Pekin Duck is a delicious treat that is sometimes difficult to find and nearly impossible to make at home. Some say that you can't find the real thing outside of China, which may be partially true. The Chinese raise their ducklings for this very purpose and they tend to have more fat and attain crispier skin. Moreover, they are ordinarily roasted over an open flame in a traditional duck oven. What we lack in the quality and breed of duck, as well the style of oven, we must make up in spices and modified techniques. And what is more, traditional pekin duck involves many ingredients that are not suitable for my family's particular dietary restrictions (i.e., FODMAP). This makes for a challenge, but it is one that is highly rewarding.
Marinade
6 tablespoons hoisin sauce (
FODMAP Hoisin Sauce)
3 tablespoons sugar
1.5 tablespoons five spice powder (
FODMAP Five Spice)
1.5 tablespoons white pepper
1.5 tablespoons salt
3 tablespoons ginger powder
3 tablespoons garlic greens, minced
1.5 tablespoons ground mandarin orange peel. You may dry your own peels
and grind them in a coffee grinder
6 green onion, cut to 5-inch pieces (FODMAP – the green portion only)
4 slices fresh ginger, peeled
Additional Ingredients
1 5-6 pound Pekin duck (with head and feet intact if available)
10-15 whole star anise
1 slice of ginger
1 tablespoon licorice root (small handful)
Sev. large pieces of dried citrus peel
2 cups Chinese red vinegar
1 tablespoon lemon juice
1 container maltose (17.6 oz)
2 cups hot water
Day 1
1. Using an air compressor set to a moderate psi, pump air under the skin through a slit made in the duck's neck. The duck's skin should blow up like a balloon, stretching out and separating from the fat that lies underneath. It you are unable to find a duck with its head and neck still intact, you may still do this, but it will take a little more work getting air between the skin and the layer of fat. Make sure the air goes all the way down into the thighs, legs, and back. Likewise, if you do not have an air compressor, you may use a bicycle pump. Naturally, it will be more work, but not impossible. Eventually we will be letting the duck dry overnight in the refrigerator. Separating the skin from the fat will allow the skin to crisp during cooking.
2. Cut off the wings and the feet. Clean and rinse the duck's stomach cavity. Then mix together the hoisin sauce, sugar, five spice powder, white pepper, salt, and mandarin orange peel. Put the mixture into the duck, rubbing it into the sides of the cavity. Also place the aromatics, the green onions and slices of ginger, into the cavity. Then tightly sow up the cavity until none of the marinade can leak out. You may do this with a skewer. Start at the base of the cavity and slowly weave together the sides of the cavity.
3. Place the duck uncovered, belly side down, in the refrigerator on a wire rack for 24 hours. This will allow the duck to marinade and for the skin to dry out.
Day 2
1. Dissolve the maltose in the 2 cups of hot water. The maltose is very hard and sticky and therefore needs to be made into a more manageable form. Then add the vinegar, which will help dry out the skin, and the lemon juice. Set aside and cool to room temperature.
2. Meanwhile, using a large pot or large wok, boil 1-2 gallons of water. Add the licorice root, star anise, ginger, and dried citrus peel (this can be from any citrus, even the leftover mandarin peels). Boil for 15-20 minutes until the water changes color.
3. Using tongs or a hook to hold onto the duck, set it in the boiling aromatic water. This will both tighten up and flavor the duck's skin. Set the duck in the water, holding it with one hand and ladling the water over its back with the other hand. If your duck's neck and head have been removed, be careful not to allow liquid into the neck cavity. You are not trying to boil or cook the duck, so continually turn it while ladling the mixture over it. The aromatics will give the skin of the duck its characteristic flavor. Do this for about 2 minutes.
4. Over a large pan to catch the drippings, ladle the maltose mixture over the duck a little bit at a time until the entire duck has been coated and the entire mixture has been used. The maltose will give the duck's skin its characteristically sweet flavor and golden color.
5. Hang the duck in a cool space, or set in the refrigerator on a wire rack so that it is open to the air on all sides, for 5-24 hours. The skin should be dry, slightly darkened, and slightly rubbering or springy.
To Cook
1. Ideally, you will want to find a way to hang the duck from the upper rack. In a normal home oven, you can situate the rack above the uppermost position. This allows just enough room for a 5-6 pound duck. To minimize the clean-up, you may line the oven with foil, directing the drippings into a pan placed at the bottom.
2. Preheat the oven to 425 degrees. Cook for 15 minutes, then reduce to 350 degrees for 45 minutes. Turn off the heat and let rest for 15 minutes in the oven.
3. If the skin is not crispy enough, you may ladle hot oil over it.
Serving
1. The breast meat is the section of the duck that will be the most flavorful and the section most traditionally served. Slice the breasts into bite size pieces.
2. Remove the remaining meat and combine it with the crispy skin on the back of the duck. NOTE: depending on the size of the duck, the breasts and the legs may cook at different rates. In some cases, the hindquarters may have to be cook slightly longer.
3. Your duck may be served with cucumber, green onion, and a dollop of hoisin sauce wrapped up in a mandarin pancake or tortilla. Or, it could be eaten with rice and broccoli. Or, as it is sometimes enjoyed in China, it may be dipped skin-side down in sugar, causing the flavors to pop.
4. Enjoy!
