Peking duck is a classic of Chinese cuisine. According to an Eastern proverb, you have not been to Beijing unless you have seen the Great Wall of China and tasted Peking duck. It is difficult to cook an unusual dish following all the traditions, but there are adapted recipes that are quite feasible at home.

How to choose duck meat

When choosing a duck, it is important to remember that the meat of any bird is assessed not only according to individual criteria, but also in accordance with general rules. Fresh poultry always has an evenly colored skin, and no feather residues should be present on it. If there is even the slightest suspicion of stale duck, then it is better to spend time looking for a quality product.

What kind of duck you can buy:

• the skin must be free of any damage, including bruising, bruising, dents or tears;
• the color of the skin and meat of the duck should be uniform (there should be no sharp contrasts in any case);
• duck meat, regardless of whether poultry is sold whole or cut, should always be slightly moist and sufficiently elastic;
• the elasticity of the duck is determined by simply pressing a finger (fresh meat should not deform);
• muscle tissue has a slightly reddish tint (this is a sign of the freshness of the duck);
• if the duck is bought whole, then special attention should be paid to the beak (it must be shiny and clean);
• the webbing on the paws of a whole duck should not be damaged or appear dry;
• the skin should not be sticky;
• the carcass should be moderately well-fed;
• the young duck has yellow legs and transparent fat;
• the duck's toes should be easy to move apart (the membranes should be intact);
• if the beak is flexible, and when pressed, its slight softness is felt, then such a bird is young (its meat will be the most tender and juicy).

Peking duck at home

Classic Peking Duck Recipe

It will take:

• duck carcass weighing 2-2.5 kg;
• 4 tbsp. l. honey;
• salt to taste;
• 1 tbsp. l. sesame oil;
• 2 tbsp. l. soy sauce.

1. Take a duck carcass, gut it, and wash and dry it. For this dish, you should choose a young duck, it will turn out to be juicier and tastier.
2. Rub the bird with salt and leave overnight. During this time, it should be well salted. The direct preparation of the dish should be started only the next day.
3. Prepare a hot bath for the duck. Pour boiling water into a large saucepan or bucket and dip the bird into it several times. You can just pour it well from the teapot. The bird's skin should turn white. Dry the duck.
4. Take a syringe with a thick needle and, piercing the skin of the duck, inject air under it, separating the skin from the meat. In this case, the skin does not need to be removed! The syringe in this case acts as a kind of compressor. Spread honey generously on the bird and let sit for one hour.
5. Prepare the duck pickle sauce. To do this, mix 1 tbsp. l. honey and sesame oil. Vegetable oil can be used instead of the latter. Add soy sauce and stir everything. Coat the poultry carcass with the resulting mixture, not only from the outside, but also from the inside. This must be done every half hour for four hours. Therefore, you will have to coat the duck eight to nine times.
6. Preheat oven to 250 degrees. Build a structure in it: pour water into a baking sheet (about 2 cm), place a grate on top, on which the duck should be laid. The grill should be greased with oil beforehand so that the bird does not burn.
7. Roast the dish for 40 minutes, then lower the temperature to 160 degrees and leave the bird in the oven for another hour. After that, the duck must be turned over and baked for at least 30 minutes. The bird should acquire a delicious golden crisp.
8. The serving of the dish deserves special attention. Chinese chefs cut 108 small thin slices from one duck. This dish is served in different ways. So, the meat can be wrapped in the thinnest pancakes, which can be replaced by thin pita bread. First, it must be coated with hoisin sauce.
9. Then place two to three pieces of duck, leek and slices of thinly sliced ​​cucumber. This whole structure must be carefully wrapped in a tube. Peking duck can also be eaten with rice pancakes.

Peking duck with hoisin sauce

Compound:

• duck - 2-2.5 kg;
• honey - 80 ml;
• soy sauce - 100 ml;
• sesame oil - 40 ml;
• garlic powder - 5 g;
• wine vinegar (6%) - 5 ml;
• ground chili - 5 g;
• seasoning of 5 Chinese spices (dill, star anise, cinnamon, cloves, Ural licorice) - 5 g.

