Home-style Peking duck with Mandarin pancakes

Method

1. 01

   Dry and season the duck

   Pat the 1.8 kg air-chilled Pekin duck dry. Separate the skin from the breast and thigh meat without tearing it. Rub 12 g salt and 8 g baking powder over the skin, set it on a rack, and refrigerate uncovered for 12–18 hours until dry and taut.

   

2. 02

   Scald and glaze the skin

   Place the chilled duck on a rack in a clean sink and slowly ladle the listed 3.8 L boiling water over every side; drain well. Stir 45 g maltose into 60 ml boiling water with 15 ml light soy sauce and 30 ml white vinegar, then brush the glaze evenly over the duck.

   

3. 03

   Dry again and make the dough

   Return the glazed duck to the rack and refrigerate uncovered for 6–8 hours, until the skin is dry rather than tacky. Meanwhile mix 240 g pancake flour with 180 ml boiling water, knead 8 minutes until smooth, cover, and rest 60 minutes.

   

4. 04

   Stack and roll the pancakes

   Divide the dough into 16 balls. Brush pairs with the listed 15 ml neutral oil, stack each pair, and roll each pair into a 14 cm round; keep the paired layers together before cooking.

   

5. 05

   Cook and separate the pancakes

   During the duck's second drying period, cook each paired pancake in a dry skillet over medium heat for 30–45 seconds per side, until small bubbles form. Separate the two layers while warm and cover them so they stay soft; this parallel schedule is included in the displayed prep time.

   

6. 06

   Roast at high heat first

   Heat the oven to 240°C. Place the duck breast-side up on a rack over the roasting tray, pour the listed 250 ml hot water into the tray below the rack, and roast for 15 minutes.

   

7. 07

   Finish the roast at 180°C

   Lower the oven to 180°C and roast for 65–70 minutes more. Stop when the skin is deep mahogany and crisp and the thickest thigh reaches 74°C; loosely tent only areas that darken too quickly.

   

8. 08

   Rest, carve, and wrap

   Rest the duck upright for 15 minutes, then slice skin and meat thinly with a sharp knife. Spread 7.5 g sweet bean sauce on each warm pancake, add duck, one scallion baton, and one cucumber baton, fold, and serve immediately.