Lacquered duck is one of those dishes that any of us has seen at least once in one of the Chinatowns around the world…
In reality, it is a complex dish of Peking cuisine, glazed with honey, for years an imperial court dish.
The ducks are not roasted in Western-style ovens; they are prepared either in open ovens equipped with masonry chimneys or in closed ovens that resemble large iron barrels.
In the original recipe, the duck is killed about 48 hours in advance by making an incision at the tail; the skin is then detached from the meat, which is then smeared with a honey-based mix and finally hung in a cool place.
This is the main reason why we always see it hanging in the windows of classic Chinese restaurants in various Chinatowns.
Over the years, the dish has adapted to some Western demands and is now served with the skin, and the meat is sliced and dipped in a sauce, before being rolled up in small crepes along with onion and the white part of the leek.
The whole is accompanied by a broth prepared with the carcass and vegetables.
Usually, ducks used for this preparation are about 100 days old, and in the last week, they are force-fed according to a method reminiscent of fois gras.
Inside the few restaurants that offer it in its original recipe, the presentation of the lacquered duck is crucial: first, it is shown whole, then the chef begins to slice it with a sharp knife, resulting in many thin oblique strips, to recompose it with the same starting appearance.
Despite my trip to Beijing in 1999, I have never tasted this delicacy, which remains on the list of dishes I will decide to try sooner or later…
Here follows a simplified recipe to be able to reproduce it even in one’s own kitchen.
In the photos, ducks from Chinatown in London.
- Difficulty: Difficult
- Rest time: 50 Days 12 Hours
- Preparation time: 20 Minutes
- Portions: 6
- Cooking methods: Oven
- Cuisine: Chinese
Ingredients
- 4.4 lbs duck
- 4 tbsps sesame oil
- 7.1 oz honey (Originally wheat malt was used)
- 4 tbsps mirin (or soy sauce)
- to taste soy sauce
- to taste salt
- 4 tbsps rice wine (or vinegar)
Steps
Immerse the eviscerated duck in salted boiling water for about three minutes, then dry it with kitchen paper.
Mix sesame oil, mirin, rice wine, honey, some hot water (a little), and salt; bring to a boil.
Tie the duck with a string around its neck, hanging it upside down in a cool place, and repeatedly brush it with the mixture, then let it dry for one night.
Heat the oven to 392 °F and roast the duck inside a roasting pan with the breast facing up, for about 30 minutes.
Lower the temperature and continue cooking, brushing the duck with the marinade from time to time.
Every 30 minutes, turn the duck, and after two hours, finish cooking with its back.
Add soy sauce to the cooking liquid.
Place the duck on a cutting board, remove the skin, and cut it into thin strips, cut legs and wings, detach the breast meat and cut it into strips, placing it on a warm plate.
Serve it with five crepes, a julienne of carrots, onion, cucumber, and the white part of the leek, and soy sauce along with the cooking liquid.
The recipe is a classic of high Chinese cuisine that can also be found in classic cookbooks.
FAQs (Frequently Asked Questions)
What is the difference between Cantonese roast duck and Peking duck?
The first difference lies in their openings.
The opening of Peking duck is under the wings, through which the internal organs are removed, to insert a sorghum stick that ensures the duck’s breast remains vertical and its meat retains its juices.
For Cantonese ducks, the opening is in the abdominal cavity, which is sewn up after removing the internal organs.
The second difference lies in the stuffing.
Peking duck is not stuffed as it is appreciated for its original juices and flavor without the need for added ingredients.
Cantonese ducks are stuffed with star anise, ginger, scallion, and more than a dozen other Chinese herbs to infuse their flavors into the duck meat and bones for tastier meat.
Peking duck is made with about 108 cuts on the duck to separate it for three eating styles.
Rounded slices of meat and skin to enjoy on their own;
the longer strips are consumed in rolls while the rest of the meat and skin are consumed separately to enjoy the crunchy texture of the skin and the sweetness of the pulp.
Instead, Cantonese roast ducks are usually just cut and eaten.
Slicing Peking duck is a specialized skill, requiring years of training so that a master can slice it beautifully and quickly.
Peking duck is the main star in establishments specializing in roast duck, where up to 200 dishes with all edible parts can be found, such as heart, liver, web, tongue, intestine, and feet.
In Cantonese roasts, the duck is just one of many types of roasts.How is Cantonese roast duck prepared instead?
Cantonese roast ducks are served with much less ceremony.
They are sliced at the abdomen, then deprived of their innards, the cavities are then filled with herbs and spices including star anise, ginger, and scallion.
The abdomens are sewn and the ducks boiled to help hold the skin, and like their northern cousins, Cantonese ducks are dried before being roasted in a hot oven.
This one was tasted in Hangzhou, during our trip to China in December 2023 and January 2024.
Are there other types of Chinese recipes for roast duck?
There is a third type of roast duck that has appeared on the Chinese gastronomic scene and is often confused with simple Cantonese-style roast ducks due to the spices in which it is cooked.
The pipa duck, named after a Chinese string instrument shaped like a lute, is a spatchcock duck brined in orange peels before being air-dried and roasted at low temperatures, to ensure its meat remained juicy and tender.
And like its Cantonese cousin, pipa ducks are quickly dipped in hot oil to ensure their skin is crispy.
