Peking duck
The Chinese have a special reverence for duck, regarding it as a symbol of wholesomeness and fidelity. Preparing Peking duck is a time-consuming task, but this is a simpler method.You do need to chill the duck overnight, but it’s well worth waiting for – it’s an unforgettable dish.
A LITTLE EFFORT
SERVES 4 PREP 20 mins plus overnight chilling COOK 1 hr 50 mins
1.6-1.8kg/3lb 8oz-4lb duck, fresh or
thawed thoroughly if frozen FOR THE HONEY SYRUP
MIXTURE 1 lemon 3 tbsp clear honey 3 tbsp dark soy sauce 150ml/ Shaohsing rice wine or
dry Sherry TO SERVE 20 shop-bought Chinese pancakes spring onions, sliced into matchsticks hoisin sauce
1 Place all the honey syrup ingredients in a large pan with 1.2 litres water and bring to the boil. Turn the heat to low and simmer for about 20 mins. 2 Meanwhile, rinse the duck well, blot it completely dry with kitchen paper, then put it on a rack in a roasting tin. Using a ladle, pour the syrup over the duck several times until the skin is completely coated on all sides. Leave the duck to dry out, uncovered, in the fridge overnight. When the duck has dried, the skin should feel like parchment paper. 3 Heat oven to 240C/220C fan/gas 9. Sit the duck breast-side up on the rack in the roasting tin. Add 150ml water to the tin to prevent the fat from spattering, then roast in the oven for 15 mins. Reduce the heat to 180C/160C fan/gas 4 and continue to roast for 1 hr 10 mins. 4 Remove the duck from the oven and let it sit for at least 10 mins before you carve it. Using a cleaver or a sharp knife, cut the skin and meat into pieces and arrange them on a warm serving platter. Or, if you prefer, shred the meat using two forks. 5 Serve at once with the pancakes, spring onions and a bowl of hoisin sauce. PER SERVING 842 kcals • fat 70g • saturates 21g • carbs 14g • sugars 13g • fibre none • protein 38g • salt 2.5g