PEKING DUCK

Steps:

• The *malt sugar called for in this recipe resembles honey.
• This and the other Oriental condiments are available in Oriental food stores.
• Clean the duck and place in a basin.
• Boil a large kettle of water and pour it over the duck, dousing it thoroughly.
• Remove the bird immediately and dry it inside and out with a paper towel.
• Hang it by the neck overnight in an airy place.
• Dissolve the malt sugar in the soy sauce and rub the duck with this mixture.
• When this coating has dried, place the duck on a wire rack in a roasting pan and put it in an oven, preheated to 375°F to roast for 1 hour.
• Do not baste the duck or open the oven door.
• While the duck is roasting, make the pancakes.
• Put the flour in a bowl and gradually add the boiling water.
• Mix well with a wooden spoon, but do not knead the dough.
• Cover with a cloth and leave stand for 20 minutes.
• Form the dough into a long roll about 2 inches in diameter.
• Cut off 1/2 inch rounds from the roll.
• Roll the rounds into balls and flatten them into round cakes 1/4 inch thick.
• When you have used up the dough, dust each cake with flour and roll it out into a paper thin pancake.
• Lightly brush a heavy skillet with oil, and cook the pancakes over low heat for 1 1/4 minutes on each side.
• They are ready when parts of the pancakes start to curl and bubble slightly.
• Stack the cooked pancakes and cover with a damp cloth until required.
• To serve the duck, first slice off the crisp skin in 1-2 inch squares and then slice off the meat.
• Place the skin and the meat on two separate warmed dishes and bring to the table.
• The plum sauce, the bean paste, the scallions and the cucumber strips should all be laid out in separate small dishes.
• Spread a spoonful of sauce on each pancake, lay strips of cucumber and scallions down the center, add duck skin and meat, and roll up the pancake.
• After the duck carcass has been stripped of its meat, it is usually boiled with a large amount of cabbage and traditionally served as a soup to end the meal.