Peking duck (Beijing roast duck)
Photo: Mcyjerry · CC BY-SA 4.0

History

Roast duck appears in a 1330 imperial kitchen manual by Hu Sihui, and by the later Ming dynasty it was a main dish on court menus. Bianyifang, founded in 1416 near Qianmen, still roasts in a closed oven without open flame. Quanjude, founded in 1864, is known for the hung oven, an open-fire design developed in the Qing imperial kitchens. By the middle of the twentieth century the duck had become a national symbol and a fixture of state banquets.

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Common allergens: Gluten, Soy, Sesame

Make it at home

Yield Serves 4Hands-on 1 hrTotal 26 hrDifficulty Intermediate

Ingredients

  • 1 duck, about 2.2kg, fresh or fully thawed
  • 3 tbsp maltose or runny honey
  • 2 tbsp Chinese rice vinegar
  • 2 tsp salt
  • 1 tsp five-spice powder
  • 2 slices of ginger
  • 2 spring onions, cut into lengths
  • 250g plain flour, for the pancakes
  • 150ml boiling water
  • 1 tbsp sesame oil
  • 4 tbsp sweet bean sauce (tianmianjiang)
  • 1 cucumber, cut into batons
  • 6 spring onions, white parts shredded

Method

  1. Trim the wing tips and any loose fat from the neck and tail. Set the duck on a rack in the sink and pour a kettle of just-boiled water slowly over the skin, which tightens it, then pat the bird completely dry.
  2. Whisk the maltose, rice vinegar and 100ml hot water until smooth and brush half over the duck. Stand it on a rack over a tray, uncovered, in the fridge for 24 hours, brushing on the remaining glaze after 12 hours, until the skin feels dry as paper.
  3. Heat the oven to 220C (200C fan). Rub the salt and five-spice inside the cavity and tuck in the ginger and spring onion lengths. Pour 200ml water into the tray under the rack.
  4. Roast the duck breast-side up for 25 minutes, then lower the oven to 180C (160C fan) and roast for about 55 minutes more, until the skin is deep amber and the thickest part of the thigh reads 75C.
  5. Meanwhile make the pancakes. Stir the flour with the boiling water, knead for 5 minutes, cover and rest for 20 minutes. Divide into 16 pieces, brush half with sesame oil, press an unoiled piece on top of each and roll the pairs to 15cm rounds.
  6. Cook each pair in a dry pan over medium heat for 40 seconds a side, then wrap in a cloth. Peel the pairs apart once cool enough to handle.
  7. Rest the duck for 15 minutes, then slice the skin and meat thinly. Serve with the pancakes, sweet bean sauce, cucumber and shredded spring onion.

Tip from the editors. Dry the skin uncovered in the fridge for the full day; damp skin steams in the oven instead of crisping, however long it roasts.

Where to eat peking duck (beijing roast duck)

Peking duck (Beijing roast duck) in Beijing

Quanjude (Qianmen) ★ 3.6

¥¥ Northern ChineseQianmen Dashilar

Quanjude on Qianmen Street is the first restaurant of the Peking duck brand, serving roast duck with mustard duck feet and stuffed mushrooms in Beijing.

OrderOrder the Peking duck, with the webbed duck feet in mustard and the stuffed mushrooms as sides.

TipThis Qianmen restaurant is the first Quanjude; service runs in two sessions, with a break between 14:30 and 16:30.

Directions

Bianyifang (Xianyukou) ★ 3.8

¥¥ Northern ChineseQianmen Dashilar

Bianyifang on Xianyukou Street, a brand founded in 1416, roasts Beijing duck in a closed oven and sells crispy duck varieties near Qianmen in Beijing.

OrderOrder the closed-oven roast duck, or the vegetable-scented crispy duck the kitchen has patented.

TipFounded in 1416, the brand roasts duck in a closed oven without an open flame; this Xianyukou branch is near Qianmen.

Directions

Siji Minfu (Forbidden City) ★ 4.1

¥¥ Northern ChineseWangfujing

Siji Minfu by the east gate of the Forbidden City hang-roasts Beijing duck and serves Beijing-style dishes such as zhajiangmian, close to Wangfujing.

OrderOrder the hang-roasted duck, then a bowl of zhajiangmian (noodles with fried bean sauce) on the side.

TipThe branch stands next to the east gate of the Forbidden City and is a popular choice, so book ahead or arrive off-peak.

Directions

Da Dong (Jinbao Place) ★ 4.0

¥¥¥ Northern ChineseWangfujing

Da Dong at Jinbao Place on Jinbao Street serves Beijing roast duck on the fifth floor of the mall, a short walk from Wangfujing in central Beijing.

OrderOrder a whole roast duck and wrap the slices in pancakes with sweet bean sauce, spring onion and cucumber.

TipThis Da Dong branch is on the fifth floor of the Jinbao Place mall on Jinbao Street, within walking distance of Wangfujing.

Directions

Liqun Roast Duck ★ 3.9

¥¥ Northern ChineseQianmen Dashilar

Liqun Roast Duck, a casual duck house on Beixiangfeng Hutong near Qianmen, serves Beijing kaoya with duck gizzard and intestine dishes in Beijing.

OrderOrder the Beijing roast duck, then try the duck gizzard and duck intestine dishes alongside it.

TipThe room is modest and a little hard to find; follow the duck drawings on the walls of nearby streets, and reserve in advance.

Directions

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