Peking Duck (Beijing Kaoya)
Local name: 北京烤鸭
In short: Whole duck air-dried, glazed with honey and vinegar and roasted until the skin crackles, served with pancakes, scallion and sweet bean sauce. It takes about 2 h 20 min in total and makes 6 servings.
- Prep
- 40 min
- Cook
- 1 h 40 min
- Resting
- 24 h
- Total
- 2 h 20 min
- Servings
- 6
- Difficulty
- Challenging
- Calories
- 690 kcal
Beijing kaoya is the capital's most famous dish. A whole duck is dried until the skin is taut, glazed, and roasted until the skin turns glassy and crisp while the meat stays juicy. It is carved into thin slices and eaten in small pancakes with scallion, cucumber and sweet bean sauce. Restaurants use special ovens, but a home oven and a day of air-drying in the fridge give very good results.
Instructions
- Trim excess fat and neck skin from the duck and pat it dry. Rub the salt inside the cavity and tuck in the ginger, scallions and star anise.
- Set the duck on a rack in the sink and slowly pour the boiling water over the skin, which will tighten. Pat it very dry with paper towels.
- Whisk the honey, vinegar, hot water and wine, then brush it all over the duck. Set the duck on a rack over a tray in the fridge, uncovered, for 24 hours (at least 12), until the skin feels dry and taut like parchment.
- Heat the oven to 200°C (400°F). Put the duck breast side up on a rack over a roasting tin with 250 ml (1 cup) of water in the tin. Roast for 30 minutes.
- Lower the oven to 180°C (350°F) and roast for 50 to 60 minutes more, until the skin is deep mahogany and crisp and the thigh reaches 74°C (165°F). Cover the wings with foil if they brown too fast.
- Rest the duck for 15 minutes. Meanwhile, steam the pancakes for 5 minutes until soft and warm.
- Carve off the skin with a layer of meat and slice thinly. Serve with the pancakes, scallion brushes, cucumber and sauce. To eat, spread sauce on a pancake, add duck, scallion and cucumber, and roll.
Tips
- A fan or the fridge's cold, dry air does the drying. If the skin is not dry and papery at the end, the duck will not crisp, so do not rush this step.
- Save the rendered duck fat from the tray. It is excellent for roasting potatoes or stir-frying greens, and keeps for a month in the fridge.
Questions and answers
Do I have to air-dry the duck for 24 hours?
A full day gives the crispest skin. If you are short on time, 12 hours in the fridge, uncovered, is the minimum, and a hair dryer on cool setting for 10 minutes helps.
Can I make Peking duck with duck breasts?
A similar effect is possible with duck breast, but you would score the skin, roast it hot and slice thinly. It will not have the same fully crisp, thin skin as the whole bird.
What do I do with the leftover duck?
Use the carcass for stock, fry the leftover meat in fried rice, or serve it in noodle soup. The fat can be saved for cooking.
How long does it take to make Peking Duck (Beijing Kaoya)?
About 2 h 20 min in total: 40 min of preparation and 1 h 40 min of cooking.
How many calories are in Peking Duck (Beijing Kaoya)?
About 690 kcal per serving, with 38 g of protein, 50 g of carbohydrates and 38 g of fat. These values are estimates.
Nutrition per serving
| Calories | 690 kcal |
|---|---|
| Protein | 38 g |
| Carbohydrates | 50 g |
| Fat | 38 g |
| Fiber | 3 g |
| Sugar | 12 g |
| Sodium | 1000 mg |
Estimated values, calculated from the ingredients.