Cooking method:

1. Wash the poultry carcass, dry it, rub it with salt and put it in the refrigerator overnight.
2. Pour boiling water over the duck in the morning.
3. Pat dry with a kitchen towel.
4. With an ordinary syringe (medical), pierce the duck skin in several places and press air under it.
5. Melt 3 tablespoons of honey and spread over the duck on all sides.
6. Refrigerate for a few hours. She should lie like this for at least an hour, and preferably 2-3 hours.
7. Combine a tablespoon of melted honey with the same amount of sesame oil and two tablespoons of dark soy sauce.
8. Brush the duck with this mixture and return to the refrigerator. Do not pour out the remaining marinade: they need to coat the carcass every half hour until it runs out.
9. Preheat oven to 240 degrees. Place a baking sheet filled with water in it. Place an oiled grate on top. Place the duck on it.
10. After 40 minutes, lower the temperature to 160 degrees.
11. After half an hour, turn the carcass over and continue cooking for another hour.
12. Combine a mixture of Chinese spices with garlic powder, hot pepper, stir.
13. Mix the spices with a tablespoon of sesame oil and three tablespoons of soy sauce. Stir thoroughly so that the hoisin sauce acquires a uniform consistency.

Serve Peking Duck with Homemade Hoisin Sauce. To complement the dish, following tradition, it would be nice to have pancakes with green onions and fresh cucumbers, cut into strips.

Peking duck in the oven: recipe with oranges

Adapted simple recipe for home cooking - Peking duck with orange, the ingredients of a simple recipe include orange juice, orange peel, honey, duck itself, ginger and cognac.

Ingredients

• whole duck carcass - 1.5-2 kg;
• honey - 2-3 tablespoons;
• soy sauce - 3 tablespoons;
• zest of one orange;
• cognac - 2 tablespoons;
• orange juice - 1 tbsp;
• ground ginger - 0.5 tsp;
• ground black pepper - 1 tsp;
• salt.

Step-by-step cooking recipe

1. We thoroughly wash the prepared duck, get rid of water with the help of paper towels, cut off the extreme phalanges of the wings.
2. Thoroughly coat with salt outside and inside, before that, water it abundantly and rub it with cognac.
3. We move our duck into a suitable container and put it in the refrigerator overnight.
4. Then we take it out, coat it with a mixture of honey and orange peel and put it back in a cool place for 3-4 hours.
5. We pack the duck in foil (2 layers), put on a baking sheet.
6. Cook in an oven preheated to 200 C, about 1.30 - 1.50. (we drain excess fat during frying into a separate container).
7. Combine orange juice, ginger, pepper, soy sauce in a cup and add a little melted duck fat (2-3 tablespoons). Mix everything or whisk in a blender.
8. We take out the duck, remove the foil (we cover only the edges of the legs and wings with it so as not to burn), pour the whole duck with the prepared marinade, including the abdomen, and again in the oven for 40 minutes at a temperature of 220-240 ° C, until it is browned.
9. We check the readiness as follows: we stick a sharp knife into the meaty place (for example, in the thigh), if the juice flows out transparent without blood, then the bird is ready.
10. We cut the finished Peking duck into slices and serve on a platter with savory pancakes made from rice or wheat flour, thin Armenian lavash.

Separately, to the ready-made Peking duck, cut into pieces, serve a bowl with a sweet sauce (for example, a mixture of soy and honey), fresh cucumbers, cut into strips, and onions.

Before eating Peking duck, slices of duck meat with skin, cucumbers and onions are placed in thin pancakes or thin pita bread, greased with sauce, and then rolled.

Peking duck recipe in a slow cooker

Ingredients:

• duck - 1 pc.

For the marinade:

• filtered water - 2 l;
• ginger root - 1 slice;
• soy sauce - 60 ml;
• rice vinegar - 60 ml;
• seasoning "5 spices" - 1 tbsp. spoon;
• honey - 3 tbsp. spoons;
• star anise - 2 pcs.;
• coarse salt - a pinch.

