Peking Duck - # 3/20

By Nanyang Cuisine - email: nanyangcuisine@live.com

The art of "roasting ducks" evolved from techniques used to prepare sucking pigs.

For more than a century, specialized chefs have developed the idea that the skin of the duck should be so soft and crisp that it melts in the mouth. In applying the traditional method of preparation, the auxiliary ingredients and the type of wood burned in the oven. Special farms supply plump Beijing ducks weighing an average of 2.5 kilograms each. The fragrant sesame oil and refined sugar are also specially selected. Finally, only the wood of fruit trees such as date, peach and pear are used in the roasting process to give the meat its unique fragrance.

The duck is hung in the oven and roasted by flame burning from fruit-wood. It takes about 45 minutes for the duck to be done. The finished duck is characteristic with crispy skin, tender meat and the fragrance from the fruit-wood. It looks wonderful and appealing with a full figure, even claret color and the brightness and shine on the duck skin. It tastes pure and mellow with lotus leaf-shaped cake, scallion slices and sweet sauce jam, leaving a lasting and pleasant aftertaste.

Peking duck is always served in well-cut slices. The whole duck must be sliced into 120 pieces and every piece has to be perfect with the complete layers of the meat. Normally there are many dishes served with the duck, including a dish of fine-cut shallot bars, a dish of cucumber bars and finally a dish of paste-like soy of fermented wheat flour. Without these the dainty duck is surely in the shade.

Ingredients : Serves 5 ~ 6.

• 1 Duck
• 1 tablespoon light soya sauce
• 2 cup of hot water
• 3 tablespoons honey
• 4 slices ginger
• 20 spring onions
• 1 cucumber
• 1 packet of frozen small spring roll pastry
  

Sauce :

• 3 tablespoons hoisin sauce
• 2 tablespoons water
• 1 teaspoon sesame oil
• 1 teaspoon sugar
  

Method :

1. Marinate the duck inside and out with light soya sauce and refrigerate overnight, uncovered . the cold air will dry out the skin .


2. An hour before dinner , mix honey into hot water until it dissolves. Baste thr duck with the honey glaze , place ginger slices inside cavity and roast in a pre-heated 200 deg C oven for 1 hour until the skin is crisp.


3. While the duck is roasting , cut each spring onion into 10 cm-long stalks, discarding the green tops. Slice a cross at both ends and put stalks in iced water until edges curl .


4. Julienne the cucumber and discard the skin and seeds.


5. To make the sauce , put all the ingredients into a small saucepan and bring gently to a boil.


6. Thaw the spring roll pastry by leaving it out for about 15 minutes . Spread a thin layer of sauce on a piece of pastry , then a slice of crispy duck , a slice of cucumber and a stalk of spring onion . Roll and serve.