Peking Duck W / Bun (whole) Recipe

Prepare the duck

Remove giblets and neck from the duck cavity. Rinse briefly inside and out and pat thoroughly dry with paper towels. Prick the skin on the windpipe and any very fatty areas with a skewer—do not puncture the meat. Tie the legs together with kitchen twine and tuck the wing tips under the body.

Season cavity and apply marinade

Rub the inside of the cavity with 1 tsp fine sea salt, 1 tbs rice wine, and 1/2 tsp five-spice powder. In a heatproof bowl, dissolve the maltose (or honey) and granulated sugar in the boiling water, stirring until smooth. Stir in the remaining 1 tbs rice wine, 1 tbs light soy sauce and the remaining salt and five-spice to form a warm glaze. With a brush, coat the entire duck skin with the warm maltose glaze—this helps form the lacquered skin. Allow the duck to rest on a wire rack for 10–15 minutes while you prepare the cavity aromatics.

Stuff the duck cavity with the ginger slices, halved scallions, star anise, and Sichuan peppercorns. These aromatics will infuse the meat during roasting.

Place the glazed, stuffed duck on a wire rack set over a sheet pan. In a separate shallow pan, mix the white vinegar, cold water and 1 tsp sugar. With a pastry brush, gently brush the vinegar mixture over the duck skin—this helps tighten the skin and promote crisping. Refrigerate the duck uncovered for at least 6 hours or preferably overnight. If refrigerating overnight, place it on the top shelf so air circulates; uncovered refrigeration dries the skin for the characteristic crisp Peking finish.

Preheat oven and prepare equipment

Preheat the oven to 475°F (245°C). Position a rack in the middle of the oven. Place a shallow roasting pan with 1 cup of water on the bottom of the oven to catch drips and keep humidity low near the duck initially.

Initial high-heat roast

Place the duck on a rack over a roasting pan breast-side up. Roast at 475°F (245°C) for 15 minutes to render fat and set the glaze.

Lower heat and continue roasting

Reduce oven temperature to 350°F (175°C). Roast for an additional 60–75 minutes (for a 4–5 lb duck), turning the roasting pan 180° halfway through for even browning. Every 20–30 minutes, spoon off excess fat from the bottom pan so the duck isn’t sitting in fat. If the skin browns too quickly, tent loosely with foil.

Final crisping

For an extra-crisp skin, raise oven to 475°F (245°C) during the final 8–12 minutes of roasting or use the oven broiler for 2–4 minutes—watch carefully to avoid burning. The duck is done when the skin is deeply golden and an instant-read thermometer inserted into the thickest part of the thigh (not touching bone) reads 165–170°F (74–77°C).

Remove the duck from the oven and transfer to a cutting board. Tent loosely with foil and rest 15 minutes before carving. Reserve the pan juices for optional carving sauce.

During the resting period, warm the steamed buns by wrapping in foil and heating at 300°F (150°C) for 8–10 minutes or steam for 5 minutes until soft and hot. Warm the hoisin sauce slightly if desired.

Carve the duck into thin slices: remove legs and thighs, slice meat; then slice breast meat across the grain into very thin pieces with a sharp knife. Peking tradition often presents very thin skin-on slices; to achieve this, make long, thin slices that include both skin and a thin layer of meat.

Optional carving sauce: skim most fat from the reserved roasting juices. Place juices in a small saucepan over medium heat, add 1 tsp dark soy sauce and bring to a simmer. Stir in the cornstarch slurry a little at a time until the sauce coats the back of a spoon. Keep warm.

Assemble buns: spread 1 tsp hoisin inside each bun, add a few slices of duck (skin side up), top with cucumber and scallion juliennes, and drizzle a little of the carving sauce if using. Finish with a few drops of sesame oil to taste.

Leftover duck: refrigerate carved duck in an airtight container for up to 3 days. Reserved fat can be cooled and saved for roasting potatoes. Reheat gently (covered) to keep skin from getting chewy.