Peking Duck

Total Time: 1 hr 30 mins Preparation Time: 30 mins Cook Time: 1 hr

Ingredients

• Servings: 4
• 3 -4 lbs duck
• 1 teaspoon malt sugar
• 2 tablespoons soy sauce
• 1/2 cup plum sauce
• 1/2 cup sweet red bean paste or 1/2 cup hoisin sauce
• 10 scallions, trimmed and quartered lengthwise
• 1 small cucumber, peeled and cut lengthwise into thin strips about 2 inches long
• 2 cups flour
• 1 cup boiling water
• vegetable oil or sesame oil

Recipe

• 1 the *malt sugar called for in this recipe resembles honey.
• 2 this and the other oriental condiments are available in oriental food stores.
• 3 clean the duck and place in a basin.
• 4 boil a large kettle of water and pour it over the duck, dousing it thoroughly.
• 5 remove the bird immediately and dry it inside and out with a paper towel.
• 6 hang it by the neck overnight in an airy place.
• 7 dissolve the malt sugar in the soy sauce and rub the duck with this mixture.
• 8 when this coating has dried, place the duck on a wire rack in a roasting pan and put it in an oven, preheated to 375°f to roast for 1 hour.
• 9 do not baste the duck or open the oven door.
• 10 while the duck is roasting, make the pancakes.
• 11 put the flour in a bowl and gradually add the boiling water.
• 12 mix well with a wooden spoon, but do not knead the dough.
• 13 cover with a cloth and leave stand for 20 minutes.
• 14 form the dough into a long roll about 2 inches in diameter.
• 15 cut off 1/2 inch rounds from the roll.
• 16 roll the rounds into balls and flatten them into round cakes 1/4 inch thick.
• 17 when you have used up the dough, dust each cake with flour and roll it out into a paper thin pancake.
• 18 lightly brush a heavy skillet with oil, and cook the pancakes over low heat for 1 1/4 minutes on each side.
• 19 they are ready when parts of the pancakes start to curl and bubble slightly.
• 20 stack the cooked pancakes and cover with a damp cloth until required.
• 21 to serve the duck, first slice off the crisp skin in 1-2 inch squares and then slice off the meat.
• 22 place the skin and the meat on two separate warmed dishes and bring to the table.
• 23 the plum sauce, the bean paste, the scallions and the cucumber strips should all be laid out in separate small dishes.
• 24 spread a spoonful of sauce on each pancake, lay strips of cucumber and scallions down the center, add duck skin and meat, and roll up the pancake.
• 25 after the duck carcass has been stripped of its meat, it is usually boiled with a large amount of cabbage and traditionally served as a soup to end the meal.