Peking Roast Duck

How to prepare peking roast duck

1. Start preparing the duck one day before roasting!!! It's helpful to have someone assist you, as some operations are difficult to do alone.
2. Clean the duck of fat around the head area and at the back.
   * don't throw away the duck fat, it's a "good fat" without cholesterol, so you can store it in the freezer for other dishes.
3. Rub the duck all over with coarse salt to refresh its skin, like a peeling 😋 . Then wash well, including inside, under cold running water. Dry with paper towels. Clean any remaining feathers if needed.
4. Carefully separate the skin from the breast without tearing it, first with your hand and then by inserting a straw under the skin and blowing until it inflates. This is fun 😉
5. Filling: Mix the salt, pepper and ginger and rub the duck ONLY inside with this mixture. Insert into the cavity the sliced onion, garlic cut in half, soy sauce and orange juice.
6. Using a wooden or metal skewer, "sew" the skin to seal the cavity. You can also use some toothpicks to make sure it's well sealed. The idea is that the liquids will create steam inside that won't let the meat dry out during roasting. Plus it will be infused with those aromas from inside.
8. Scalding the duck: boil 3-4 liters of water until it boils vigorously. The water must be very hot!!!
9. Insert a butcher's hook into the duck's neck area (see photos) so you can hold it suspended with the legs down.
10. Someone needs to hold the duck by the hook over the sink. Using a cup, pour boiling water over the duck, all around, being careful not to miss any area, the duck must be well scalded. You'll see how the skin stretches. Suspend the duck on a support (I put a long rolling pin between two chairs and a pan below to catch the water and fat from the duck) and dry it all over, about 5 minutes, with a hair dryer.
11. Glaze 1: bring all ingredients for glaze 1 to a boil. When it starts foaming on top, turn off the heat.
12. Then someone again needs to hold it suspended over the sink. With a silicone brush, coat the duck all over with the prepared glaze. After glazing it all, pour the remaining glaze over the duck, all around...
14. Suspend it again on the support and dry it with the dryer for at least 5 minutes, or as long as you have patience, the longer the better. Then leave it at room temperature for 2 hours.
15. Then put it in the refrigerator, still suspended with a pan below (see photos) and let it drain and dry for about 24 hours.
    * if you have a cool pantry you can suspend it there for the 24 hours
16. The next day, take the duck out of the refrigerator 4 hours before roasting. This way the meat returns to room temperature and the skin dries more. It's very important that the skin is perfectly dry!!!
17. How to roast the duck for 3 hours.
    Remove the hook from the neck, tie the wings (I used a skewer) and legs (I used the hook) and put the duck in the oven preheated to 170°C (340°F).
    * the neck bone was a bit long so I covered it with aluminum foil so it wouldn't burn
    Place the duck with breast side up on the oven rack (NOT in a pan!!!!) placed on the middle level of the oven. On the lowest level of the oven, place the oven tray with 2-3 cups of water. This water tray serves to collect the fat dripping from the duck. Because it contains water, the fat won't burn.
18. Leave the duck at 170°C (340°F) for only 20 minutes. Then the roasting times are as follows:
    - reduce temperature to 160°C (320°F) and leave the duck for another 1 hour and 10 minutes.
    - reduce temperature to 150°C (300°F), turn the duck breast side down and leave for another 30 minutes
    * !!! all the time while roasting, make sure the water in the bottom tray doesn't run out and add water whenever necessary, otherwise you'll smoke up the house!!!
20. Glaze 2: boil all ingredients together until it starts foaming. Strain the sauce through a fine sieve.
21. After 2 hours of roasting, glaze the duck on the back, then turn it breast side up again and glaze the front too.
    Continue roasting at 150°C (300°F) for another 30 minutes, then increase the temperature to 170°C (340°F) and leave for another 30 minutes. In the last 30 minutes, watch it so it doesn't get too dark. The duck should have an intense orange color, not brown. The duck skin should be crispy.
22. Remove the duck to a platter, cover with aluminum foil and let it rest to redistribute the juices, about 15 minutes. Remove all the skewers and break off the wing tips as they're a bit ugly.
23. Then it can be served. It's served whole at the table, and the host will slice it thinly in front of the guests. Normally the skin is removed separately and served separately (being considered a delicacy), and on another plate the meat is served. Serve with cucumber cut into sticks, chopped green onion and lettuce leaves (or pancakes). In pancakes or lettuce leaves, place duck meat, onion and cucumber, roll like cigars and eat. You can dip the skin in sweet and sour sauce (like Vietnamese sauce)

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