Chinese Duck

Classic Peking Duck

Classic  Peking  Duck
Serve 4 to 6
Ingredients:
One 5 to 6 pound duck
8 cups water
1 slice ginger
1 scallion, cut into halves
3 tablespoons honey
1 tablespoon white vinegar
1 tablespoon sherry
1 1/2 tablespoons cornstarch, dissolved in 3 tablespoons water
Scallions for garnish

Directions:

Clean duck. Wipe dry and tie string around neck.

Hang duck in cool, windy place 4 hours.

Fill large wok with water. Bring to boil. Add ginger, scallion, honey, vinegar, and sherry. Bring to boil. Pour in dissolved cornstarch. Stir constantly.

Place duck in large strainer above larger bowl. Scoop boiling mixture all over duck for about 10 minutes.

Hang duck again in cool, windy place for 6 hours until thoroughly dry.

Place duck breast side up on a greased rack in oven preheated to 350 degrees. Set a pan filled with 2 inches of water in bottom of oven. (This is for drippings). Roast 30 minutes.

Turn duck and roast 30 minutes more.

Turn breast side up again. Roast 10 minutes more.

Use sharp knife to cut off crispy skin. Serve meat and skin immediately on a prewarmed dish.

The duck is eaten hot with hoisin sauce rolled in Mandarin Crepes. Garnish with scallion flowerets.

Original Chinese Duck Sauce

One: 1 lb Plums halved and pitted
1 lb Apricots halved and pitted
1 1/4 c Cider vinegar
3/4 c Water
Two: 1 c Cider vinegar
1 c Firmly packed brown sugar
1 c White sugar
1/2 c Lemon juice
Three: 1/4 c Chopped ginger
1 sm Onion sliced
1 (or more) serrano, seeded
-and chopped 2 sm Garlic cloves sliced
4 ts Salt
1 tb Mustard seed toasted
1 Cinnamon stick

Combine first set of ingredients and cook over moderate heat for 5 minutes. Reduce heat and simmer uncovered for 15 minutes. Combine second set of ingredients and boil for 10 minutes. Combine the above three sets of ingredients and simmer for 45 minutes. Remove cinnamon. Puree in food processor. Return to kettle and simmer until thick. Transfer to sterilized mason jar, cap loosely and let cool. Tighten caps and let stand in dark at least 2 weeks. Makes 2 pints.

Chinese Duck Sauce (Plum)

Ingredients
1 pound plums halved and pitted
1 pound apricots halved and pitted
1 1/4 cups cider vinegar
3/4 cup water

1 cup cider vinegar
1 cup firmly packed brown sugar
1 cup white sugar
1/2 cup lemon juice

1/4 cup chopped ginger
1 small onion sliced
1 (or more) serrano chile seeded and chopped
2 small garlic cloves sliced
4 teaspoons salt
1 tablespoon mustard seed toasted
1 cinnamon stick

Instructions
Combine first four ingredients and cook over moderate heat for 5 minutes. Reduce heat and simmer uncovered for 15 minutes. In a separate pan, combine next four ingredients and boil for 10 minutes. Combine the first two mixtures with the ramaining ingredients and simmer for 45 minutes.

Remove cinnamon. Puree in food processor. Return to pot and simmer until thick. Transfer to sterilized canning jar, cap loosely, and let cool. Tighten caps and let stand in dark at least 2 weeks.

Chinese Duck Soup

Prep: 15 min, Marinate: 20 min, Cook: 25 min.
12 small Chinese dried mushrooms
boiling water
1-3/4 lbs. Chinese barbecued duck
1-1/2 quarts chicken stock
1 red bell pepper, seeded and sliced
1 Tbs. tamari or soy sauce
1 tsp. oyster sauce
3 Tbs. dry sherry
4 scallions, trimmed and chopped
5 ounces canned sliced bamboo shoots, drained

Place mushrooms in a bowl and cover with boiling water. Let stand 20 minutes. Drain and chop. Remove meat and skin from duck. Chop and set aside. Discard bones. Bring stock to a boil. Add last 6 ingredients and mushrooms and simmer 10 minutes, uncovered. Stir in duck meat just before serving and simmer until heated through.

Peking Duck

1 duck (4 to 5 lbs.)
14 c. water
4 tbsp. honey
4 slices ginger, 1/8 inch thick
1/2 c. white vinegar
1/2 c. pale dry sherry
1 pkg. lumpia wrappers
24 pieces green onion stems
2 oz. Chinese parsley
Hoisin and/or lemon sauce (purchased at grocery store)

Rinse duck and pat dry. Put water, honey, ginger, vinegar and wine into a large pot or wok and bring to a boil. Place duck into the pot and ladle boiling liquid above all over it for 2 minutes. Remove duck and pat dry with absorbent paper. Remove scum and fat from liquid and freeze for future use. Air dry in a cool, breezy place for 8 hours, covered with cheese cloth.

Heat oven to 400 degrees. Put duck directly on oven rack, breast side up. On a lower oven rack place a foil lined roasting pan filled with an inch of water to catch the drippings. Roast for 30 minutes then turn on sides and roast each side for 30 minutes. Face breast down and roast back for 30 minutes longer. Steam lumpia wrappers for about 10 minutes, separate and cut into halves.

Remove skin from duck and cut skin with scissors into 1 x 2 inch pieces. Arrange on a heated platter. Don't let juices wet the crispy skin. Cut de-boned duck meat into the same sized pieces as the skin. Place skin, meat, green onion stalks, Chinese parsley and Hoisin or lemon sauce on lumpia wrapper and wrap. Eat as a succulent package

Chinese Roast Duck with Spicy Sauce

Chinese Roast Duck with Spicy Sauce

1 duckling (about 5 lbs.)
2 tsp. salt
4 green onions
2 c. boiling water
2 tbsp. honey
Spicy duck sauce (recipe at end)

Rub duckling inside and out with salt; stuff onions inside of cavity and tie legs together. Place on rack in roasting pan. Mix boiling water and honey; pour over duckling, letting water run into pan. (Duckling should not be put down into the water, keep on rack.) Roast in oven at 350 degrees for 1 hour. Prick skin to drain excess fat. Continue roasting until deep brown and juices run clear, 1 to 1 1/4 hours longer. Remove from oven.

Increase oven temperatures to 400 degrees. Brush duckling with spicy duck sauce; return to oven and roast 5 minutes. May use remaining sauce as a dip for meat. Garnish with parsley and mandarin orange segments.

Spicy Duck Sauce:

Combine:

1/2 tsp. ground cinnamon
1/2 tsp. ground ginger
1/8 tsp. ground allspice
2 tbsp. dry sherry
2 tbsp. honey
1 tbsp. chili sauce
1 tbsp. soy sauce
1 clove garlic, minced