Easy Homemade Peking Duck

The most popular Chinese food - Peking Duck, is practically impossible or very difficult to reproduce at home. The whole duck is scalded, drained and then baked in a special oven. There are chefs who specialize only in this dish and you can imagine that each has their own secret. But what are we to do, the ordinary consumers who don't afford to eat the exemplary cooked Peking duck? Well, we adapt. We simply make it in house conditions and, I'm telling you, it won't be different from the classic Peking duck. Before editing the recipe, I insisted on tasting Peking Duck in a Chinese restaurant in Bucharest and I can honestly tell you that the one cooked at home seemed much better to me!

Meat slices are necessarily served with Chinese Peking Duck Pancakes, greased with Plum Sauce or Hoisin Sauce, with green onions and cucumbers. This is the classic way and we really liked it. I managed to impress my husband and the guests and lately it's one of the most impressive dishes.

Ingredients
Duck breast
1 kg
about 4 duck breasts (boneless halves)
Salt
2 tsp
preferably coarse salt
Chinese five spice powder
2 tsp
Water
500 ml
Ginger
40 g
cut into thin slices
Star anise
4 pieces
Oranges
2 pieces
the juice
Rice vinegar
400 ml
Honey
100 g
+ 1 more teaspoon
Sugar
5 tbsp
Sesame oil
1 tsp
Hoisin sauce
1 tsp
Cucumber
4 pieces
Green onions
4 pieces
only the green part
Step by step
Step 1

We prepare the marinade:

- In a saucepan, combine water with juice from the 2 oranges, vinegar, star anise and ginger slices.

Easy Homemade Peking Duck - Step 1
Step 2

- Add honey and sugar, mix well.

Easy Homemade Peking Duck - Step 2
Step 3

- Place the pan over heat and let boil for 10 minutes to infuse properly.

Easy Homemade Peking Duck - Step 3
Step 4

The duck breasts are cleaned and washed well. Prick the skin all over with a toothpick.

Easy Homemade Peking Duck - Step 4
Step 5

Sink the meat in the hot marinade and leave there for 3-5 minutes.

Because the skin has these small holes now, it will release some fat in the marinade, so it should.

Easy Homemade Peking Duck - Step 5
Step 6

Then remove and drain.

Easy Homemade Peking Duck - Step 6
Step 7

With a thin and very sharp knife, make some diamond-patterned slits on the skin. Be very careful not to cut the meat!

Easy Homemade Peking Duck - Step 7
Step 8

Season with salt on both sides.

Easy Homemade Peking Duck - Step 8
Step 9

Then sprinkle with Chinese 5 spice powder on the meat side, not on the skin.

Easy Homemade Peking Duck - Step 9
Step 10

Arrange the duck breasts on a kitchen grill and refrigerate for 10 to 12 hours.

Easy Homemade Peking Duck - Step 10
Step 11

After 10 hours, arrange the duck breasts, skin side down, in a cold pan, for the skin to release as much fat as possible.

Easy Homemade Peking Duck - Step 11
Step 12

Place over heat and brown on both sides.

Easy Homemade Peking Duck - Step 12
Step 13

While the meat is cooking, heat the oven to 200 C.

Move the browned breast pieces from the pan into an oven sheet.

Mix 1 teaspoon of honey + 1 teaspoon of sesame oil + 1 teaspoon of Hoisin sauce and brush the diamond-patterned side with this mixture.

Easy Homemade Peking Duck - Step 13
Step 14

Place in the hot oven for 10 minutes.

Easy Homemade Peking Duck - Step 14
Step 15

After this time, let the duck cool for 10-15 minutes.

Easy Homemade Peking Duck - Step 15
Step 16

Then slice into thin pieces and arrange nicely on a plate.

Easy Homemade Peking Duck - Step 16
Step 17

Because the Peking duck is served with Chinese Pancakes, which are a kind of specific flatbreads - you'll have to start making them 2-3 hours before frying the breasts. You have the recipe here!

When serving, each pancake is divided into 2 thinner ones and shared with the neighbors at the table :)

Easy Homemade Peking Duck - Step 17
Step 18

Grease the pancake with Hoisin Sauce or even better with Plum Sauce - you can find the recipe here.

Of course, don't forget to cut the cucumber into thin slices and the onion into larger pieces.

Easy Homemade Peking Duck - Step 18
Step 19

Put slices of meat on the pancake, have no mercy, at least 3-4 good pieces.

Easy Homemade Peking Duck - Step 19
Step 20

Finally add 1-2 slices of cucumber and also green onions.

Easy Homemade Peking Duck - Step 20
Step 21

Roll up tightly.

Easy Homemade Peking Duck - Step 21
Step 22

Bite, savour and think it was worth the effort!

Enjoy!

Easy Homemade Peking Duck - Step 22
Quantity: 1 kg ()
Prep time:
60 min
Difficulty: intermediate
Ready in: 60 min