Peking Duck
Whole duck dried, glazed with a honey-vinegar wash and roasted until the skin turns deep mahogany and shatteringly crisp, carved and rolled into thin pancakes with hoisin, cucumber and spring onion.
About this dish
Peking duck's roasting method traces back to imperial kitchens of the Ming dynasty, where the dish became refined enough to be served at court, and later spread beyond the palace through Beijing's restaurant culture. The whole point of the elaborate preparation — the boiling-water scald, the honey glaze, the uncovered overnight dry in a cold room or in front of a fan — is entirely aimed at the skin: separating it from the fat beneath so it roasts crisp rather than rubbery, since the skin, not the meat, is traditionally the part diners prize most.
- Lactose-free
- Not vegetarian because of Whole duck
- Contains gluten because of Mandarin pancakes, Hoisin sauce
Ingredients
- 2kgWhole duck
- 1 ½lWater
- 30mlRice vinegar
- 40gHoney
- 6gChinese five-spice powder
- 10gFine sea salt
- 16piecesMandarin pancakes
- 100gHoisin sauce
- 60gSpring onions
- 150gCucumber
Instructions
Pour boiling water over the duck's skin to tighten it, then pat dry and brush all over with a mixture of the vinegar and honey dissolved in a little warm water.
10 minTip: The scald and glaze are what create the shine and crispness — skip this step and the skin roasts pale and soft rather than the deep lacquered mahogany you're after.
Rub the five-spice powder and salt into the cavity, then hang or rest the duck uncovered in the fridge for at least 8 hours, ideally overnight.
5 minTip: This is not optional resting time — the dry, cold air pulls moisture out of the skin, and a wet skin will steam rather than crisp no matter how hot your oven runs.
Roast at 180°C for about 75 minutes, turning once halfway, until the skin is deep mahogany and crackling and the juices run clear.
75 minTip: Rest the duck 10 minutes before carving — cutting into it straight from the oven lets the crisp skin go soft under trapped steam.
Carve the skin and meat into thin slices, and let everyone build their own wraps: a warm pancake, a smear of hoisin, a few matchsticks of cucumber and spring onion, then the duck.
5 minTip: Warm the pancakes just before serving — a cold, stiff pancake tears the moment you try to roll it, and the whole point is a wrap you can fold shut without a struggle.