How to cook duck

So, we take a fresh gutted duck, rinse thoroughly, dry it, trim off excess fat. We spread the carcass on a wire rack with a tray, move on to the marinade. Pour water into a saucepan, throw in ginger, chopped into slices, seasoning, star anise, put honey, pour in rice vinegar, soy sauce. Bring the mixture to a boil, boil for a few minutes. Scald the duck on all sides with hot marinade. We put a bottle filled with water in a large saucepan, put a bird on it. We put this structure in the refrigerator, leave it for a day. After that, put it breast-side up in a slow cooker, bake until tender, choosing the "Baking" program. Cut the finished duck into slices, serve with sweet and sour Chinese sauce and flat cakes.

Peking Duck Rice Pancakes

Ingredients

• 500 g rice flour
• 2 eggs,
• 2 tbsp. l. vegetable oil,
• 500 ml of water,
• 1 tsp Sahara,
• 1 tsp salt

Preparation

Mix rice flour with eggs and warm water (20-30 ° C), salt and add sugar. Mix. Add oil, stir until smooth. Fry pancakes in a dry frying pan for 1 minute on each side. Do not fry until golden brown - the pancakes should be white.

How to eat Peking duck

Nobody forbids you to eat duck just like that - without sauces, pancakes, vegetables and seasonings. But, according to the Chinese, it is possible to fully appreciate the dignity of the dish, provided that the pancake is wrapped and eaten according to all the rules.

First you need to take one pancake, put it on a plate. Then - a few pieces of duck, which are dipped in the sauce and placed in the center of the pancake. And without a crust, which is previously removed and placed on the edges of the plate. A few strips of onion and cucumber are placed on top of the meat, seasonings as desired. And cover with a crust. It shouldn't get wet in the sauce, otherwise it won't crunch!

The Chinese wrap pancakes with chopsticks; foreigners are allowed to do it with their hands. The pancake is folded like an envelope or a parcel, after which it is "sealed" - pressed down from above. And they eat! A special chic is to prepare the filling for the pancake, wrap it up and hold it against the mouth with chopsticks. But here, of course, training is needed. Delicious - you will not say anything!

Drinks with which it is customary to wash down Peking duck are white duck broth, tea, beer, Chinese vodka or red rice wine. Intoxicating drinks can accompany toast.

History of the dish

The history of this dish goes back many centuries, and the very first cookbooks tell how to cook Peking duck. Back in the Yuan Dynasty in 1330 AD, a famous nutritionist and personal physician to the emperor named Hu Sihui first published the Peking duck recipe in his famous work Essential Nutritional Principles, which can be considered the first book on healthy food, the basis of modern dietetics. ... This dish became a dish that was traditionally served on the table for the highest aristocracy of China, and the chefs of each subsequent dynasty of Chinese emperors complicated the recipe for Peking duck, and the dish was overgrown with legends and improved to reach our time in a complex and original form.

The Chinese emperors had a lot of interesting, delicious dishes on the table that could surprise even the most discerning gourmets with their luxury and exoticism today, but it was Peking duck that became a favorite dish at the imperial court. It was this dish that, over several centuries of its existence, became the cause of wars and was overgrown with legends, medicinal, even magical properties were attributed to it. And the Chinese empress Tszi-Xi believed that Peking duck has anti-aging properties and regularly made masks from this dish in order to preserve its youth and beauty.

China is an amazing country rich in traditional gourmet recipes. You don't have to go to China to taste delicious and tender Peking duck. After all, you can cook it without leaving home with your own hands. The recipe for the dish is complex, but if you follow all the rules of preparation, then the duck will turn out to be unusually tasty, tender, with hints of piquancy. The Chinese have been preparing duck meat since ancient times, and during this time the recipes have changed only for the better. If you do not know how to cook Peking ruddy duck, we have prepared several recipes with a photo.

Classic Peking Duck Recipe

The secret of the most delicate and delicious duck meat is its correct preparation. This classic version of the Peking duck recipe does not require special skills, but a beginner in kitchen home art will have to try, since it is not easy to cook Peking duck in an ordinary kitchen.

For the recipe you will need:

• fresh duck carcass (at least 2 kg);
• 20 grams of natural honey;
• soy sauce;
• 1 teaspoon rice vinegar;
• five spices 2 tsp;
• a pinch of salt;
• 10 grams of starch (corn is required);
• pepper;
• 6 liters of filtered water.

