Local Food Blog

As the Chinese are taking the world market by storm, this dish is definitely worth discussing. Well, this dish is worth discussing even otherwise. Long considered as one of China’s national foodstuffs, the Peking Duck or the Beijing Roast Duck is one of those dishes which is famous all over the world. With the thin, crispy and savory skin of the duck, this dish promises to make numerous mouths water.

The dish is mostly served with more skin than meat and is sliced in front of the diners by the chef himself.

The ducks that are used to make this delightful dish are bred for sixty five days before they are slaughtered. They are marinated thoroughly before being roasted in a closed oven. The dish is mostly eaten along with spring onions, hoisin sauce and pancakes. And I would bet that all the guys who are reading this are wishing to have it immediately. There is another version of this dish that had been created by the Chinese community in the UK.

The origin of this dish stretches back to the imperial era in China. History reveals that this dish or one of its variants was prepared for one of the Chinese emperors of the Yuan dynasty. And if a dish has been popular for more than a millennium, then it has got to be worth it.

There are many methods used to cook this Chinese delicacy. People can cook it in their ovens at home and use different kinds of seasonings for it. As it is one of my favorite dishes, I would like to share with you people a recipe which I use to make the Peking Duck.

Essential Ingredients:
Here is a list of the ingredients that you would require if you want to make Peking Duck.

• A duck weighing between five and six pounds.
• Eight cups of water.
• One slice of ginger.
• One scallion neatly cut into halves.
• Three tablespoons of honey.
• One tablespoon of white vinegar.
• One tablespoon of sherry.
• 1 ½ tablespoons of corn starch dissolved in three tablespoons of water.
• Scallions for garnishing. (optional but recommended)

Procedure:
Well, the first thing that you have to keep in mind when you make this dish is that it takes a lot of time to make. However, the result is extremely rewarding and you wouldn’t want to miss it. Here is how to go about the cooking part of it.

• Clean the duck thoroughly, wipe it and tie a string around its neck.
• Hang the duck in a cool and windy place for approximately four hours for drying.
• Fill a large wok with water and bring it to boil.
• Add the scallion, vinegar, sherry, honey and ginger to it.
• Continue boiling it and after some time add the cornstarch and stir consistently.
• Place the duck on a large strainer above the wok.
• Scoop the boiling mixture in the wok and keep pouring it all over the duck for about ten minutes.
• Hang the duck in the same cool and windy place for another six hours until it becomes completely dry.
• Preheat the oven to about 350 degrees and place the duck, breast side up, on the well buttered rack.
• Set a pan filled with approximately two inches of water in the bottom of your oven.
• Keep roasting for about half an hour.
• Turn the duck upside down and continue roasting for anther half hour.
• Turn the breast side up again and roast for ten minutes.
• Slice the crispy skin of the duck with a knife.
• Serve the meat and the skin immediately on a dish that is already warmed.
• Garnish your Peking Duck with scallion flowerets.