Food & Wine
Mandarin-style Peking duck pancakes
This is a lovely and very accessible at-home version of Peking Duck. Purists may describe it as watered down but it is very satisfying to cook this at home as a shared dish to enjoy with friends.
Makes: 24
Ingredients:
- Ingredients
- 230g flour
- 170ml boiling water
- 2 teaspoons Canola oil plus additional for cooking
- 1 teaspoon Thai fish sauce
Honey glaze
- 4 tablespoons runny honey
- 2 tablespoons Tamari soy sauce
- 2 teaspoons sesame oil
Filling
- 1 tablespoon finely ground salt
- 4 single duck breasts, skin on
- 1 tablespoon five-spice powder
- 6 spring onions, darker leafy ends removed
- ½ telegraph cucumber, peeled or unpeeled dependent on tenderness of skin
- Hoisin sauce
Method:
- To make the pancakes, place flour into a bowl and whisk in water, oil and fish sauce until they are incorporated. Quickly work dough with your hands until it becomes soft and pliable and forms a ball. Work dough as little as possible.
- Break into 24 pieces and lightly form each piece into a ball. Cover balls with a cold damp tea towel.
- Roll out each ball to a thin 15cm round. If you wish using an upturned 15cm bowl place it over the pancake and cut around it to trim and neaten edges.
- Line a large baking tray with baking paper and place pancakes in stacks of 2 onto tray. Place a sheet of baking paper on top.
- Place a flat grill plate or large frypan over a medium heat and heat until hot. Lightly oil cooking surface and place a stack of 2 pancakes onto grill plate. Once pancake starts to bubble, approximately 30 seconds, flip stack and briefly cook second side 30 seconds to 1 minute or until a glassy appearance is reached.
- Remove the 2 pancakes from heat, separate and place onto a tray. Cover with a damp tea towel while cooking remaining stacks. Serve while slightly warm. Alternatively cook ahead and freshen up by placing in a lined steamer basket set over simmering water. Steam for 2 to 3 minutes only.
- To make the glaze, into a small bowl place honey, soy sauce and sesame oil and whisk to combine.
- To make the filling, preheat oven to 200°C. Wipe moisture from skin with a paper towel, sprinkle with five-spice powder and rub it into the skin.
- Heat a heavy-based frypan to medium and place duck breasts, skin side down, into dry frypan. Cook for 4-5 minutes until skin is well browned. As fat is rendered from duck pour off and save for a later use.
- Place duck onto a low-sided roasting tray, skin side up, and cook for 8-11 minutes or until skin is crisp and flesh is cooked medium-rare.
- Remove from oven and rest under a tea towel for 10 minutes.
- Cut spring onions into 5cm lengths. Very thinly slice lengths into fine strips and place into iced water for 10 minutes or until curled.
- Cut cucumber in half lengthwise and remove seeds. Cut each half in half again lengthwise, then cut into 2mm-3mm thick slices.
- Cut duck breasts in half lengthwise then slice each half from side to side into thin strips, about 4mm thick. Place in a bowl and add honey glaze. Gently toss to coat duck.
- Arrange Peking Style Duck on a platter accompanied with spring onions, cucumber and Mandarin Pancakes encouraging guests to help themselves. Accompany with Hoisin Sauce.
Written by Ruth Pretty. First appeared on Stuff.co.nz.
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