This national dish of China was first established during the Yuan Dynasty 700 years ago and its preparation has been the culmination of thousands of years of cooking. The recipe is first noted in Complete Recipes for Dishes and Beverages published in 1330 as a meal served to the Imperial court (Kublai Khan’s Mongol Empire), and then further evolved under the Ming Dynasty (1368–1644). The first restaurant to provide Peking Duck on the menu was Bianyifang, established in 1416, and the restaurant is still serving the dish today.
There are a lot of rules to get this recipe right. Ducks are raised for exactly 65 days. After plucking, the duck is pumped it full of air under the skin to enable a crispy texture. The duck is covered with boiling water, skewered, glazed with a sweet syrup, and hung for 24 hours to dry. The dish is prepared with spring onion, cucumber, and a sweet bean sauce with pancakes and it is often served in three courses. Many restaurants require advanced notice if you plan to order Peking Duck.
Music Du Jour: The Hu playlist (Mongolian Metal) or Chinese Classical playlist
Films Du Jour:
- Marco Polo TV Series
- The Mighty Ducks
- Duck Soup
- Duck Dynasty
- Howard the Duck
- Duck
- Daffy Duck
- Duck Tails – Treasure of the Lost Lamp
Miscellaneous:
- History of Peking Duck
- Pocket the Peking Duck
- TooTurntTony Channel
- Ancient Peking (Beijing)
- Duck boots on Amazon
Snacks du Jour: Full recipe for Peking Duck; and here’s a good Babish video
Cocktail Du Jour – Alaska Duck Fart Cocktail
Recipe from My Incredible Recipes
- 1 oz Baileys Irish Cream
- 1 oz Kahula
- 1 oz Crown Royal (or Amaretto)
- 2 scoops vanilla ice cream
- 2 oz whole milk
Blend all ingredients in a blender. Pour into glass and garnish with whipped cream and a cherry.
Mocktail Du Jour – Alaska Duck Fart Mocktail
- 1 oz Irish Cream creamer or coffee mate
- 1 oz Lyre’s Coffee Original
- 1 oz Fabbri Italian Flavoring Syrup
- 2 scoops vanilla ice cream
- 2 oz whole milk
Blend all ingredients in a blender. Pour into glass and garnish with whipped cream and a cherry.
Beer Du Jour
Tsingtao Lager or Young Master Neon City Chinese Ale
Wine Du Jour
Duckhorn or Decoy labels, or any good Cote de Rhone to pair with a duck meal
Use freshly squeezed citrus in your cocktails and mocktails when called for – It makes such a difference! Here’s a reliable and inexpensive juicer.
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Photo credit: “Peking Duck – close-up – Duck Duck Goose Yum Cha Silver AUD6 for 2 wraps” by avlxyz is licensed under CC BY-SA 2.0
