Thin, crispy skin duck with fresh cucumber and spring onions, a splash of sweet bean sauce, and served on a small pancake. This is the classic dish of Peking Duck.
Peking Duck
Peking Duck has been prepared in China since the time of the empires, and since the middle of the 20th century it has been considered as the national dish. Any Chinese restaurant worth their salt must know how to prepare this dish. Today, I was lucky enough to savour it at one of the finest Cantonese restaurants in Thailand, Hong Bao. Incidentally "Hong "Bao" means red envelope, which are the lucky envelopes used to give gifts, usually of money on special days. If you ask any Chinese/Thai where to eat Peking Duck they will tell you Hong Bao is one of the best.
The Duck
The duck must be prepared in a special way such that it contains mainly skin and very little meat. To do this the carcass must have air pumped under the skin via the neck. This helps to seperate the skin from the fatty layer below it. It is then briefly soaked in boiling water and hung to dry. While drying, it is braised with a sweet syrup before being baked in the oven until golden brown.
Today, the entire duck was brought to our table where the chef then cut the luscious strips in front of us. You could tell that he took great pride in both the presentation and flavour of his duck...remember his reputation relied on it
We were then served the dish of fresh vegetables comprising of thinly sliced cucumber and spring onions. The crisp, watery nature of the vegetables goes some way to balancing the sickly sweet duck, and definitely benefits the overall taste. We were also supplied with the small soft Chinese pancakes, onto which the duck and vegetables would be placed. Give them a dash of the sweet bean sauce to make it all stick together, and then roll them up like a mini-Chinese Burrito.
The Taste
The sweet crispness of the skin contrasted perfectly with the soft meat underneath. The duck was a rich flavour, as was the sauce, and delicious. Though I doubt my ability to eat too much of this dish without making myself sick. The crisp vegetables and the chewiness of the pancake were all perfect. I am far from an expert on Peking Duck, as I have only had it a few times in my life, but this was exquisite. AS I suspected after 4 small servings I was done. Luckilly there were 3 of us, as this is a dish best shared.
My Peking Duck Pancake ready to eat
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