Yu Shan Fang's Secret Recipe for Peking Duck, a highlight of the new year

Method

1. 01

   Step 1

   Place a whole duck at room temperature (make sure to take it out the night before so it can fully reach room temperature) in a heat-resistant container and pour boiling water over it three times, making sure to pour it over the wings, inner thighs, breast, back, neck, and inside of the cavity. Allow about 10 minutes between each pour to allow the duck skin to shrink (this will also prepare the next pot of water).

   

2. 02

   Step 2

   Making crispy skin glaze is very simple. It consists of four ingredients: honey, cooking wine, white vinegar, and boiling water. Mix them in a ratio of 4 parts honey to 2 cooking wine to 2 white vinegar to 1 part boiling water, and stir for about 1 minute. Then, use a brush (or your hands) to spread it evenly on the surface of the duck, making sure not to miss the areas where you poured the boiling water!

   

3. 03

   Step 3

   Prepare an elevated rack and place the duck on it to air dry 4 5 . If you don't have a rack like the one pictured, you can insert the duck into a glass jar lined with kitchen paper.

   

4. 04

   Step 4

   After air-drying, prepare several fruit-based ingredients, such as apples, oranges, lemons, and limes. Cut them open and insert them into the duck from the back. This allows the fruit's aroma to permeate the duck meat, giving it a subtle fruity flavor; secondly, the fruit, heated inside the duck, helps maintain its temperature and moisture. Be sure to plug the exit with an orange or lemon, and secure it with a toothpick after inserting it.

   

5. 05

   Step 5

   Skip this step: Place salt, black pepper, smoked paprika, and cumin seeds (note that they are seeds, not powder) in a baking pan. The purpose of this is to add a smoky aroma to the duck in the oven, which is more about enhancing the sense of smell.

   

6. 06

   Step 6

   Wrap the wings, leg base, neck, and head in aluminum foil. If you don't wrap them, these areas, which have little meat and fat, will easily burn in the oven. Place a little water in the baking pan, being careful not to let the water touch the duck's back. This keeps the duck moist and prevents the oven from overheating, extending the oven's lifespan.

   

7. 07

   Step 7

   Preheat oven to 200 degrees Celsius. Place the duck breast-side up in the oven and bake 40 minutes.

   

8. 08

   Step 8

   During this time, you can prepare the sweet bean sauce in advance, so that the sauce will be at room temperature when you eat it. Heat a pan over medium heat, add sesame oil, then add three tablespoons of sweet bean sauce. Stir-fry until it boils, then add two teaspoons of white sugar and water. Stir-fry until the sugar dissolves and the sauce reaches your desired consistency before removing it from the heat.

   

9. 09

   Step 9

   After 40 minutes, remove the duck from the oven, turn it over, and put it back in the oven 30 minutes. Since there is water in the baking pan, the duck, with its back facing down, will get wet from the evaporating moisture, so you will need to use kitchen paper to absorb the moisture slightly.

   

10. 10

    Step 10

    After 30 minutes, remove the duck, turn it over so the breast is facing up, and put it back in the oven for 20 minutes.

    

11. 11

    Step 11

    Remove the duck after 20 minutes, drizzle honey over the surface, and return it to the oven 5 minutes. (If you're confused by the instructions, here's a guide: Breast 40 , back dried 30 breast 2

    

12. 12

    Step 12

    After removing the duck from the oven, remove the foil from the neck, wings, and legs. Then cover the entire duck with another layer of foil (do not seal it; let the duck rest 20 minutes. During this time, the duck will continue to heat up and reabsorb the surface fat back into the meat, making it more flavorful than if sliced ​​immediately after cooking). After 20 minutes, remove the fruit from the cavity and slice the meat (make a cut along the midline of the breast to the spine, then slice horizontally).