Important! If you haven't found the Five Spices seasoning on the store shelves, you can easily make it yourself. To do this, you need to take in the same amount - star anise, cloves, fennel, cinnamon, pepper. Mix all seasonings. This seasoning can be stored in an airtight container.

Now it's time to make the sauce. The recipe is simple and easy. We mix natural honey, spices, rice vinegar, soy sauce, pepper.

The duck must be defrosted, washed and dried in advance. If necessary, pluck the carcass, remove the tips of the wings, the rump. First, the duck meat is thoroughly coated with sauce. Then the cornstarch is mixed with coarse salt. Sprinkle this mass on the duck, rubbing it into the skin. The carcass is placed in a glass, and then put away in a cool place for 24 hours so that the duck absorbs the sauce and starch. This will result in a nice crispy crust.

The next step is to heat 6 liters of water and scald the duck. It is put on a spit or laid out on a baking sheet after the liquid has drained. Peking duck is cooked in a preheated oven at 220 degrees for 80 minutes. It will be great if there are two heatings in the oven. This will ensure good baking. Then we lower the temperature a little to 180 degrees and the duck is baked for another half hour.

Before serving, the duck should lie for about 10 minutes. It goes well with boiled rice and sauces, which can be seen in the photo.

Important! If the skin starts to burn in the oven, cover the carcass with a layer of foil on top.

Peking duck marinade

What a duck without a surprisingly tasty and refined marinade. To prepare it, you do not need to have special knowledge of the culinary art. A simple recipe is used for dressing - soy sauce and spices: ground peppers, fennel, ginger, cinnamon, star anise, cloves. If you dream up, you can use different spices, the main thing is not to overdo it and not spoil the taste of the dish.

Cooking options

Peking duck is one of the traditional Chinese meat dishes that amaze with their divine taste. This is not just a cooked bird with a crispy crust, but a real culinary masterpiece.

Important! For the dish to be juicy and tender, the meat must be chosen correctly. It should be fresh, not frozen, not old, this is the only way to feel its value and taste.

In addition to the classic recipe for cooking Peking duck, there are many variations of the dish, you will learn about some of them in our article and from photographs.

Peking duck with apples

This duck cooking option is perfect for the summer holidays when fresh apples are in season. The dish is an excellent option for the New Year holidays, it will become the highlight of the table, and will delight relatives with its sophistication. The recipe for duck with apples must be in the piggy bank of every housewife.

Recipe Ingredients:

• duck carcass weighing 2-2.5 kg.;
• 6 green sour apples (it is better to take apples of a new harvest);
• 1 tbsp orange juice (ready-made store juices will only spoil the taste);
• half a glass of soy sauce;
• five spices.

Fresh carcass should be well washed under running water and dried with paper towels. It is imperative to remove excess fat. Soy sauce is mixed with spices, salt and duck is rubbed with this mass. Then the carcass is removed to marinate. After 8 hours, the duck is smeared with orange juice and let it rest for another 2 hours. It is better if the juice is with pulp.

While the meat is marinated, the apples are cooked. They need to be washed well, peeled from the core and cut into large slices.

The poultry is baked for no more than one hour in an oven heated to 200 degrees. To make the crust crispy, then do not pour out the fat that will drain, but periodically water the carcass with it. Decorate the finished duck carcass with apples, some of which can be placed inside the carcass. The baking sheet with meat is again removed into the oven and baked for another 60 minutes at a temperature of no more than 160 degrees.

The photo shows what a wonderful dish it turns out.

In orange glaze

If you add a hint of orange to the recipe, the dish will sparkle with new colors and become even more piquant. For lovers of fine cuisine, you can add a little good cognac.

It is necessary to take fresh two-kilogram duck and grease it well with coarse salt and cognac. Leave the meat in a cool place for 15 hours to soak. Then take a large orange and grate its zest, which is then mixed with two tablespoons of natural honey. Meat is coated with this mixture and again removed to a cool place for 3.5 hours.

When the duck is well saturated with marinade, the oven heats up to no more than 200 degrees. The poultry is wrapped in foil and baked for 50-60 minutes. You need to make a marinade - mix a glass of orange juice with 3 tbsp. spoons of soy sauce. We take out the duck, remove the foil, grease it well with marinade and put it in the oven. After 30 minutes, the poultry is greased again and baked for another 35 minutes.

