Peking Duck

Ingredients

• •1 whole duck (4-5 lb)
• •3 tbsp maltose
• •1/4 cup water (for the glaze)
• •1 tbsp rice vinegar
• •1 tsp salt
• •12 mandarin pancakes
• •1/2 cup hoisin sauce
• •1 cucumber, cut into thin strips
• •4 scallions, cut into thin strips

Steps

1. 1.Bring a large pot of water to a boil. Holding the duck with tongs, ladle the boiling water evenly over the skin all over the duck for a minute or two, until the skin tightens and turns pale - this blanching step separates the skin from the fat layer beneath, which is what lets it puff up and crisp in the oven.
2. 2.Pat the duck completely dry, then rub the salt inside the cavity.
3. 3.Whisk together the maltose, water, and rice vinegar until smooth, then brush this glaze evenly over the entire skin of the duck. Hang or rest the duck uncovered on a rack in the refrigerator for 24 hours - this long, uncovered air-drying is what dries out the skin so it crisps properly instead of steaming soft in the oven.
4. 4.Preheat the oven to 375°F. Place the duck breast-side up on a rack set over a roasting pan and roast for 45 minutes, then flip and roast breast-side down for another 20 minutes, then flip back and roast breast-side up for a final 15-20 minutes, until the skin is a deep mahogany and glass-crisp.
5. 5.Let the duck rest for 10 minutes, then carve the skin and meat into thin slices.
6. 6.Serve with warmed mandarin pancakes, hoisin sauce, cucumber, and scallion - each diner spreads hoisin on a pancake, then adds duck, cucumber, and scallion before rolling it up.