Peking duck (dish)
The Peking duck ( Chinese 北京烤鴨 / 北京烤鸭 , Pinyin Běijīng kǎoyā ) is one of the most famous dishes of Chinese cuisine . It is very complex to produce - it is therefore mostly prepared and consumed in specialized restaurants . The recipe for the Peking duck comes from the Ming Dynasty . In Vietnam there is a variant called Vịt quay Bắc Kinh .
The Peking ducks , which are named for the dish, are given particularly rich feed during the last two weeks before slaughter and are prevented from moving during this time so that their meat becomes tender and the skin thin. Animals ready for slaughter weigh two to three kilograms.
preparation
With the Peking duck, special emphasis is placed on the skin. That is why the animals are subjected to a special procedure after slaughter that cannot be carried out with commercially available ducks.
The duck is plucked, but not gutted, the head and feet are not initially removed. A small cut on the neck inflates the skin like a balloon so that it separates completely from the flesh. The innards are then removed by making the smallest possible incision below the wing . The feet are cut off. Now the duck is hung by the neck, scalded with boiling water, seasoned and coated all around with honey or malt sugar dissolved in hot water , and then allowed to dry in a well-ventilated place for a few hours.
Preparation and serving
The duck prepared in this way is cooked hanging in a special oven for several hours, during which the skin puffs up again, becomes crispy and takes on the typical, shiny red color. Now the duck is shown to the guests. The skin is cut into even diamonds, the fat is scraped off and served in rolled up very thin pancakes with a special sauce (usually hoisin sauce ) and spring onions as a starter. Then the meat is cut into bite-sized, thin slices and served as the main course with various side dishes.
However, there is also the version without separation of skin and meat, the fat is melted by the way it is prepared, and it is only seasoned with malt sugar. Here the duck is carved in front of the guest.
During the main course, a soup is made from the remains of the duck, which, as is customary in China, concludes the menu.
Dry duck after 5 hours of preparation
Peking duck - served without dismantling
Carved with hoisin sauce
Peking duck served on pancakes
Wrap in flatbread with green onion
