How to Make Peking Duck — The Authentic Beijing Imperial Recipe

Overview

This video details the authentic Beijing Imperial recipe for Peking duck, focusing on traditional techniques to achieve its signature crackling skin. It covers crucial steps like air-pump skin separation, a maltose glaze, a 24-36 hour drying hang, and a specific fruitwood-fired roast, culminating in a precise 108-120 slice carve.

Ingredients

• 1 young Pekin duck (about 4.5 pounds dressed)
• Kitchen twine
• 2 full kettles boiling water (212°F/100°C)
• 1 cup malt-sugar maltose syrup
• 1/2 cup water (for glaze)
• 1/4 cup clear white vinegar
• 2 cups flour (for pancakes)
• 3/4 cup boiling water (for pancakes)
• Sesame oil
• 4 scallions
• 1/2 long English cucumber
• Small bowl dark fragrant hoisin sauce or sweet bean paste tianmianjiang
• Fine white sugar
• Jasmine tea

Instructions

1. Insert a thin tube under the skin at the base of the neck and pump air gently between the skin and the breast muscle until the skin balloons away from the meat.
2. Tie the neck shut with kitchen twine to trap the air.
3. Pour two full kettles of boiling water (212°F/100°C) over the entire bird to tighten the pores.
4. In a small saucepan over low heat, whisk together 1 cup maltose syrup, 1/2 cup water, and 1/4 cup clear white vinegar until smooth.
5. Brush the entire bird with three full coats of the maltose glaze, allowing it to dry between coats.
6. Hang the duck by the neck in a cool, dry, well-ventilated room (a refrigerator with the door propped open works) for a minimum of 24 hours, ideally 36 hours, until the skin is completely dry and tight like parchment.
7. Preheat oven to 475°F (245°C).
8. Place the duck breast-up on a rack over a deep tray containing 2 cups of water inside the lowest rack of the oven. Do not stuff the duck.
9. Roast the duck for 45 minutes at 475°F (245°C).
10. Drop the oven temperature to 400°F (205°C) and roast for 30 more minutes.
11. Rest the duck for 10 minutes before slicing.
12. For Mandarin pancakes, combine 2 cups flour with 3/4 cup boiling water, knead for 5 minutes, and rest for 30 minutes.
13. Roll the pancake dough into thin 6-inch rounds, working two at a time, brushed with sesame oil between them.
14. Dry-fry the pancakes in a hot pan for 30 seconds per side, then peel them apart.
15. Slice 4 scallions into 3-inch julienned thin slivers and soak for 10 minutes in ice water for crispness.
16. Slice 1/2 long English cucumber into matching julienned slivers.
17. To assemble, hold one warm Mandarin pancake flat on your fingertips.
18. Use chopsticks to paint a 1-tablespoon stripe of hoisin or tianmianjiang down the center of the pancake.
19. Lay two scallion slivers and two cucumber slivers across the sauce.
20. Top with two slices of crisp duck skin and one slice of meat.
21. Fold the pancake bottom up to seal in the sauce, then fold the two sides over forming a small open-top wrap.
22. The classical first piece of crisp duck skin can be dipped in fine white sugar and eaten alone.
23. Serve the duck slices (108-120 pieces) arranged in two concentric circles on a warm porcelain plate.

In this video

• Peking duck originated in the imperial kitchens of the Yuan Dynasty around 1300 and was formalized as a court dish under the Ming Dynasty by 1530.
• The legendary restaurant Quanjude standardized the modern method of hung oven, fruitwood fire, and lacquer skin in 1864.
• The first step to achieve crackling skin is air-pump separation, gently ballooning the skin away from the breast muscle using a thin tube.
• Pouring two full kettles of 212°F (100°C) boiling water over the entire bird helps to tighten the pores after skin separation.
• The maltose glaze is prepared by whisking 1 cup maltose syrup, 1/2 cup water, and 1/4 cup clear white vinegar, then applying three coats to the duck.
• The single most important step is hanging the duck by the neck in a cool, dry, well-ventilated room for a minimum of 24 hours, or ideally 36 hours, until the skin is completely dry and tight like parchment.
• For a home oven, roast the duck breast-up on a rack over 2 cups of water at 475°F (245°C) for 45 minutes, then at 400°F (205°C) for 30 minutes, totaling 75 minutes of roast time.
• The classical Quanjude carve produces 108 to 120 paper-thin slices, with each piece being a perfect rectangle of crisp skin attached to a wafer of meat.
• Mandarin pancakes are made from 2 cups flour and 3/4 cup boiling water, kneaded, rested, rolled into thin 6-inch rounds, and dry-fried for 30 seconds per side.
• The classical first piece of crisp duck skin is dipped in fine white sugar and eaten alone to honor the skin.

Frequently asked questions

What is the origin of Peking duck?

Peking duck began in the imperial kitchens of the Yuan Dynasty around 1300 and was formalized as a court dish under the Ming Dynasty by 1530 when the capital moved to Beijing.

Why is air-pump skin separation important for Peking duck?

Air-pump separation ensures the skin renders its fat outward during roasting instead of steaming the meat, which is essential for creating the signature crackling, glass-thin amber skin.

How long should Peking duck be hung before roasting?

The duck should be hung in a cool, dry, well-ventilated room for a minimum of 24 hours, ideally 36 hours, until the skin becomes completely dry and tight like parchment.

What is the proper roasting temperature and time for Peking duck in a home oven?

Roast at 475°F (245°C) for 45 minutes, then drop the temperature to 400°F (205°C) for an additional 30 minutes, for a total of 75 minutes of roasting, followed by a 10-minute rest.

What are the traditional accompaniments for Peking duck?

Traditional accompaniments include fresh Mandarin pancakes, julienned scallion and cucumber slivers, and dark, fragrant hoisin sauce or sweet bean paste (tianmianjiang).