Beijing Roast Duck

Beijing roasts duck which is also known as Peking roast duck is a famous duck dish from Beijing which can be traced back to as early as the Yuan Dynasty (1206-1368) and is now considered one of China's national foods.The birthplace of roast duck is actually Nanjing City of Jiangsu Province in East China. In the 19th year during the Yongle reign of the Ming Dynasty (1368-1644), the emperor moved the capital from Nanjing to Beijing, and hence roasted duck was introduced to Beijing and became an imperial dish.

Roasted ducks

The dish which originally named “Shaoyazi” was mentioned in the complete Recipes for Dishes and Beverages written in 1330 by Hus Si Hui, an inspector of the Imperial Kitchen. It is prepared with a kind of fruit tree, so it has a fruity flavour and its crispy skin, with authentic versions of the dish serving mostly the skin and little meat, sliced in front of the diners by the cook. The duck for is slaughtered and seasoned before its roasted in an oven and serve with pancakes, spring onions and sweat bean sauce.

Types of Beijing Roasted Ducks

There are two(2) kinds of Beijing Roast Ducks.

Gualu Roasted Duck and Menlu Rosted Duck

Gualu Roasted Duck-Here the duck is roasted over the fire.

 Menlu Rosted Duck-The duck is roasted in the oven.

How to prepare Beijing Roast Duck ?

Preparation Time:          12 hours

Cooking Time: 3 hours

Utensil

1 bowl  

1 spoon

1 plate

1 kitchen roll

1 wok or frying pan

1 pastry brush

Some tongs

1 teaspoon

Some cling film  

Recipe

2 kg duck

2-3 teaspoon honey

2 teaspoon Sherry

1teaspoon white vinegar

1500ml water

10 scallions

Steps

1. Cut the wings off at the first joint and wash the duck thoroughly. Pat the duck dry with paper towels, making sure there are no feathers or quills attached to the skin. and hang the duck in cool windy place for maximum of 4 hours.

2. Add 6 cups (1 1/2 L) water to a large wok or pot over high heat. Bring the water to a boil. Once the water is boiling, add 2 tbsp honey to the water and stir until it dissolves. Then add 2 tbsp dry sherry and 1 tbsp white vinegar. Bring the mixture back up to a rolling boil.
Create slurry by adding 1/3 cup (75 ml) of water to 3 tablespoons corn starch. Stir until the cornstarch dissolves into a white, smooth liquid. Add the slurry to the boiling mixture in the pot, stir and bring it back to a boil.

3. Slide the duck slowly into the boiling water. Use a large spoon or ladle to spoon the sauce over the duck until it's fully coated. The longer the duck is in the mixture, the sweeter and tangier the duck's meat will become.

4. Pre heats the oven to 350 degrees (180 C/Gas Mark 4). Fill a tray with one to three inches of water and place it on the bottom of the oven. This will catch the duck drippings and keep the meat moist while it bakes.

Place the duck, breast side up, on a greased rack in the center of the oven. Bake for 30 minutes. Then, carefully turn the duck breast side down and bake for an additional 45 minutes. Finally, turn the duck, breast up, one more time and roast for another 30 minutes…just long enough for the skin to turn dark brown. Which can traditionally be severed Mandarin pancakes, and green onions for brushing on the hoisin sauce

 Beijing Duck Resturants 

Peking Duck has been reputated as the most delicious food Beijing has to offer. Someone thinks it a little bit greasy, but others get hooked after just one taste. In any condition, a Peking Duck dinner is usually a fixed item on any Beijing tour schedule.

There are many roast duck restaurants in Beijing, but Quan Ju De, Bianyi Fang, Da Dong, Li Qun and King Duck are the best.

>>More Popular Duck Restaurants