences in how thickly “You need to reduce the it.” the meat is sliced in Taiwan and China. fat under the skin to a The Far Eastern also The reason is that Taiwanese prefer minimum, while keeping had one of Quanjude’s thicker slices. “In China, while they the meat juicy. Too little patented German-made, probably would prefer thicker slices as cooking and the duck stainless-steel electric well,” says Yang, “the high poverty rates is too fatty and greasy; ovens flown from have meant that the meat is sliced thinner too much and the meat Beijing to Taipei, It is so that everyone gets some; diners fill becomes tough. It is a capable of maintaining up more on the pancakes. Incredibly, in real art.” an interior temperature of Beijing’s Quanjude, a master chef should This time Yang is in Cutting duck to perfection: exactly 150℃ to 270℃, with the cut exactly 108 pieces from one duck-- 100-percent agreement. 108 pieces from one duck! (Photo capacity to roast 12 to 15 that is perfection!” “It is very important courtesy of the Far Eastern Plaza Hotel) ducks for 50 minutes to to cook duck the right the standard of Quanjude length of time at the right Scallion or Peking ducks. Cucumber? temperature. Like most Chinese chefs, Yang has also studied at Quanjude in I go by my own personal experience. I Beijing. “I go every year for consulting While Peking duck is traditionally look at the color and then turn off the and training.” While he acknowledges eaten with a piece of scallion and some Peking Duck: All Its Quacked Up to Be! Special REPORT

sauce, some restaurants have opted for reason for this. It is just that no one to my cucumber since it is more delicate and knowledge is growing wheat in northern suits duck flavors better. “Scallion,” says Taiwan.” That said, he reports that Yi Yuan Liu, “especially large ones, can be quite buys a special grade of all-purpose flour. overpowering. Cucumber calms things “The consistency is very important.” down, cooling and rounding out the Some restaurants prefer to use flavors.” He attributes this preference to black-bean rather than plum sauce. the fact that northern Chinese like strong Surprisingly, black bean is the more tastes like garlic and scallions. “That is traditional variety. “The latter is actually the culture. That is how they have grown , not Pekingese,” says Liu. up and what they are used to.” “One good thing about plum sauce, If diners are going to opt for scallions, though, is that if the duck is too oily (as Liu has this advice: “The smaller the ducks prepared in southern China tend to Ingredients needed for a Pecking duck feast: sliced scallion, the better the flavor. The duck meat, pancakes, and scallion or cucumber be), then the acid of the plum helps break big ones are too harsh. The earthy, pieces. (Photo courtesy of the Far Eastern Plaza this down.” slightly pungent taste of the smaller- Hotel) Yang’s preference is for greater sized scallions is much preferable to sophistication. “Our sauce is more the woody, overly hot, slightly bitter complex than at most restaurants. The essences of the large ones.” sauce we use is made of 20 different “Our scallions are from Ilan,” says kinds of herbs and spices, with black Yang. “We prefer them because they bean being the primary ingredient. I think have a lighter, less coarse flavor. They that we have the best sauce in town. One are the mildest. The ones from southern of the other key ingredients is tangerine

Taiwan are harsher because the climate peel. In the West many chefs like to cook Discover Taipei and soil are less suitable. Also, scallions duckling with orange sauce, and the two 13 have a different flavor depending on flavors go together very nicely.” Yang(楊 the season; winter has the strongest. We 天麟), however, finds most sauces also use cucumbers since most people, around town are “just salty and sweet” especially children, do not like scallions.” and, therefore, “a bit one-dimensional.” For the soup, Yang Tian-lan, manager Black-bean and plum sauce are the two traditional Pancakes, Sauce, sauces, although some places create their secret of Taoranting Beijing restaurant, likes to sauce for greater sophistication. (Photo courtesy use the bones along with pickled mustard and Soup of the Far Eastern Plaza Hotel) greens and “lots of ginger.” According to Then there are the pancakes. “You Yang, ginger aids the digestion-important cannot use too much water or they get again because of excess fat and oil. too doughy,” says Liu. “Meanwhile, if you use too much flour, the pancakes end Pairing Wine and up too thick and starchy.” Yang agrees. “With pancakes, we have to be careful Peking Duck to achieve a nice balance of flour and The fatty duck and salty sauce water to achieve a nice doughy texture. can present a challenge in selection of Cooking it to just the right temperature Western wine. It is for this reason that makes the outside slightly crisp with Liu likes drinking cognac with duck. “If a nice chewy inside. (Think baguette). you are going to have wine with duck, Also, if you overcook the pancakes they you might want to go for a nice full- will lose that nice doughy smell.” bodied Chardonnay with a strong alcohol For some restaurants, flour comes content. This stands up to the fat, while from southern Taiwan. “That is where the Wrapping in a slightly crisp yet chewy pancake leaving nice fruit flavors behind. Weaker grain used is grown. There is no special makes the duck closer to perfection. (Photo wines will turn to water in the mouth. courtesy of the Far Eastern Plaza Hotel) Special REPORT Peking Duck: All Its Quacked Up to Be!

