The Peking Duck

The recipe:

• 2 ducks for 4 persons 
• 4 tablespoons honey
• 1½  cups water

Method

1. Wash ducks in hot water. Dry inside and outside. Hang up with a butcher’s meat hook, where the ducks can get lots of air (but the cat cannot get at them!) so as to dry thoroughly (place a dish underneath, as the ducks will drip).
2. Dissolve honey in water and brush skins until completely saturated with the honey mixture. Leave for about 6 hours until the skins are dry and slightly hardened by the honey. 
3. Now separate the duck skins from the flesh by inserting a straw immediately underneath the skin. Now blow through the straw, so the skin puffs up and is separated from the flesh. Continue like this until most of the breast area has been puffed.
4. When ready to cook the duck, place on a rack inserted into a baking pan half filled with water.
5. Roast in hot oven for 1 ½ to 2 hours or until the ducks are brown and crisp. (Try not to open the door before the duck is cooked).

Meanwhile, make the Peking Duck Sauce.

Peking duck sauce

• 4 tablespoons vegetable oil
• 8 tablespoons yellow bean sauce
• 4 tablespoons sugar
• 1 teaspoon sesame oil

Method

1. Heat oil in a small saucepan. Add the yellow bean sauce and stir over low heat for a few minutes. Add the sugar and sesame oil and cook, stirring for another 2 minutes. Leave to cool.
2. Now prepare cucumber and spring onions, peeling them and cutting them into equal lengths. Set aside.

Make or buy Peking doilies or pancakes. 

Peking duck doilies

This recipe will make 15 – 20 doilies. Serve 5  doilies per person, so these will be  enough for 4 persons.

• 1¼ cups / 310 ml water
• 2 cups /250g sifted flour
• Oil/sesame oil

Method

1. You will need a large plate and a damp tea towel.
2. In a pan bring the water to the boil. Add flour all at once and stir very quickly with a wooden spoon to combine. Remove from pan and knead mixture on a floured board until smooth (about 10 minutes). Form the dough into a long roll 3 cm in diameter. Cut into 1 cm thick slices. Flatten to 6mm thickness and brush one side of half the rounds with a little oil. Place one un-oiled round on top of the oiled side of another round. Dust each pair with flour and roll out into very thin pancakes about 10-12 cm in diameter. Roll from the centre, turning the pancake a little after each roll to ensure a perfect circle of even thickness.
3. Heat an ungreased frying pan (with a heavy base) over low to medium heat. Cook one pancake at a time for about 1 minute on each side or until lightly coloured with brown spots (pancakes will puff and bubble). Transfer to a plate and separate the two halves. Keep these doilies covered with a kitchen towel until all pancakes are ready.
4. Peking doilies can be made in advance, kept in the fridge and reheated by steaming for 8-10 minutes. 
5. You can serve some large, crispy lettuce leaves besides doilies.
6. Serve lots of Jasmine tea. Also don’t forget fingerbowls or hot towels!