Peking Duck
By America's Test KitchenPublished on August 22, 2007
Time
2¾ hours, plus 4 to 8 hours drying
Yield
Serves 4
Ingredients
Garlic Ginger Marinade
4 cloves garlic, peeled2 slices fresh ginger (½ inch in length), peeled1 tablespoon table salt 2 tablespoons granulated sugar 1 star anise (whole), or ½ teaspoon five-spice powder1 tablespoon ground bean paste 2 tablespoons rice wine or white winePeking Duck
4 - 5 pound duck (with or without head and legs)1 bunch fresh cilantro leaves, leaves and stems, (about 1 cup)2 scallions, roots trimmed½ cup distilled white vinegar ½ cup cornstarch ½ cup granulated sugar or honeyBefore You Begin
Traditional recipes call for a duck with both the head and the feet still attached. Whole birds are available at Asian butcher shops in most major cities. This recipe can also be prepared using a supermarket duck. To make two ducks, double the amount of marinade, cilantro, and scallions, but keep the ingredients for the wok bath the same.
Instructions
- Puree marinade ingredients in a blender or food processor until smooth; set aside.
- Wet a 6-inch piece of string and tie it tightly around the neck to stop the flow of air. If you have bought a duck without a head, gather excess fat around the neck and tie it tightly together as close as possible to the body.
- Pull out fat that lines the sides of the back cavity and discard. Pour marinade into open cavity and stuff bird with cilantro and scallions.
- Pierce the two flaps on either side of the back cavity with a 6-inch long wooden or metal skewer. Thread the skewer through the two flaps of skin several times to close the cavity. Tighten seal by tying an 18-inch piece of wet string under the skewer several times.
- Insert the needle of a basketball pump (or a thin straw) between the two flaps of skin and into the back cavity. Pump several times to lift the skin from the meat. Do not overinflate. As long as skin has visibly detached from meat it does not matter if the air slowly escapes from the duck.
- Fold up both ends of a metal hanger from the dry cleaners. Slide ends of hanger under the wings of the bird. Secure hanger by tying an 18-inch piece of wet string through the ends of the hanger and around the bird.
- Bring 1 gallon water and 1/2 cup vinegar to boil in a large wok or stockpot. Use hanger to hold duck above wok and ladle hot liquid over the surface of the duck until goose bumps are visible on the skin, 1 to 2 minutes. Do not let duck rest for long periods in the water or it will begin to cook. Set duck aside and discard all but 2 quarts of liquid from wok. Dissolve cornstarch in 1 cup cold water and whisk mixture into liquid in the wok. Whisk in sugar and stir until mixture is smooth. Use hanger to hold duck above wok and ladle hot paste over skin. Make sure that all parts of the duck are coated with the thick brown liquid.
- Hang duck away from the sunlight in a cool, dry place (either over a work sink or a covering of newspaper.) Place an electric fan set to high about 1 foot from the duck. Blow-dry, turning duck once, until skin between the leg and belly is translucent, 4 to 8 hours depending on the heat and humidity. (Duck can be dried overnight and then refrigerated during the day until cooking time.)
- Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Untie string that secures the hanger, discard string and hanger. Wrap head (if present), legs, and wings with aluminum foil to prevent them from burning.
- Roast duck for 1 hour. Remove foil and continue cooking until meat juices from leg run clear, 15 to 30 minutes more depending on size of duck.
- Remove and discard all strings and skewers. Remove head (if present) and use as a garnish for the meat platter, if desired. Detach legs and wings and carve meat from both. Slice skin and meat from the body and place all carvings on a large platter.
