Peking duck

Ingredients for 4 servings:

• 1 duck(s) (Peking duck, frozen, approx. 2.5 kg)
• 4 tbsp sweet soy sauce (Kecap Manis)
• 2 tbsp chili sauce (spring roll sauce, Thailand)
• 1 tsp, leveled chicken broth (strong bouillon)
• 1 tsp liquid smoke (e.g. from Kostrowok)
• 1 pinch(s) five-spice powder

Instructions

Working time approx. 30 minutes; Rest period approx. 2 days; Cooking/baking time approx. 1 hour 40 minutes; Total time approx. 2 days 2 hours 10 minutes

The dish takes time, but is not difficult to prepare (see note).

Thaw the duck overnight in the refrigerator. Trim off the head, feet, and outer wing pieces. Wash the gutted duck thoroughly inside and out and bring plenty of water to a boil in a large pot (the duck should fit snugly). Add the duck to the pot and boil for 5 minutes. Remove and dry as best you can with kitchen paper. Hang it up with a string by the neck in a well-ventilated place and let it dry for 5-6 hours. Keep dogs and cats away. Remove the duck, dab away any rendered fat with kitchen paper, and apply a thin layer of marinade inside and out with a brush. Hang it up again and let it dry overnight. Marinate again (optionally mix the liquid smoke into the marinade now) and dry for another 5 hours. Preheat the oven to 200°C (fan-assisted if possible). Place the duck breast-up on a rack with a drip tray (see picture) and a cup of water underneath, and roast for 45 minutes. Turn the duck over, add ½ cup of water to the roasting pan, and cook at 180°C for 50-60 minutes. Meanwhile, prepare the mandarin pancakes (see appendix). Have the dipping sauces and the vegetable side dishes ready. Cut the skin from the back into approximately 4 x 6 cm pieces and cut approximately 5 cm thick slices from the breast. Place on a serving plate, garnish, and serve with the remaining side dishes. Note: The often-mentioned method of inflating the duck cannot be achieved by removing the entrails via the rear end. Furthermore, the skin is usually not intact in frozen duck. Connoisseurs will miss the slightly smoky flavor of the Peking duck’s skin when using the method presented here. The original method is to hang roast the duck in a round coal-fired oven, and if you have a smoker, you should hang roast the duck there. Appendix: Mandarin pancakes: https://www.chefkoch.de/rezepte/3809511580023944/Mandarin-Pfannenkuchen.html