Peking duck pancakes
Peking duck is eaten in a thin pancake that is filled with crispy vegetables, such as cucumber and spring onions cut lengthwise. You can easily make these peking duck pancakes yourself. It is super easy but takes some time. in total about 45 minutes for about 20 pancakes.
Peking duck Pancakes (about 20)
Ingredients
- 250 grams of flour
- 140 milliliters of hot water
- Pinch of salt
Filling
- Cucumber
- Spring onions
- Chili pepper
Sauces
- Hoisin sauce (click here for the recipe)
- Plum sauce (click here for the recipe)
- Place a steam basket (or take a flat bottom colander) above water and bring it to a boil.
- Lay a ‘cartouche’ on the bottom of my basket; a round cut piece of parchment paper. The cartouche should not fit exactly. Better to cut it too small, so enough steam can pass.
- Add 250 grams of flour to a bowl and pour in 140 ml of hot water. The water is so hot I have to use chopsticks before I can knead it.
- Knead the dough for a few minutes. It gets smoother and starts to shine a bit after a minute or 5.
- Roll it into a sausage and cut it into 20 pieces that I roll into balls.
- I cover the balls and start to roll them out one by one into super thin sheets.
- Add the first pancake into the steaming basket and keep on steaming while pilling up with new dough sheets.
- When all the sheets are done, steam them for another 3-5 minutes, and then they are finished.
- Now immediately take them off the water and separate them one by one and place them on a plate or back in the basket to serve. I you do not separate them, they will stick forever.
Hot water
Use hot water to create these pancakes. I’ve also made the pancakes with cold water. This creates a different type of dough but ultimately becomes the same in thickness and transparency. Hot water dough stays more firm and is easier to roll in a strong pancake.
I knead the dough for a few minutes. It gets smoother and starts to shine a bit after a minute or 5. I roll it into a sausage and cut it into 20 pieces that I roll into balls.
I cover the balls and start to roll them out one by one into super thin sheets.
I roll until my sheet is translucent when you hold it in your hand. I use extra flour to prevent it from sticking to the counter and rolling pin.
Steaming
In the meantime, my water boils under my bamboo basket. My first pancake can go in and I close the lid.
I steam for a few minutes and roll another pancake. The time of steaming depends on the time it takes for me to roll a new pancake. It doesn’t have to be exact. I just add more pancakes to the steaming basket, pilling them up and close the lid every time. When my last pancake is done, I steam for another 5 minutes and then they are finished.
Separate
It’s important to immediately separate the pancakes when they are done. One by one I gently pull them of one another and pill them up again. If you do not do this they will become too sticky and form one big slap, not pretty. Now the pancakes are separated, you can keep them for days in the fridge. If you want to use them, place them back into the steaming basket and steam until warm and flexible again.
Serve
I cut cucumber and spring onions in long thin strips. At the table, I cut the meat of the bird and make nice thin strips. I mix fat (skin parts) with the more meaty meat.
I scoop one teaspoon of plum sauce (recipe is coming soon) on the pancake, place the duck pieces, cucumber, onions, and chilies on top and drizzle a teaspoon (or two) homemade hoisin sauce or plum sauce on top. Now I roll my pancake into something I can hold in my hand.
And….. scrumptious. The sweetness of the hoisin, the crispiness of the duck with its 5 spices herbs is coming through strongly. And then at the end, the sharpness and stinginess of the chilli. This is so much fun to eat and to make!
