Peking duck — the classic Chinese recipe with crispy skin and thin pancakes

Peking duck is the emblematic dish of Chinese cuisine, served in Beijing since the time of the Ming dynasty, as Wikipedia writes. Its secret is the thin, dry, crispy skin that melts in the mouth, achieved by drying the duck for many hours before roasting. This recipe, adapted for the home kitchen, brings the authentic taste with easy-to-find ingredients.

INGREDIENTS (for 4–6 servings):

• 1 whole duck (about 2–2.5 kg), well cleaned
• 2 tablespoons honey
• 2 tablespoons soy sauce
• 1 tablespoon rice vinegar
• 1 teaspoon salt
• 1 teaspoon Sichuan pepper (or ground black pepper)
• 1 teaspoon Chinese five-spice powder
• 2 garlic cloves, crushed
• 1 piece of fresh ginger (about 3 cm), finely grated
• Thin Chinese pancakes for serving (or thin wheat tortillas)
• 4 tablespoons hoisin sauce
• 4–5 spring onions, cut into thin strips
• 1 cucumber, cut into thin strips

PREPARATION STEPS:

1. Prepare the duck: remove excess fat from the cavity, wash it and dry it very well with kitchen paper. Prick the skin lightly with a fork in several places, without touching the meat — this helps the fat escape during roasting.
2. Prepare the glaze: in a bowl, mix the honey, soy sauce, rice vinegar, salt, pepper, five-spice powder, garlic and ginger. Coat the duck on all sides with this mixture, putting a little inside as well.
3. Drying (the decisive step): hang the duck or place it on a rack over a tray in the refrigerator, uncovered, for at least 6 hours — ideally overnight. The dry air dries the skin, and that is what makes it crispy during roasting.
4. Heat the oven to 180°C. Place the duck breast-up on the oven rack, with a tray of a little water underneath to catch the fat. Roast for 1 hour 30 minutes to 2 hours, turning once halfway, until the skin turns a deep golden colour and crackles lightly when touched.
5. Take the duck out of the oven and let it rest for 15 minutes. Then cut the skin and meat into thin slices with a sharp knife.
6. Warm the thin pancakes in steam for 2–3 minutes or in a dry pan. Serve the duck slices with warm pancakes, hoisin sauce, strips of spring onion and cucumber — each person wraps their pancake as they wish.

Preparation time: 30 minutes (+ 6–12 hours drying in the refrigerator)
Cooking time: 1 hour 30 minutes – 2 hours
Servings: 4–6