Peking Duck… almost
Peking Duck… almost
Ingredients
- 1 duck
- 3 star anise pod
- 1 piece 7.3 x 2-inch (5 x 5-cm) ginger
- 1/2 cup (125 ml) celery, chopped
- 1 small head of garlic, broken into cloves, unpeeled
- 1/4 cup (60 ml) hoisin sauce
- 1 tablespoon (15 ml) honey
- 1 tablespoon (15 ml) rice vinegar
- 2 cups (500 ml) all-purpose flour
- 1/2 teaspoon (2.5 ml) salt
- 3/4 cup (180 ml) boiling water
- 1 tablespoon (15 ml) sesame oil
- Hoisin sauce
- Green onions cut into strips
- English cucumber, peeled, cut into strips
Instructions
- In a metal baking dish, bring about 2.5-cm (1-inch) of water to a boil. Add a rack large enough to rest on the sides of the dish.
- Prick the duck skin in the fattest parts. Remove any visible fat.
- Stuff the duck with the anise, ginger, celery and garlic. Do not tie the duck legs.
- Place the duck on the rack and cover with a double thickness of aluminum foil. Enclose the duck as tightly as possible. Reduce the heat, the water should only simmer.
- Steam the duck for 1 hour and 30 minutes or until a skewer inserted into the thigh shows that the duck is cooked throughout. After 1 hour, check the water level. Add more as needed, but it is rarely the case.
- Combine the glaze ingredients. Let the duck cool for ten minutes on the rack. Gently pat the duck’s skin dry, which is now very unappetizing.
- Preheat the oven to 200 °C (400 °F). Wash the bottom metal baking dish and line with aluminum foil for easy cleanup. Remove the duck for the rack.
- Brush the skin with the glaze. Let dry for 10 minutes. Brush again with the glaze. Bake for about 40 minutes, basting occasionally.
- The duck will be a shiny and beautiful dark brown. Remove from the oven and rack.
- Most of the skin should be crisp.
- To serve, remove the skin and cut into strips. Remove the duck meat and break into pieces. Set aside.
Peking Duck… almost