Peking Duck
Ingredients
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- 5 pounds duck – whole
- 2 tsp kosher salt
- 1 tsp Chinese five-spice powder
- 1/2 tsp white pepper
- 1 tsp granulated sugar (4.2g)
- 2 each scallion
- 2 inches ginger – sliced
- 8 cups water
- 1/2 cup maltose
- 2 tbsp rice vinegar
- 1 tbsp Shaoxing wine
- mandarin pancakes – warmed (for serving)
- sweet bean sauce (tianmianjiang) – for serving
- scallion – cut into thin matchsticks (for serving)
- 1 each cucumber – cut into thin matchsticks (for serving)
Instructions
- 1.
Unwrap the duck, remove any giblets, trim excess fat around the cavity, and pat the skin completely dry with paper towels. Tuck the wing tips behind the back.
- 2.
Separate the skin from the meat: if you have a small hand pump, gently insert its tip under the skin at the neck and pump to loosen the skin from the breast; otherwise, work your fingers carefully under the skin at the neck to create some separation without tearing.
- 3.
In a small bowl, mix the kosher salt, Chinese five-spice powder, white pepper, and granulated sugar. Rub the mixture thoroughly inside the cavity (use only a light pinch on the exterior so the glaze can adhere). Place the 2 scallions and the sliced ginger inside the cavity, then tie the legs loosely with kitchen twine.
- 4.
Set the duck, breast side up, on a wire rack over a sink. Bring the water to a rolling boil and slowly pour it all over the skin, turning to scald every surface; this tightens the skin. Pat the duck completely dry again.
- 5.
Make the glaze: in a small saucepan over low heat, warm the rice vinegar and Shaoxing wine. Add the maltose and stir constantly until fluid and syrupy, 3–5 minutes. Let cool 5 minutes until slightly thickened.
- 6.
Brush a thin, even coat of glaze over the entire duck, including the legs and under the wings. Reserve the remaining glaze.
- 7.
Air-dry the duck by hanging it in a cool, drafty place or by placing it on a rack set over a baking sheet in the refrigerator, uncovered, until the skin is dry and taut, 12–24 hours (24 hours preferred).
- 8.
Preheat the oven to 350°F with a rack in the lower-middle position. Line a roasting pan with foil and set a sturdy rack inside. Place the duck breast side up on the rack and brush a light second coat of glaze over the skin.
- 9.
Roast at 350°F for 50–60 minutes, rotating the pan halfway through, until some fat has rendered and the skin takes on color.
- 10.
Increase the oven temperature to 450°F. Brush a final light coat of glaze over the duck and roast 15–25 minutes more, until the skin is deep mahogany, blistered, and very crisp, and the thickest part of the breast registers 165°F; tent loosely with foil if darkening too fast.
- 11.
Rest the duck for 10 minutes. While it rests, warm the mandarin pancakes, set out the sweet bean sauce (tianmianjiang), and cut the serving scallion and cucumber into thin matchsticks.
- 12.
Carve by first removing large sheets of crisp skin, then slicing the meat across the grain. Serve immediately with pancakes, sweet bean sauce, scallion, and cucumber.
Peking Duck is famed for its lacquered, glassy-crisp skin and succulent, delicately seasoned meat. A gentle sweetness from the maltose glaze balances savory aromatics, while the skin shatters with each bite. At the table it’s often paired with thin pancakes, sweet bean sauce, and slivers of scallion and cucumber, letting diners build handheld rolls that are equal parts rich, sweet, and fresh.
Originating in the imperial kitchens of Beijing, the dish evolved over centuries into a citywide specialty celebrated for precision and ceremony. Classic houses perfected techniques like inflating the skin and air-drying before roasting to achieve unparalleled crispness. Today, Peking Duck remains a culinary icon of northern China, frequently associated with historic restaurants and a service that highlights skin first, then meat, honoring both texture and technique.