Now you know how to cook Peking duck and you can try it yourself using this recipe.

Baked with honey and ginger

Peking duck is not only an original restaurant dish, but also an ordinary festive table. You can cook a real duck at home, if you use your imagination and good mood.

Products for the recipe:

• duck carcass;
• sea ​​salt;
• 100 ml fortified white wine;
• 4 tablespoons of natural honey;
• ginger;
• a mixture of peppers;
• sesame oil 3 tsp;
• 2 tbsp. spoons of soy sauce.

Before you start making a Peking Duck recipe at home, you need to prepare it. For this, the tail is removed so that there is no specific aroma during the cooking process. It is also better to cut off the tips of the wings. Check for giblets, as the inside must be clean. Then the carcass is washed with water and dried.

When the duck carcass is prepared, you can grate it with a mixture (salt and wine). The carcass is removed in the cold for 18 hours. Then the bird needs to be greased with natural honey and removed again for half a day so that it is saturated.

Advice! Many different foods are stored in the refrigerator, so to prevent duck meat from absorbing foreign odors, you need to wrap it with cling film.

When the duck is well saturated, we wrap it in foil and send it to a preheated oven to 190 degrees. If there is no steam cooking mode in the oven, then in this case, pour water into the baking sheet and remove it from the bottom of the oven. After 90 minutes, we take it out and grease it with a special marinade. It is not difficult to make it: you need to mix ginger, pepper, sesame oil, soy sauce. After that, send the carcass back to the oven, but without foil. It is baked for another half an hour. Then we take it out again and grease it with sauce - honey and soy sauce. Every 10 minutes, the meat is smeared with sauce. Cooking for another 45 minutes. If there is a grill mode in the oven, then 20 minutes before it is fully cooked, you can turn it on.

Cooking Peking duck according to the classic Chinese recipe at home is quite difficult. This will require not only knowledge of special secrets, but also a lot of specific ingredients and kitchen tools. For example, such as a compressor for separating the skin from meat, a special press that squeezes juice for broth from a duck skeleton or a wood-burning oven in which poultry is fried.

There are several ways to cook real Peking duck. In the first case, it is hung over a fire, for which the branches of fruit trees are used. In this case, the bird is obtained with a beautiful shiny reddish crust, tender meat and a pleasant fruity aroma. In the second case, it is fried in a closed oven. At first under a lot of fire, then it is gradually reduced. This makes the skin especially tasty and crispy, and the meat appetizing. There was another cooking method, which is now practically not used - the duck carcass was pierced with a large fork and fried, holding over the fire.

There is no special need to cook Peking duck using restaurant technology, because and baked at home, flavored with spices, honey and sauce, it turns out very, very tasty. It is served with pancakes, various sauces, including Hoisin, fresh cucumber, green onion feathers.

Peking duck - the best recipes

Recipe 1: Peking Duck with Pancakes

If it is difficult to cook duck according to the classic recipe, at least you want to serve it according to all the rules. Therefore, in addition to the meat, we will bake pancakes and cut a cucumber. The process of making Peking duck is not quick, but the result makes up for it.

Ingredients: duck - 2-2.5kg, 4 tbsp. lies. honey (liquid), 100 ml of dry red wine, 5 tablespoons. soy sauce, 1 table of lodges. vegetable oil, ground ginger and black pepper, salt. Pancake dough: 2 eggs, an incomplete glass of water and milk, 1.5 cups. flour, a bunch of green onions, 2 tablespoons. vegetable oil. To decorate the dish: 2 fresh cucumbers, soy sauce.

Cooking method

Duck preparation. The gutted carcass must be doused with boiling water from all sides. Ideally, the bird is hung on a hook and poured with boiling water, but at home it is difficult to find a hook in the kitchen, so you can put the carcass in the sink. Dry with a napkin and rub with salt. Then the duck is put on a jar or glass and sent to the refrigerator for twelve hours. Juice will drain from it, so a wide dish or plate should be substituted under the glass.

Cooking. Seal the duck in foil and place on the wire rack. A baking sheet should be placed under the wire rack, onto which a glass of water should be poured. Transfer the entire structure to the oven and bake for one hour (190-200C).

