Peking Duck at Home Wrap up slivers of crisp duck for a showy appetizer BY CLARK FRASIER Filling the pancake is part of the fun. Brush the sweet and tangy sauce on a Mandarin pancake with a scallion, and then layer on succulent duck, crispy duck skin, and crunchy vegetables. Copyright © 1995 - 2007 The Taunton Press ow do you celebrate Thanksgiving in Bei- than most meats because of its high fat content. Re- Hjing if you can’t find a turkey? This was a move any innards that come packaged in the duck, tough question to answer for me and some fellow wash the duck under cold running water, and dry it students who were studying in China during the thoroughly with a towel. early 1980s. Even if we’d found a turkey, our dor- Loosening the skin—The next step is to sepa- mitory camp stoves were woefully inadequate for rate the skin from the fatty tissue directly under- cooking such a large bird. So instead we opted for neath it so that the skin crisps well when it cooks. To the local equivalent—Peking duck. Perfectly roast- do this, you could make tiny cuts and run your fin- ed and golden-glazed, served with tender Man- gers under the skin. An easier and more authentic darin pancakes, a tangy sauce, and crunchy veg- method is to use a bicycle pump. Not many chefs etable garnishes, the duck was quite worthy of our think of a bicycle pump as an integral part of their Thanksgiving celebration. cooking equipment, but at Arrows it was one of the I tried to visit all the famous duck restaurants first purchases we made. Attach a clean pin (the while I lived in Beijing. The novelty of a young kind used to inflate balls) to the pump and insert the Anglo speaking Mandarin Chinese was frequently pin just under the duck’s skin. As you pump, the skin enough to get me into the kitchens and drying will inflate and separate from the bird (see photo at rooms where I could ask questions about how the right) and then deflate again. Don’t be afraid to ducks were prepared. Later, make several punctures in when I opened Arrows Res- PEKING DUCK the legs and along the breast, taurant in Maine, my partner Serves six as an appetizer. but don’t bother pumping up Mark Gaier and I were deter- 1 duck, 4 to 5 pounds the underside of the bird mined to use the rich culi- GLAZE: (this part will be sitting in Pump it up. Separating nary tradition of China—in 11⁄2-inch piece of ginger water while the duck cooks). the duck skin from the 12 scallions particular to feature my It always makes for good flesh with a bicycle 3 cups water favorite dish, Peking duck. 3 tablespoons honey conversation when you tell pump makes the skin Drawing on my experiences 2 tablespoons Chinese rice wine your guests that you needed even crispier when it 1 tablespoon rice vinegar in the kitchens of Beijing and a bicycle pump to make what cooks. The author 3 tablespoons cornstarch dissolved on the recipes of Chinese in 1⁄2 cup water they’re eating. learned this technique friends, we created this rec- Hanging to dry—After in China. PANCAKES: ipe. We usually serve the 4 cups all-purpose flour the fun of blowing up the duck as an appetizer for a spe- 11⁄2 cups boiling water duck, the next important 1 cial party. ⁄3 cup Chinese sesame oil stage is drying. The duck Although Peking duck has SAUCE: must hang for at least four a reputation for complexity, 2 teaspoons Chinese sesame oil hours for the skin to dry out; 1⁄2 cup hoisin sauce there are really just a few 4 teaspoons sugar overnight is even better. I tie simple steps, spread over a 1⁄4 cup water up the duck with a piece of 24-hour period. Since the GARNISH: butcher’s twine. The easiest crispy skin is what makes the 12 scallions (white parts way I’ve found to attach the dish so memorable, you must reserved from glaze) twine to the bird is to cut a 1 cucumber allow enough time for the 1 red bell pepper small slit near the tail end of duck to air-dry thoroughly. 1 yellow bell pepper the duck, fold the twine in String up the duck The only part that takes half to form a loop, and run securely to dry for sev- much time at all is making the Mandarin pancakes. the loop through the slit. I then feed the cut ends eral hours. Cut a small 1 The pancakes, sauce, and garnishes can be pre- through the loop and pull the twine until it’s taut slit about 1 ⁄2 inches pared ahead of time, and even the duck reheats (see photo at right). from the edge of the nicely, so you can get everything ready before your The question then is where to hang the thing. tail skin and run a guests arrive. You’ll want a place that’s cool and dry. If the weather loop of string through. is cool (below 40°F), try hanging the duck from a Pull the ends of the DRYING THE DUCK FOR A CRISPY SKIN beam or a hook in your garage or basement. Put a string through the The people of Beijing (formerly written Peking) pride tray under the duck to catch any fluid, and if you loop, and hang the themselves on the quality of their duck. To make the have an electric fan, set it up in front of the duck on duck by the string. best Peking duck, you want to start with the best low speed. If you can’t find a cool place to hang it, duck you can find. See if your butcher can get you a make room in the back of your refrigerator and prop fresh one that weights four to five pounds. If you just the duck up so that air can circulate around it. can’t find anything but a frozen duck, defrost it very Dipping in glaze and drying again—Just before slowly overnight in your refrigerator. Though freezing the duck is finished drying, get the glaze ready. Peel Photo at left: Susan Kahn. All other photos: Suzanne Roman. changes the texture of meats, duck freezes better the ginger and slice it into broad strips. There’s no FEBRUARY/MARCH 1995 47 Copyright © 1995 - 2007 The Taunton Press top photo at left). Lift the duck out, let any excess glaze drip off, and dip the duck again. Take the duck out again and, when it stops dripping, return it to its hanging spot and let it dry for at least two more hours. Roasting the duck—Now that you’ve pumped the duck, hung it, dipped it, and hung it again, you’re ready to roast it. Heat the oven to 350°. Put the duck, breast side up, in a roasting pan and pour an inch of water into the pan. The water keeps the duck moist while it cooks. Roast the duck for 21⁄2 to 3 hours at 350°. Turn the pan around halfway through cooking to help the skin brown evenly. The duck is done when the skin is a molasses color, you can move the leg easily, and the meat gives slightly to your touch. MAKING THIN AND CHEWY MANDARIN PANCAKES While the duck is drying the second time (or when it’s in the oven), you’ll want to tackle the pancakes. Put the flour in a large bowl and gradually add the boiling water, mixing well with a wooden spoon un- til you have a ball of dough that comes away from Shiny glaze adds the sides of the bowl. When the dough is cool flavor, too. After dry- enough to handle, dump it out on a lightly floured ing overnight, the counter and knead it by hand until it’s smooth, pli- duck is dipped in a able, and elastic, about 10 minutes. You can also cornstarch-thickened knead it in a stationary mixer with a dough hook. glaze that’s flavored Let the dough rest for 15 minutes under a towel so it with ginger and will “relax” and be easier to roll out. Then cut the scallions. dough into four pieces and roll each quarter into a thick “snake” on a lightly floured surface. Cut each snake into 6 pieces to give you 24 small pieces of Thin pancakes are dough. Roll each piece into a smooth ball with your easy to roll if you let hands, pat the ball into a flat disk, and then use a the dough rest first. rolling pin to roll each disk into a 5-inch-diameter Shape the “relaxed” round about 1⁄16 inch thick (see photo at left). Use dough into balls and just enough flour on the pin and the counter to keep then pat each ball into the dough from sticking. a flat disk before Short cooking keeps them pliable—Cooking rolling out. the pancakes is really the only tricky part—if you cook them too long they’ll turn crispy and hard and you’ll end up with Mandarin nachos instead, but too need to make perfect-looking pieces because they’re short will give you floury-tasting pancakes. Experi- just there for flavor. Chop the green leaves off the ment first by cooking a couple to find the right scallions about 5 inches from the white end.