One of the most delicious and popular dishesChinese cuisine rightfully considers Peking duck. It is not surprising that this gastronomic masterpiece delights gourmets all over the world! Although the traditional cooking recipe is considered quite complicated, modern housewives can successfully master this culinary delight without leaving home.

Recipe history and methods of preparation

Peking duck is famous for its marinade,so you need to stock up on time, since the entire cooking process will take about 2 days. Beijin kaoya - this is how "Peking duck" is called in the local language, which has been prepared according to unchanged traditions since 1330, when the Yuan Dynasty ruled. It was at that time that nutritionist and medical expert Hu Sihui compiled and published the recipe in his work "The Most Important Principles of Food and Drink". In addition, this man was responsible for the nutrition of the emperor himself! From that moment on, the best chefs served the fattest and most tender ducks to the ruler's table. The old version of cooking Peking duck has undergone minor changes, but it still exists today. The dish comes in three types, and they all differ only in the way it is fried.

The duck is hung and fried over a firewood outfitfruit trees (peach, dates, pears). The finished bird produces a shiny red crust that crunches, and the meat becomes tender and has a stunning aroma.

The duck is baked in a special oven with a special temperature regime: a very high degree is gradually lowered. Due to this, a crispy roasted crust turns out, and the meat becomes juicy.

The bird is pierced with a spit or a large fork, and then roasted over the divorced fire. This method is called chashao, which in translation means jerky.

The first and third options can only be afforded by traditional expensive Chinese restaurants, but the second is suitable for modern food establishments and for preparing the dish at home.

Preliminary preparation

Choosing the perfect duck For the Chinese, of courseThe search for the perfect bird is a real ceremony! There is even a specially bred breed of ducks, intended exclusively for the preparation of this dish. If you do not go to such extremes, then you only need to follow some important recommendations. It is best to take a young, but quite large and meaty bird weighing more than 2 kg. It is desirable that it is fresh and domestic. But if you buy a frozen duck, then be sure to defrost it in advance in a gentle mode. First in the refrigerator for a day or two, and then at room temperature for about 10 hours. And in no case use a microwave for this purpose. Since such a method will certainly negatively affect the taste of the finished product. When starting the preparatory actions, you need to make sure that there are no extra hairs on the carcass, and all the extra hairs can be removed with a sharp knife, going over the skin, or simply plucked. Then you need to thoroughly rinse the duck under a stream of lukewarm water. Then remove excess fat and cut off the smallest wing phalanges. After this, the carcass is hung and thoroughly doused with boiling water. To hang it, use a hook or hand scales (they have both a hook and a handle). After all the manipulations, the duck is thoroughly wiped and left to dry for a short time. Ingredients and marinating The list of components for the marinade should not be changed or replaced with alternatives according to custom; only the following ingredients guarantee the correct taste of the dish:

• young, fat, meaty duck - carcass weighing 2-3 kg;
• Sherry wine - 2 tablespoons;
• liquid honey - 4 tablespoons;
• sesame oil - 1 tablespoon;
• classic soy sauce without additives - 5 tablespoons;
• ginger dry ground or fresh grated root - 1 tablespoon;
• freshly ground black pepper - 1 tablespoon;
• salt.

Peking duck will take longer to marinatedays, so it is best to do this process in the morning. Consistency and patience are important here. It is this procedure that will make the meat soft, juicy, with a unique aroma. First of all, the dried carcass is doused with sherry: outside and inside. Let it sit for 10-15 minutes, then carefully rub with sea or regular rock salt. To do this, put the carcass on a glass, jar or bottle and place it vertically on a tray. In this position, it is kept for 12 hours. The liquid that will flow from the bird is periodically drained. After 12 hours, the duck is coated with half a portion of honey (this is 2 tablespoons), placed in a cool place and left there for another 12 hours.

Roasting in the oven: tender meat and crispy crust

After the specified time (most likely in the morningthe next day) the duck is marinated and prepared for direct frying. To do this, the oven is heated to 190 0 C, and the bird itself is laid out on the following structure: water is poured into a baking tray, a rack is placed on top, on which the duck is placed breast up, which is covered with foil. Moreover, the foil must be covered not only with the duck, but also with the entire rack. The baking time is 70 minutes. When the Peking duck is fried, the second stage of its preparation begins - creating a crispy crust. To do this, prepare the glaze: in a sufficiently deep container, mix half (2.5 tablespoons) of soy sauce, sesame oil, ginger and black pepper. You can use a blender. The duck is taken out of the oven, freed from the foil and the lower baking tray. Using a brush, grease with the resulting mixture and put back in the oven at the highest possible temperature - 250-2600C. The crust is formed within 25 minutes. However, it is necessary to monitor the process and not allow the dish to burn. If necessary, you can reduce the temperature by increasing the frying time.

The final stage

At this time, from the remaining soy sauce andhoney, a seasoning for the meat is prepared. These components are mixed and spread in a thick layer on all sides of the browned duck (after 25 minutes have passed, it must be taken out). In the oven, turn on the "grill" mode and do the final baking of the crust until a thick golden color. This takes 10 minutes. After cooking is complete, the duck is not taken out immediately, but after 10-15 minutes. Then cut into portions and served. In Chinese restaurants, the choice of appetizers offered with the main course will be quite extensive. Usually these are flatbreads, Chinese cabbage soup, young onion stalks and various sauces. Peking duck is served laid out on a large tray, which is decorated with herbs and flowers cut from different vegetables (carrots, daikon, beets). The second plate is filled with rice cakes, sliced ​​cucumbers and green onions. To maintain the tradition, it is enough to make egg pancakes or serve regular lavash with the pieces of meat. But it is not necessary to turn your home into an elite restaurant with numerous changes of dishes. Peking duck itself will take a royal place on any table and will rightfully become one of the most beloved delicacies.

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