For the sauce, combine butter, ginger, pepper and 4 tbsp. spoons of soy sauce.

Remove the duck from the oven, remove the foil, and grease with the prepared sauce. Cover the poultry legs and feet with foil and send them to the oven for another half hour, raising the temperature to 250C.

Prepare another sauce. Mix honey and 1 spoonful of soy sauce. After removing the duck from the oven, coat the whole carcass with it. The bird is ready.

Bake pancakes. They can be cooked in advance while the duck is tanning in the oven. Combine all ingredients for the dough, including vegetable oil, add chopped green onions and bake thin pancakes.

Everything is ready, it remains only to arrange the serving of the dish. Peel the cucumbers, cut into long cubes and place on a plate. Pour soy sauce into a bowl. Place a plate of pancakes next to it. Cut off small pieces of meat from the duck, be sure to capture part of the skin. Chinese chefs cut more than a hundred pieces from one duck. It is not necessary to strive for this, the main thing is to get beautiful, thin slices.

They eat the dish like this: grease the pancake with sauce, put meat, cucumber on it and wrap the filling.

Recipe 2: Peking Duck in Orange Sauce

The meat of a real Peking duck should have a sweetish taste, so it is not rubbed with garlic and hot peppers. When serving, the meat slices are wrapped in a pancake, but in the modern version, you can use pita bread.

Ingredients: duck carcass in 2 kg, 3 tablespoons of boxes. soy sauce and honey, 2 tablespoons of brandy, a glass of orange juice, 1 orange peel, salt, pepper - 1 teaspoon, 0.5 teaspoons. ginger.

Cooking method

Rub the carcass with salt, inside too, and sprinkle with brandy. Place the duck in a saucepan and put in the cold overnight. Grease a rested bird with a mixture of honey and grated zest, let it rest for another three to four hours.

Then the duck is wrapped in foil, put on a baking sheet and baked for about an hour and a half (200C). Turn the carcass over during frying. If there is a lot of fat, it is collected in a glass or jar.

Prepare the sauce: Combine the juice, ginger, soy sauce, pepper and two tablespoons of duck fat. Free the duck from the foil, coat with sauce. Wrap the wings and legs back in foil, and bake for about forty minutes until browning at 220-240C. Cut the warm carcass into slices.

They decorate and serve a dish with pancakes (lavash), soy sauce, cucumber, green onions.

Recipe 3: Peking Duck

Cooked in this way, duck is obtained with a rich taste, close to the taste of a real Peking duck. This is facilitated by long-term marinating of poultry in a special sauce. Contains dark soy sauce and sesame oil.

Ingredients: duck carcass - 2-2.5 kg, table 3. lies. honey, salt. Pickling sauce: 1 table each. lies. sesame (vegetable) oil and honey, 2 tablespoons. lies. dark soy sauce. Hoisin sauce: 1 table. lies. sesame (vegetable) oil, 3 tablespoons. lies. soy dark sauce, 1 tsp. lies. wine vinegar, garlic powder and chili pepper, salt, seasoning to taste 5 spices (Chinese spices).

Cooking method

Rub the carcass with salt and leave to salt overnight.

The next day it is cooked, and this process begins with a hot duck bath. It must be dipped several times in a bucket of boiling water or well poured from a teapot. Dry. Take a syringe with a thick needle, and piercing the skin, inject air under it, separating the skin from the meat. The syringe in this case acts as a compressor. Then spread with honey and leave for an hour.

Prepare the pickling sauce. Mix soy sauce, butter, honey and coat the bird with this mixture every half hour for four hours, i.e. it turns out eight or nine times. And lubricate inside too. If there is not enough sauce, make more.

Preheat the oven (250C). Build a structure in it: pour water into a baking sheet, a couple of centimeters deep, install the grate on top, grease it with oil, put the duck on the grate. Fry for about forty minutes, then lower the temperature to 160C, and leave for another hour. Then turn the bird over and bake for another half hour.

If you can't buy real Hoisin sauce, you can make it at home by mixing the necessary ingredients. Cut the poultry and serve with hoisin, pancakes, cucumber, green onions.

