Beijing Chinese · Dinner
Peking duck pancakes
A whole maltose-glazed duck air-dried overnight and roasted until its lacquered skin shatters, carved into thin slices for handmade Mandarin pancakes.
Equipment
- Bake directly on a rimmed pan and turn once; the underside will be less evenly crisp.
Ingredients
1× recipe · Makes 6 servings
- 1 air-chilled whole Pekin duck, 5 to 6 pounds, giblets removed
- 2 teaspoons kosher salt
- 2 tablespoons maltose or honey
- 2 tablespoons Chinese black vinegar
- 1 tablespoon light soy sauce
- 8 cups boiling water
- 2 cups all-purpose flour
- 3/4 cup boiling water
- 2 teaspoons toasted sesame oil
- 1/2 cup tianmianjiang sweet wheat paste or hoisin sauce
- 1 English cucumber, cut into 3-inch matchsticks
- 8 scallions, cut into 3-inch fine slivers
Instructions
Set duck on a rack in a clean sink. Trim excess cavity fat, prick only the fatty tail and thigh skin without piercing meat, and season the cavity with salt. Stir maltose, vinegar, and soy until smooth.
Slowly ladle boiling water over every part of the skin until it tightens. Pat completely dry, brush with the maltose glaze, set breast-side up on a , and refrigerate uncovered 24 hours with clear space around the bird.
For pancakes, stir flour and 3/4 cup boiling water into a shaggy dough, cool, knead smooth, cover, and rest 30 minutes. Roll into a rope, cut 24 pieces, flatten, brush half with sesame oil, and sandwich with the remaining discs. Roll each pair paper-thin.
Cook each pancake pair in a dry skillet over medium until pale blisters form, about 45 seconds per side. While warm, peel into two pancakes and keep covered in a towel; steam 3 minutes just before serving.
Heat oven to 300°F. Roast duck breast-side up on its rack until much of the fat renders, 70 to 90 minutes, draining the pan carefully once. Raise heat to 450°F and roast until the skin is deep mahogany and crisp and the thickest breast reaches 165°F, 15 to 25 minutes; shield any dark spots with foil.
Rest duck uncovered 15 minutes. Remove broad pieces of crisp skin first, then carve thin slices of meat with skin attached. Serve immediately with warm pancakes, sweet wheat paste, cucumber, and scallion.
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