Chinese crispy duck with homemade pancakes

Posted by petra08 on February 4, 2017 · 10 Comments 

It wasn’t until I moved to the UK that I discovered crispy duck. I can’t remember duck being readily available when I grew up but it could have been something my parents didn’t cook, or eat.

Duck is very common in the UK and crispy duck in the Chinese restaurant is a classic. Shredded crispy duck with hoisin sauce, served with thin pancakes and shredded spring onions and cucumber. The combination is delicious and I knew I wanted to give it a go at home. I did some research and I realized that the final stage of the cooking is deep frying.

Duck meat is very rich and I thought it must be possible to roast the duck in the oven instead and make it slightly healthier. A few experiments and years later I think I have finally got a great recipe to share. It is very simple and just delicious. The duck legs are great on their own and will make a great dish with mash, salad or rice, you will need two legs per person.

 

I got the duck and realized I had run out of pancakes. I usually stock up but when I de frosted my freezer last time a few things had gone off, pancakes included and I forgot to buy new ones. I didn’t have time to go to the nearest big town, or London to buy some so I thought I would give it a go and make my own. I read various recipes and I came back to one recipe and you can find it here.

I followed it step by step with one exception, I rolled out the dough very thinly and then brushed it with oil instead of brushing the lightly flattened dough balls. I placed one on top of the oiled one and cooked them in the frying pan. As soon as they started to puff up I separated them and placed the cooked pancaked inside a folded tea towel on top of each other to keep them warm until they were all cooked. This was the first time I served food inside a tea towel at a dinner party!

 

Roasted, crispy duck

preparation time 5 minutes 

cooking time 2 1/2 hours 

oven 150C or 300F

serves 4 as a small dish or 2 as a starter 

Ingredients

• 2 duck legs
• 1/2 tbsp Chinese five spice
• 1/2 tsp sea salt
• 3-5 whole twigs of rosemary

Place the rosemary on grease proof paper in a roasting tray. Rinse and pat the duck legs dry. Sprinkle salt and Chinese five spice over them and place them, skin side up on top of the rosemary. Place the duck in the oven and leave them there for 2 1/2 hours.

 

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When you are ready to serve, shred the duck legs with two forks.

 

 

It took a lot of self discipline not to just tuck in, I ate a small strand just as a taste control before serving it.

 

I shredded spring onions and cucumber to go with the duck but I had a half ripe mango and thought this would be nice as well.

 

 

Hoisin sauce was the last ingredient and I couldn’t wait to get started.

 

 

 

The crispy duck pancakes were not as pale as they should be but who cares? They were absolutely delicious. The flavor difference compared to store bought pancakes is incredible. They were not difficult to make and I can’t wait to make more and fill them with all sorts. Not to mention making crispy duck again as well.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Filed under Allotment/Veg, Bread, Cucumber, Duck, Fennel, Fruit, Main course, Mango, Meat, Recipe, Side dish, Snack, Spring onion, Starter · Tagged with crispy duck, flat bread, home made crispy duck pancakes, roasted crispy duck