I am planning on cooking Peking Duck for Christmas dinner this year and have started searching for the right duck. And after plenty of research, I still have many questions. Pekin breed are the traditional duck for this dish and would likely do well, but I have also found solid recommendations for Moulard (cross between Pekin and Muscovy) as well as a few others (Rohan, Alina). Does anyone have any experience with these breeds? As for the recipe, I am leaning towards following the Serious Eats version for my first attempt (Peking Duck with Mandarin Pancakes and Plum Sauce Recipe). Any words of wisdom?
Cheers
You want a leaner bird for peking duck. I wouldn’t go with a moulard as it is way too fatty, I’ve found that you don’t end up with as crispy skin when using it and you can end up with some not so rendered and duck fat that way. Muscovy is a bit leaner than Peking, but I find that adversely impacts Peking duck. I might opt for it if I was just pan frying a breast or something. To me, pecking strikes the perfect balance of fat for what you need. Don’t have any experience with rohan or or alina heritages. I use the ChefSteps recipe: https://www.chefsteps.com/activities/the-ultimate-guide-to-making-crispy-amber-hued-peking-duck-at-home. Although it does take a bit more work than the Serious Eats recipe
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Thanks for the intel! I will definitely give the ChefSteps recipe a thorough review before I make a final decision on the recipe. I think that I am going to go w/ a Pekin duck as that is traditional. Use that as a baseline then I can try others. On a side note, I attended a banquet in Hong Kong about 20 years ago where the Peking Duck was actually goose. Let’s just say that I will not consider that option…ever.
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