Thursday, July 12, 2012

PEKING DUCK HOUSE

I've been to Beijing, China and have eaten at the Peking Duck restaurant where they've taken dignitaries to.  This place in Chinatown New York can pass for the one I visited in Beijing.

They have prix-fixed Peking Duck meals which include a variety of dishes besides the Peking Duck at a very reasonable price.  But for those days where you crave for a Peking Duck without having to over eat, I am so glad that I can have it without having to travel far away.

You can actually order 1 Peking Duck, a vegetable dish and if you want something else more to eat, you can order the house fried rice.  This order will feed a party of 3 maybe up to 4 if the group are light eaters.

Above, is a video of how Peking Duck is carved to be served.  The process to prepare the duck itself is the secret.  Some blow air between the skin and the meat which makes the skin crisp when baked.

My Chinese Pediatrician told me long time ago that to prepare a Peking duck, you prick the skin and brush the entire duck liberally with Sherry or Chinese wine.  Then, you hang it a few hours before baking or roasting it in the oven, to drain all the fat out.  Would you believe that I actually tried it at home?  Although the skin became crisp, I think it's easier to eat this at a restaurant that specializes in Peking duck.

The Peking duck was served on our table with thin slices of scallions and cucumbers in a dish and some hoisin sauce to add to the duck.  Not shown is the container of warm pancakes where you put some duck, sauce, some scallions and cucumbers.  Roll  the pancake to eat it.  It's like a thin wrap.
I never complete a dinner without vegetables.  The broccoli with lots of garlic was perfect. 
Since childhood, I've always loved Chinese fried rice.  So, to make the meal perfect, we had to have some fried rice.  By the way, this fried rice is so similar to the kind I grew up with knowing.  Lesson #1, there are many ways of making fried rice.  There are some fried rice whereby the Chef adds soy sauce in it.  I prefer the clean taste of a light fried rice such as the one pictured on the right.

The duck was first shown to us and then carved.
pekingduckhousenyc.com

PEKING DUCK HOUSE:

28 Mott Street
New York
(212) 227-1810
or  in Midtown at
236 East 53rd Street
Manhattan
(212) 759-8260

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