A Christmas Story: Chinese Turkey aka Peking Duck

adapted from Ken Hom's Chinese Cookery

Serves 4-6

1 4-5 lb. duck (if frozen, make sure to thaw thoroughly)

4 cups water

3 tablespoons honey

3 tablespoons dark soy sauce (not the thin stuff)

2/3 cup Chinese rice wine (or dry sherry)

1 large lemon, cut in 1/4" slices

1 teaspoon sesame oil

flour tortillas, chopped scallions, and hoisin and/or plum sauces, for accompaniment

Wash and pat duck dry. Give it a little massage to loosen up the skin. If you've got the meat hooks and a place to hang the duck, by all means do so. I didn't, so I put it on a rack, set in a baking pan.

The next step is to make your scalding mixture. Mix water, honey, rice wine, soy sauce, and lemon in a pot and bring to boil. Let boil for a few minutes, then reduce to a simmer for 20-25 minutes.

Again, with this next step - what works best for you. What you want to do is baste, coat the duck with the mixture (still hot). If you can hang the duck, do so, with a pot/pan underneath to catch the mixture as you ladle it. Another technique is simply to hold the duck over the sink with a pot in the sink and then have a friend do the ladleling. I kept the duck on the rack over the pan and ladled that way. Halfway I turned the duck upside down and then a bit on the sides too. Drain mixture from the pan, if using one.

Now, one method is to hang the duck (with something to catch drippings) in a cool place in your kitchen (you could turn on a fan to help dry the duck and accelerate the process so it might only take 4 hours). Another is to figure out a way to hang it in the fridge. I simply kept it on the rack and put it on the bottom shelf of the fridge. I left it in the fridge for 24 hours and then for an hour before cooking, I sat it on the counter with a small fan blowing on it. I could have easily have kept in the fridge for 48 hours, I think.

Just before you're going to put the duck in the oven, pour teaspoon of sesame oil in your (clean) hands and rub the duck all over with the oil. Also, I replaced the pan with a clean one to put the rack & duck in. Pour about 1-2 cups of water in the pan so it won't splatter fat all over your stove.

Stick duck in oven, breast side up, and raise temp to 475* and then keep it there for 15 minutes. Then, lower oven to 350*. Open oven, flip over duck, breast side down, for 30 minutes. Then, flip over duck to breast side up again for additional 40 minutes. If skin isn't crispy enough, stick it under the broiler for a few seconds.

When done, remove from oven and let sit for 15 minutes.

Slice up the duck and serve with flour tortillas, chopped scallions, and hoisin and/or plum sauces.

Found at: http://chef-du-cinema.blogspot.com/2010/12/tv-bites-christmas-story.html

All original content © Copyright 2010-11 by Ron Deutsch. Permission required for any republishing.