Simplified Peking Duck
1996, TV Food Network, Cooking Right – hosted by John Ash

Peking Duck, or Peking Roast Duck is a famous duck dish from Beijing that has been prepared since the Yuan Dynasty, and is now considered one of China's national foods. The dish is prized for the thin, crispy skin, with authentic versions of the dish serving mostly the skin and little meat, sliced in front of the diners by the cook. Ducks are bred specially for the dish. The meat is often eaten with pancakes, spring onions, and hoisin sauce or sweet noodle sauce. A variant of the dish known as Crispy Aromatic Duck has been created by the Chinese community in the United Kingdom.

Note: Ming has a similar recipe on the Food Network web site. Also see The Food Labs explanation of cooking techniques and recipe for Peking Duck.

1 large whole duck, giblets removed
1 tsp. freshly ground white pepper
1 1/2 Tbsp. ground cinnamon
1 1/2 Tbsp. ground ginger
3/4 cup brown sugar
3/4 cup red wine vinegar
1 tsp sesame oil
2 tsp peanut oil
1/2 tsp ground star anise

Mandarin Pancakes (make or buy)
Hoisin sauce
Green onion, slivered or Scallion Brushes
Cucumber sliced into sticks (the Crispy Aromatic Duck recipe also use these along with the scallions for serving))

Bring a pot of water, large enough to hold the duck, to a boil. Remove from heat and plunge duck in the water for 5 minutes. Remove and pat dry.

Combine the rest of the ingredients in a small saucepan and bring just to the boil. Off heat, allow mixture to cool to room temperature. Liberally coat the duck with the mixture and let it sit at room temperature for 3 hours so that the coating dries out.

To cook: Place duck on a rack, breast side up in a preheated 350 degree oven for 2- 2 1/2 hours. Roast until skin is crisp and brown. Check occasionally and regulate temperature so that the coating does not burn.

To serve: Let duck cool to room temperature. Carefully carve pieces from the bone being sure to include the crisp skin. Roll up in Mandarin Pancakes with a dab of hoisin sauce and slivered green onions or Scallion Brushes.