Beijing Roast Duck,also known as Peking duck,is a world-famous dish that originated in the imperial kitchens of China’s capital city centuries ago.
This succulent dish has become a symbol of Chinese cuisine and an icon of culinary excellence around the globe.
The preparation of Beijing Roast Duck is a highly specialized process that involves several steps over the course of several days.
Cooking the duck
The first step is to select a duck with a plump breast and a layer of fat beneath the skin,
which is then cleaned and seasoned with a mixture of spices like ginger, garlic, and star anise.
Next, the duck is hung up to dry for several hours,
during which time the skin is coated with a thin layer of maltose syrup or honey to create a crispy glaze.
The duck is then roasted in a special oven at high heat, rotating periodically to ensure even cooking and a crisp exterior.
Once the duck is fully cooked, it is carved into thin slices and served with thin pancakes, scallions, and hoisin sauce.
Diners typically assemble their own wraps by placing a slice of duck skin on a pancake,
adding a few pieces of scallion, and drizzling with hoisin sauce before rolling up and enjoying.
The flavor of Beijing Roast Duck is rich and savory,
with a combination of sweet and salty notes that complement the tender meat and crispy skin.
The dish is often paired with wine or tea, which help to balance the flavors and enhance the overall experience.
Beijing Roast Duck has gained widespread recognition around the world,
with restaurants and food stalls serving this iconic dish in countries from the United States to Japan to Australia.
It remains a cultural and gastronomic treasure of Beijing and a testament to the country’s culinary heritage and innovation.
Orignal
Beijing Roast Duck has been prepared since the Imperial era.
The meat is characterized by its thin,crispy skin, with authentic versions of the dish serving mostly the skin and little meat,
sliced in front of the diners by the cook.
Ducks bred especially for the dish are slaughtered after 65 days and seasoned before being roasted in a closed or hung oven.
The meat is often eaten with spring onion, cucumber and sweet bean sauce with pancakes rolled around the fillings.
Sometimes pickled radish is also inside.
Crispy aromatic duck is a similar dish to Peking duck and is popular in the United Kingdom.
Closed-oven style
Peking duck is traditionally roasted in a closed oven.
Bianyifang, a restaurant in Beijing, China, is famous for keeping this tradition.
The closed oven is built of brick and fitted with metal griddles.
The oven is preheated by burning Gaoliang sorghum straw at the base.
The duck is placed in the oven immediately after the fire burns out,
allowing the meat to be slowly cooked through the convection of heat within the oven.
Controlling the fuel and the temperature is the main skill.
In closed-oven style, duck meat is combined well with the fat under the skin,
and therefore is juicy and tender.
Open-oven style
The open oven was developed in the imperial kitchens during the Qing Dynasty
and adopted by the Quanjude restaurant chain.
It is designed to roast up to 20 ducks at the same time with an open fire fueled by hardwood from peach or pear trees.
The ducks are hung on hooks above the fire and roasted at a temperature of 270 °C (518 °F) for 30–40 minutes.
While the ducks are roasting, the chef may use a pole to dangle each duck closer to the fire for 30-second intervals.
In open-oven style, the fat is usually melted during the cooking process, so the skin is crispy.
Reheating
Whole Peking ducks can be ordered as takeaway.
The ducks can be reheated at home with an oven or stove.
When an oven is used, the duck is heated at a temperature of 150 °C (302 °F) for 20 minutes,
and then at 160 °C (320 °F) for another 10 minutes.
The stove method involves submerging the duck in boiling water before placing it on a griddle 70 cm (28 in) above the cooking fire.
The water is replaced every 3–4 minutes until the duck is piping hot.
To reheat the Peking duck with oil, the duck is sliced into thin pieces
and placed in a strainer held over a wok of hot oil. The duck is then rinsed several times with the oil.
Serving
A Quanjude chef slicing roasted Peking duck
An unprepared Peking duck with pancakes, spring onions and sweet bean sauce
Peking duck is traditionally carved in front of the guests and served in three stages.
First, slices of duck skin are served with sugar and sweet bean sauce as a dip.
Duck skin is best enjoyed hot and crisp to the bite.
The meat is then served with steamed pancakes and an assortment of vegetable dishes,
typically julienned cucumber and spring onion.
Traditionally, diners dip slices of duck into the condiments and wrap into the pancake with cucumber and any other ingredients.
The wrap is then eaten by hand or with chopsticks.
The carved duck – the remainder of the roast duck, with choice cuts removed – can be cooked in three ways.
The traditional way is in a broth with ingredients such as Chinese cabbage and soft tofu.
The carved duck can also be chopped and stir-fried in sweet bean sauce,or rapidly sautéed and served with salt and pepper.
Otherwise, the carved duck is packed to be taken home by the customers.
Notable restaurants
A number of restaurants in Beijing specialise in Peking duck.
Examples include Quanjude, Bianyifang, Changan Yihao, Dayali, Beijing Xiaowangfu and Dadong Kaoyadian.
Some restaurants, in particular Quanjude and Bianyifang,
have long histories of serving high quality duck that they are now household names,
or Lao zihao, literally “old brand name”.
In addition, Quanjude has received worldwide recognition, having been named a China Renowned Trademark in 1999.
Duck Chang’s Restaurant, established in 1975 in Virginia, United States,
was the first Chinese restaurant to prepare and serve Peking duck without a 24-hour advanced notice.
In 2018, the James Beard Foundation awarded Sun Wah BBQ in Chicago,Illinois,
with their America’s Classics award,
specifically citing Sun Wah’s three-course “Beijing Duck Feast” in their announcement of the award.
