The Atlanta Journal-Constitution
CHRISTMAS CHINESE ROAST PEKIN DUCK
Chef George Yu says that for his family, making roast Pekin duck is“a labor of love.”But, he cautions, for the three-day process,“make sure you have enough room in your fridge to stand the duck up. You can use a metal clothes hanger to prop it up. And you will need a wood or metal skewer to pierce the duck.”
1 whole Pekin duck, available at Asian markets and
online from D’Artagnan
For the salt solution:
1 cup Chinese rice wine
1 teaspoon baking soda
2 tablespoons salt
For the marinade:
4 tablespoons sorghum syrup
4 tablespoons soy sauce
4 tablespoons maltose, available at Asian markets 2 cups water
Day one: Mix Chinese rice wine, baking soda, and salt together and rub over the bird, cleaning the film off the skin and removing any feathers.
Let duck hang overnight in the refrigerator so the salt draws out the moisture. You should have about 5 to 10 percent moisture loss.
Day two: Use your hands and gently separate skin from the meat. Be careful not to tear the skin. Use a skewer and pierce the skin so fat can drain out.
Fill a wok with the marinade and bring to a boil and drizzle marinade over the duck to render the fat from the bird. You should be rendering fat and getting the skin to tighten. Let marinade cool.
Place duck in refrigerator standing up on cooling rack or use coat hanger. Brush remaining cooled marinade on the duck.
Day three: Preheat oven to 375 degrees.
Roast duck on a rack in a roasting pan until internal temperature of 165 degrees is reached, about 1 hour.
Carve and serve. Serves 4-6.
Per serving: 289 calories (percent of calories from fat, 34), 28 grams protein, 10 grams carbohydrates, trace fiber, 9 grams fat (4 grams saturated), 117 milligrams cholesterol, 937 milligrams sodium.