Peking Duck
Real Peking duck takes two days, a hanging rack and a special oven, so here is the honest weeknight cousin: crisp-skinned duck breast, warm pancakes, spring onion, hoisin. Same joy, none of the poultry-drying-in-your-hallway situation.
- Total time
- 18 min
- Serves
- 2
- Effort
- Medium
What you need
Written for 2 — nudge the counter and the numbers follow.
0 of 8 in the basket.
How you make it
Pat the duck breasts very dry, score the skin in a diamond pattern without cutting into the meat, then rub the salt and sugar over the skin.
Lay the breasts skin down in a cold dry frying pan, set it over medium heat and render for 8 minutes, pouring off the fat twice, until the skin is deep amber and crisp.
Flip and cook 3 to 4 minutes on the meat side, until a thermometer reads 63C in the thickest part for pink duck, or 70C if you prefer it fully cooked.
Rest the duck on a board for 5 minutes while you steam the pancakes for 2 minutes and toss the cucumber and spring onion with the sesame oil.
Slice the rested duck thinly across the grain, spread each pancake with hoisin, and load with duck, cucumber and spring onion.
Read all that and thought “absolutely not”?
Completely fair. Peking Duck is sitting in the Chinese kitchen right now, it costs nothing, and it will never arrive.
Order it insteadMore from the Chinese kitchen
Wok breath you can taste from the doorway.