In search of the wuxianmian seasoning, I walked around the market for a long time and tortured smiling Tajiks or Azerbaijanis (who can understand them?) For the presence of an important component of Peking duck. The good-natured guests of the city goggled in surprise, but after a moment, with a specific southern accent, they offered to purchase a mixture of five peppers. Of course, I tried to explain that I needed a bouquet of CHINESE spices, not ground peppercorns. But the sellers, who spoke Russian poorly, nodded happily and said that I was lucky! After all, their seasoning is made in CHINA. In the end, I didn't buy anything. But that's a completely different story (c).

Due to the complexity of preparation, it is almost impossible to bake duck meat in the same way as it is cooked in Beijing and other cities of China in a conventional oven. The carcass of a very well-fed, large bird was prepared for several days. With the help of special furs, the space between the skin and meat was filled with air. The abdominal cavity was pumped with water. Smeared with marinade and hung in the open air until the skin dries. The dish was baked in special ovens at a high temperature. Of course, it is difficult to achieve authentic taste, but you can try. I suggest you find out what a Peking duck is. The first recipe at home is step by step, with photos and tips, it is quite simple to execute. The second is a little more difficult, but more close to the classics. Take your pick!

Home baked Peking duck with honey and ginger

Ingredients:

Basic:

Sauce:

How to bake Peking-style duck (step by step recipe with photo):

Take a fatty, large carcass and prepare it for baking. Shorten a neck that is too long with a culinary hatchet. Cut off the “tail” in which the scent glands are concentrated. If not removed, the baked poultry will have a specific flavor. Pluck out tough feather stumps. Chop off the first phalanx of the wings as desired. Or wrap them with aluminum foil before placing them in the oven to prevent charring. If the duck is not gutted, remove the entrails. Wash the carcass well. Dip in slightly boiling water for 2-3 minutes or pour over boiling water over a sink. Pat dry with paper towels outside and inside. Add salt to the sherry (do not stir until dissolved). Rub the mixture over the skin and the inside of the duck. Place the bird on the wire rack. Place a baking sheet under them. Refrigerate for 12-18 hours.
Then brush the duck with honey or thick sugar syrup. Send again to a cold place for 8-12 hours. To prevent the bird from absorbing odors, carefully wrap it with cling film.
Preheat oven to 180-190 degrees. Switch on the steam cooking mode. For conventional ovens: Fill a baking sheet with clean water and place on the lower shelf in the oven. The liquid will gradually evaporate, providing the necessary conditions for roasting Peking duck. Wrap the pickled carcass in several layers of foil. Place breast side up on a wire rack. Cook for 80 to 90 minutes. Combine pepper and ginger powder. Pour in oil and 1 spoon (!) Of soy sauce. Stir. On a note: You can use fresh root instead of ground ginger. Peel a small piece (about 4-6 cm long). Rub it on a fine grater. Add to the rest of the sauce.
Take out the duck. Expand it. Turn off the steam (remove the pan with water). Brush the sauce over the bird. Place on metal grate (back facing down). Submit to bake again. Cooking time is 20-30 minutes. Be sure to place an empty heat-resistant container under the baking duck, where the melted fat will drain.
Mix honey (syrup) and remaining soy sauce until smooth. Get the duck out. Apply the mixture to the duck skin with a cooking brush. Send to the oven. Bake for 20-30 minutes. If there is a grill (top heating) mode, turn it on a quarter of an hour before cooking.
Cut the finished bird into portions. Serve in Beijing tradition with homemade thin onion pancakes, plum sauce, fresh herbs and vegetables. The duck baked according to this recipe turns out juicy on the inside and crispy on the outside, fragrant, spicy and tender. You can store the melted fat in a sealed container in the refrigerator and use it for culinary purposes.

