Peking duck

(serves 4-6)

I'm not really making peking duck here so i broadly feel it's unworthy of actually posting. Although after being to China 10 years ago and hearing about how they actually prepare the duck - with the spices, stuffing it, marinating it, blowing the skin away from the meat and then putting it in this epic oven... I doubt i'll ever be equipped to do it properly. This is my brother's favourite dish (potentially ever), and so i thought i may as well put up a few photos as to how we prepare it at home. 

Peking duck is definitely a special occasion food, not only because duck is expensive but because, well, it's pretty fatty! Everyone has their own preference for how they like it, but I think a good peking duck should have; crispy duck skin with a little bit of meat, soft warm pancake, light spread of sauce and 2:1 ratio of cucumber to shallots. 

Ingredients

1 whole duck from the Asian butcher

4 cucumbers

4 sprigs shallots

24 pancakes (fresh from some Asian butchers, or in the frozen section at Asian grocers- defrost!)

Method

1. Preheat the oven to 200˚C. 

2. Prepare the cucumber by removing cutting it length-wise and cut into thin 3cm slices. Prepare the shallots by cutting into 3cm lengths. If the shallot stems are quite thick, then i often halve them so they're not as spicy!

3. Place the duck in the oven for 10-15min until the skin is crispy again. Remove and carefully slice off the skin, and then the meat.

NB. Most of the meat is on the breast and thigh. Keep the duck carcass for duck soup later!

4. Warm the pancakes in the microwave for approx 10-15sec. Only put out 1 for each person at the table as they cool very quickly! 
5. Prepare your pancake by placing the skin/meat in the middle, then sauce on top, then 2 pieces cucumber and 1 shallot piece in the middle. Fold the bottom up and the 2 sides in and eat!! 

Once everyone has finished their piece, then microwave the next few pancakes! :)