How to make Peking Duck at home

the method? correct. the results? questionable.

Last month I was invited to a friend’s tech office to cook for the team and film some fun videos. Their request was Peking duck. Naturally, I decided to go big and make five of them. We ended up hanging the ducks on one of their camera stands, just like you might see in the window of a Chinatown shop.

This was my first time making Peking duck, so the results were not quite as planned. They came out looking more like classic hanging roast ducks than the lacquered, paper-thin-skinned Peking ducks of my dreams. Still, the process was a hoot and the flavor was worth the effort.

If you want to try your hand at making Peking duck at home, here is the full recipe. It’s adapted from a YouTube video by Kwokspots, which we watched in the car on the way to the Costco Business Center to pick up all these ducks.

Ingredients (for one 3.5 lb / 1.6 kg duck)

Duck

1 whole duck (about 3.5 pounds / 1.6 kg)

Seasoning paste

2 tsp five-spice powder

1 clove garlic, grated

1 tsp grated ginger

1 tsp white pepper

1½ tbsp sugar

1 tbsp salt

3 tbsp hoisin sauce

Maltose-vinegar mixture

2½ cups water

70 g Chinese red vinegar

100 g maltose

Method

1. Prep the duck
   Pat the duck dry inside and out with paper towels. Trim excess fat from the neck and cavity opening.

2. Season inside and out
   In a small bowl, mix all seasoning paste ingredients until smooth. Rub the paste generously inside the cavity of the duck. Close the cavity with a kitchen skewer or turkey pin to hold the seasoning in.

3. Separate the skin
   Carefully separate the duck skin from the meat all over. This can be done by gently working your fingers under the skin, or by inflating the space between skin and meat using a bike or tire pump for a more even result.

4. Tighten the skin
   Bring a kettle or large pot of water to a boil. Carefully and evenly pour the boiling water over the entire duck, allowing the skin to contract and tighten. Let excess water drip away.

5. Glaze
   In a small pot, combine the water, red vinegar, and maltose. Heat gently until the maltose dissolves. Place the duck on a rack over a tray and ladle the hot glaze evenly over the skin, letting the excess drip away.

6. Air-dry
   Hang the glazed duck in the fridge or mini fridge, uncovered, for at least 24 hours (48 hours for extra crisp skin) until the skin is completely dry.

   

   Lacking fridge space to hang all 5 ducks, we settled for fan-drying for an hour and then sticking them uncovered in the fridge overnight.

7. Roast
   Preheat the oven to 375°F (190°C). Place the duck breast side up on a roasting rack set over a pan. Roast for about 1 hour 20 minutes. For a deeper color, finish at 425°F (220°C) for the final 10 to 15 minutes.

8. Rest and serve
   Let the duck rest for 10 minutes before carving. Serve with steamed pancakes, sliced scallions, cucumber, and extra hoisin sauce, or enjoy simply with rice.