Cooking an almost classic Peking duck (adapted from Chinese recipe)

Required products:

How to cook Peking duck meat (simple step-by-step instructions with a photo):

Wuxianmian Chinese seasoning consists of five types of spices. You can buy it ready-made or make it yourself at home. The classic version consists of cinnamon, cloves, fennel seeds, Sichuan pepper and star anise stars. The components are mixed in equal amounts (by weight). And they are crushed. Store the seasoning in a sealed bag.
Combine syrup with pepper, seasoning, vinegar (wine), soy sauce. Stir. The result is a not too thick, aromatic mixture. It is advisable to cook chilled duck, not frozen. But if you don't have to choose, defrost the carcass in the most gentle way - in the main section of the refrigerator. This will take about 12-18 hours. Wash in cold water. Dry the bird. Process - remove the tips of the wings, the remnants of the plumage, the rump.
Spread the viscous sauce on all sides of the duck.
Add salt to starch. Stir. Sprinkle on the duck and rub lightly into the skin. Place the carcass in a tall glass or small jar. This is necessary for the sauce to dry well everywhere. Refrigerate for 1-1.5 days.
This is how the skin will dry out after 36 hours of "rest". It is important not to cover the bird with anything, otherwise the marinade will not be crusted. Eliminate the simultaneous presence of products with strong odors in the refrigerator compartment with the duck. Fill a large saucepan with 5-6 liters of drinking water. Bring to a boil. Scald the duck. After draining the liquid, place it on a wire shelf or on a spit. Preheat the oven to 210-220 degrees. Turn on top and bottom heating (if present). Cook for about 75 minutes. If the skin starts to burn on top, cover it with a sheet of foil. Then lower the temperature to 150-160 degrees. Bake until tender (about half an hour).
Let the duck rest for at least 10-15 minutes before serving. Serve as a main course with rice and sour, sweet and sour sauces to garnish. The classic Chinese serving also includes thin Mandarin pancakes.

INGREDIENTS

1. Fatty young duck weighing at least 2 kg

2. Sherry - 1 tablespoon (white wine)

3. Honey (best liquid flower) - 4 tablespoons

4. Sesame oil - 1 tablespoon

5. Soy sauce (no additional flavors) - 5 tablespoons

6. Ginger powder or grated ginger root - 1 tablespoon

7. Ground black pepper - 1 tablespoon

BEIJING DUCK RECIPE

PREPARING DUCK BEFORE COOKING

1. First of all, the duck must be thoroughly rinsed under running water at room temperature.

2. With a sharp knife, go over the skin of the bird and remove excess hair. Cut off the upper wing phalanges.

3. Now you need to cut off excess fat from the carcass, which may interfere with the formation of a light crisp.

4. Wipe the duck and leave to dry.

MARINA. FOR A LONG TIME.

1. First you need to pour sherry (white fortified wine) over the duck wherever possible.

2. After 10-15 minutes, without wiping the carcass, place it with the booty on a round glass or bottle and rub thoroughly with coarse, but not iodized salt.

3. In an upright position, place the duck on a tray and periodically drain any liquid from the poultry into the tray over a period of 12 hours.

4. After 12 hours, without removing the duck from the glass, brush it with half of the prepared liquid honey. Place the carcass in a cool place for another 12 hours and go to bed.

PUT INTO THE OVEN

1. After 12 hours, the duck, which has already absorbed most of the honey, is put into the oven.

2. Preheat the oven to 190 degrees.

3. Place the duck, not in a baking dish, but directly on the wire shelf, breast-side up.

4. Cover the entire wire rack with foil (place the falcon on the breast).

5. Pour water into a baking sheet and place the wire shelf on the baking sheet.

6. Place the resulting structure in the oven and bake for 70 minutes.

PREPARING CRACKLINE

1. When the inside of the duck is roasted, you can proceed to the formation of a crispy crust, similar to icing.

2. We take out the bird from the oven.

3. Remove the foil, remove the bottom baking sheet.

4. Mix half of the soy sauce, ginger, sesame oil and black pepper in a deep bowl and brush the duck with this mixture with a brush.

5. Put the well-oiled carcass back into the oven (this time only on the wire rack, without foil and baking sheet) at the maximum temperature - about 250 degrees.

6. Watch closely for 25 minutes so that the duck does not burn.

7. While the duck is roasting, mix the remaining halves of honey and soy sauce. The browned duck should be coated on all sides with the resulting glaze. Try to keep the layer thick enough to make the bird look appetizing.

8. Turn on the grill setting and place the duck in the oven for another 10 minutes, until the crust is baked and golden brown.

9. Allow the bird to cool in the oven for another 10 minutes, then remove and cut into portions. Don't forget to serve nicely!

BON APPETIT!