Pekin duck

Canard de Pékin

What it is

Almost every white duck farmed in the West descends from a handful of birds shipped from China to Long Island in 1873. The breed's value is structural — a thin skin sitting loose over a thick fat layer, which is what lets scalding and air-drying separate the two so the skin can crisp on its own.

In the kitchen

Scald the skin with boiling water, then dry the bird uncovered in the fridge for at least a day — a damp skin steams and will never lacquer. Maltose or honey in the glaze browns at a lower temperature than sugar, so the colour arrives before the meat overcooks.

Goes with

Hoisin sauce Spring onion Cucumber Shaoxing wine Chinese five-spice Honey Ginger Soy sauce

Same species

Mallard Century egg (pidan) Duck heart Duck confit Stuffed duck neck Duck

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