ingredients. Whatever your preference, I Restaurants would suggest aiming for a wine with a distinct hit of alcohol, as these will stand Beijing Lo (北京樓) Roosevelt Rd. Sec. 3 #157 up to all the flavors of the dish. Forget (臺北市羅斯福路三段157號) Tel: 2368-0058 Pinot Gris or Viognier.” Beiping Shang Yuan (北平上園樓) At the Westin, Yang recommends Linsen S. Rd. .#4 (臺北市林森南路4號) Tel: 2393-3331 red wine, especially Merlots or Cabernet Tel: 2397-1459 Sauvignons from South America or a Beiping Tong Qing Lou (北平同慶樓) Dunhua S. Rd. Sec. 2 #168 Shiraz from . “These wines are (臺北市敦化南路二段168號) Tel: 2739-6611 fruitier and more full-bodied. Duck is Beiping Xilaixun (北平西來順) quite fatty so you need a wine that can Dunhua S. Rd. Sec. 2 #261 branch (臺北市敦化南路二段261號) stand up to that without overpowering or Tel: 2735-7301 Jinshan S. Rd. Sec. 2 #5 branch being overpowered by it.” (臺北市金山南路二段5號) Tel: 2391-9904 Celestial Kitchen (天廚) Restaurants in the W. Rd. #1 3F (臺北市南京西路1號3樓) Tel: 2563-2380 Taipei Area Serving Fu Ji Ya Zhuang (福記鴨莊) New wines are constantly being selected to Zhonghe City Yuantong Rd. #208 Peking Duck (中和市員通路208號) complement duck dishes. (Photo by udndata) Tel: 2247-6666 Regrettably, many of the former Shang Palace Restaurant (香格里拉) Far Eastern Plaza Hotel(遠東國際大飯店) restaurant owners and chefs who fled to Dunhua S. Rd. Sec. 2 #201 6F Nice fruity reds like Chianti and Shiraz (臺北市敦化南路二段201號) Taiwan after the Communist takeover Tel: 2378-8888 ext: 5888 are another option, but I still prefer of China in 1949 are now retiring Song Kitchen (宋廚) Zhongxiao E. Rd. Sec. 5 Lane 15 #14 1F cognac.” and taking with them their flair for (臺北市忠孝東路五段15巷14號) Discover Taipei With cognac, says Liu, diners get authentic Pekingese cuisine. Many island Tel: 2764-4788 or 2746-8408 Beiping Taoranting (北平陶然亭) nice smoky, woody, almost bourbon-like restaurants, therefore, that specialize in Fuxing N. Rd. #86 2F 14 flavors. “The fat in the duck transforms (臺北市復興北路86號2樓) Peking duck have developed Taiwanese Tel: 2778-7805 the brandy, leaving flavors that hint at characteristics. “The problem with Wei Fu Lo (為福樓) Zhongxiao branch(忠孝店) cooked fruit.” Think cherry pie, cooked many Peking restaurants in Taiwan,” Zhongxiao E. Rd. Sec. 5 #996 branch berries, or even a hint of the burnt-orange (臺北市忠孝東路五段996號) says Yang, “is that the cook is not very Tel: 2788-8686 tastes that you would get from Grand knowledgeable or well-trained, so while Neihu branch (內湖店) Chenggong Rd. Sec. 3 Lane 184 #29 Marnier, which might be another good the restaurant still sells Peking duck, the (臺北市成功路三段174巷29號) pairing. Tel: 2792-5672 tastes and textures are not as authentic.” Xin Yi branch (信義店) “My own preference,” says Mary He recommends Song Kitchen, Taoranting, Xinyi Rd. Sec. 4 Lane 199 #4 (臺北市信義路四段199巷4號) Nicholls, a noted food and wine guru, and Celestial Kitchen. Regardless, diners Tel: 2708-4242 “would be to go for a Chilean or South who are less fussy will find plenty of Xi Lai Xun (西來順) Minsheng E. Rd. Sec. 3 Lane 55 #14 African Chardonnay, which in the places in Taipei to satisfy their urge (臺北市民生東路四段55巷14號) main is not as intense and buttery as Tel: 2713-6577 for Peking duck. See right, and happy Yitiao Lung (一條龍) the Australians, and with their usually feasting! Emei St. #12(峨嵋街12號) higher levels of acidity would lift the Tel: 2361-6166 Yiyuan Restaurant (頤園) initial flatness of the wrapping pancake, Westin Hotel (六福皇宮) Nanjing E. Rd. Sec. 3 #133 B2 cut through the fat, and make the most (臺北市南京東路三段133號) of the plum sauce. Of course, another Tel: 8770-6565 Yue Bin Lou (月賓樓) match for the red drinker would be a Shilin (士林) Baoan St. Sec. 1 #340 fairly lightweight, young Pinot Noir from (臺北市保安街一段340號) North Island New Zealand’s wonderful Tel: 2682-4972 Zhen Beiping (真北平) Martinborough region. Even at their Ningbo E. St. #1(臺北市寧波東街1號) most fruit-driven, these Pinots display an Tel: 2396-9611 Zheng Hao Wei (真好味) earthiness well suited to duck, and with Muxin Rd. Sec. 3 #108(木新路三段108號) quite high acidity should suit the other Tel: 2936-2535