Time
2¾ hours, plus 4 to 8 hours dryingYield
Serves 4Ingredients
Garlic Ginger Marinade
4 cloves garlic, peeled
2 slices fresh ginger (½ inch in length), peeled
1 tablespoon table salt
2 tablespoons granulated sugar
1 star anise (whole), or ½ teaspoon five-spice powder
1 tablespoon ground bean paste
2 tablespoons rice wine or white wine
Peking Duck
4 - 5 pound duck (with or without head and legs)
1 bunch fresh cilantro leaves, leaves and stems, (about 1 cup)
2 scallions, roots trimmed
½ cup distilled white vinegar
½ cup cornstarch
½ cup granulated sugar or honey
Ingredients
Garlic Ginger Marinade
4 cloves garlic, peeled
2 slices fresh ginger (½ inch in length), peeled
1 tablespoon table salt
2 tablespoons granulated sugar
1 star anise (whole), or ½ teaspoon five-spice powder
1 tablespoon ground bean paste
2 tablespoons rice wine or white wine
Peking Duck
4 - 5 pound duck (with or without head and legs)
1 bunch fresh cilantro leaves, leaves and stems, (about 1 cup)
2 scallions, roots trimmed
½ cup distilled white vinegar
½ cup cornstarch
½ cup granulated sugar or honey
Ingredients
Garlic Ginger Marinade
4 cloves garlic, peeled
2 slices fresh ginger (½ inch in length), peeled
1 tablespoon table salt
2 tablespoons granulated sugar
1 star anise (whole), or ½ teaspoon five-spice powder
1 tablespoon ground bean paste
2 tablespoons rice wine or white wine
Peking Duck
4 - 5 pound duck (with or without head and legs)
1 bunch fresh cilantro leaves, leaves and stems, (about 1 cup)
2 scallions, roots trimmed
½ cup distilled white vinegar
½ cup cornstarch
½ cup granulated sugar or honey
Why This Recipe Works
The traditional Peking duck recipe takes time and intricate preparation. For our version of this Chinese recipe, we used an electric fan and a metal hanger to cut the drying time from three days to several hours. To get the skin as crisp as possible, we used a basketball pump or straw to pump air into the bird, which lifted the skin from the meat. To pull the fat right out of the bird, we filled a large wok or stockpot with boiling water and vinegar and then ladled the hot liquid over the duck's skin to open the pores, releasing the fat.
Before You Begin
Traditional recipes call for a duck with both the head and the feet still attached. Whole birds are available at Asian butcher shops in most major cities. This recipe can also be prepared using a supermarket duck. To make two ducks, double the amount of marinade, cilantro, and scallions, but keep the ingredients for the wok bath the same.
Instructions
- Puree marinade ingredients in a blender or food processor until smooth; set aside.
- Wet a 6-inch piece of string and tie it tightly around the neck to stop the flow of air. If you have bought a duck without a head, gather excess fat around the neck and tie it tightly together as close as possible to the body.
- Pull out fat that lines the sides of the back cavity and discard. Pour marinade into open cavity and stuff bird with cilantro and scallions.
- Pierce the two flaps on either side of the back cavity with a 6-inch long wooden or metal skewer. Thread the skewer through the two flaps of skin several times to close the cavity. Tighten seal by tying an 18-inch piece of wet string under the skewer several times.
- Insert the needle of a basketball pump (or a thin straw) between the two flaps of skin and into the back cavity. Pump several times to lift the skin from the meat. Do not overinflate. As long as skin has visibly detached from meat it does not matter if the air slowly escapes from the duck.
- Fold up both ends of a metal hanger from the dry cleaners. Slide ends of hanger under the wings of the bird. Secure hanger by tying an 18-inch piece of wet string through the ends of the hanger and around the bird.
- Bring 1 gallon water and 1/2 cup vinegar to boil in a large wok or stockpot. Use hanger to hold duck above wok and ladle hot liquid over the surface of the duck until goose bumps are visible on the skin, 1 to 2 minutes. Do not let duck rest for long periods in the water or it will begin to cook. Set duck aside and discard all but 2 quarts of liquid from wok. Dissolve cornstarch in 1 cup cold water and whisk mixture into liquid in the wok. Whisk in sugar and stir until mixture is smooth. Use hanger to hold duck above wok and ladle hot paste over skin. Make sure that all parts of the duck are coated with the thick brown liquid.
- Hang duck away from the sunlight in a cool, dry place (either over a work sink or a covering of newspaper.) Place an electric fan set to high about 1 foot from the duck. Blow-dry, turning duck once, until skin between the leg and belly is translucent, 4 to 8 hours depending on the heat and humidity. (Duck can be dried overnight and then refrigerated during the day until cooking time.)
- Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Untie string that secures the hanger, discard string and hanger. Wrap head (if present), legs, and wings with aluminum foil to prevent them from burning.
- Roast duck for 1 hour. Remove foil and continue cooking until meat juices from leg run clear, 15 to 30 minutes more depending on size of duck.
- Remove and discard all strings and skewers. Remove head (if present) and use as a garnish for the meat platter, if desired. Detach legs and wings and carve meat from both. Slice skin and meat from the body and place all carvings on a large platter.
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