2 Ducks (5-to 6-pound), Long
-Island (Peking), thawed if
-frozen
1 c Boiling water
1/4 c Honey
1 tb Rice
Vinegar
Accompaniments
Scallion brushes
Hoisin sauce
Mock Mandarin pancakes
Rinse ducks inside and out and pat dry. Remove excess fat from cavities and
truss ducks. On a metal rack set in a large roasting pan arrange ducks,
breast sides up and several inches apart. Let ducks dry, uncovered and
chilled, 3 days.
In a small bowl stir together boiling water, honey, and vinegar and cool to
room temperature. Brush ducks with some honey mixture, keeping them
chilled, and brush again every 20 minutes for 1 hour. Let ducks dry at room
temperature 30 minutes.
Preheat oven to 350 degrees.
Pierce skin of ducks all over with a fork to allow fat to drain and help
skin become crisp. Roast ducks in middle of oven until mahogany brown and a
meat thermometer inserted in fleshy part of a thigh registers 180 degrees,
about 1 hour and 15 minutes. Let ducks stand 10 minutes. Discard string and
carefully pour out juices from cavities.
Cut around entire breast of each duck with a sharp paring knife, and
carefully peel off crisp skin in large pieces. Cut skin into 2 1/2- by
1-inch strips. Cut away and discard any fat on breast meat and remove
breast meat from bone. Slice breast meat diagonally into 1/4-inch-thick
slices
and arrange on a platter with crisp skin. Remove legs from ducks and
arrange on another platter. Duck meat may be reheated and skin recrisped in
a 350 degree oven just until hot.
To assemble pancakes:
Using a scallion brush spread some hoisin sauce on a pancake (whole or
half) and top with the scallion brush, some breast meat, and some crisp
skin. Roll up pancake to enclose filling. Make more pancakes with remaining
scallion brushes, hoisin sauce, breast meat, and crisp skin in same manner.
Serve duck legs on the side.
Yield: 6 servings
To make scallion brushes: 24 or 48 thin scallions
Trim roots and green parts from scallions, leaving about 2 1/2 inches of
stalk. Fringe ends of scallions by cutting slits about 1/2 inch deep all
around both ends of each stalk, leaving about 1 inch of solid scallion in
center, and spread fringed ends gently. Put scallions in a bowl of ice and
cold water. Chill scallions 2 hours, or until fringed ends have curled.
Drain scallions well.
Mock Mandarin Pancakes: Twenty-four 6- to 8-inch flour tortillas
1/4 cup Asian sesame oil
Preheat oven to 350 degrees.
Brush one side of each tortilla with some oil and stack on a large sheet of
foil. Wrap tortillas loosely in the foil and heat on middle rack of oven
until warm, about 10 minutes.
Serve pancakes whole or halved.
NOTES : Cooking Live
Yields
1 Servings