Peking duck is perhaps the best-known dish of Chinese cuisine, with a history that goes back centuries to the imperial kitchens of Beijing. It comes down to a simple but demanding idea: preparing a whole duck so that the skin becomes glassy and crisp while the meat underneath stays tender. At Sichuan Food we serve that duck as tradition intends, in three courses, and carved at your table.

The craft: how the skin becomes crisp

A good Peking duck begins long before the plate. The skin is loosened from the meat and brushed with a thin, lightly sweet glaze. The duck is then given time to dry, so the moisture is drawn out of the skin. Only then does it slowly go into the oven. That patience is the whole secret: it is why the skin eventually becomes thin, glossy and crunchy, while the meat underneath stays juicy.

Peking duck is all about patience. The skin is slowly lacquered until crisp, the meat stays tender.

Carved at your table

When the duck is ready, it is not divided out of sight in the kitchen, but carved at your table. This is not a show for its own sake, but part of the tradition: you see the crisp skin and the tender meat at their finest, fresh and warm. It is the moment the dish truly begins.

Course 1: the crispy skin

The first course is the classic most people know. The lacquered, crisp skin arrives with thin pancakes, finely sliced spring onion, cucumber and hoisin sauce. You build each bite yourself: a pancake, a piece of skin, some vegetables, a stroke of sauce, and then roll it up. The interplay of crunchy, fresh and sweet-savoury is what makes this course so loved.

Course 2: the tender meat

In the second course the duck meat returns, this time stir-fried with fresh vegetables and aromatics. Where the first course is light and crisp, this one is full and satisfying. Here you taste the hand of the kitchen: seasoned in the Sichuan tradition, with depth and warmth.

Course 3: the soup

The third course is a clear soup, drawn from the carcass of the duck. Nothing goes to waste. After the richness of the first two courses, this is a calm, warm finish that brings the whole into balance. It is the course that shows how complete the dish really is.

How to eat Peking duck

For anyone eating it for the first time, in short:

1. Take a pancake and place a piece of crispy skin on it.
2. Add some spring onion and cucumber.
3. Brush it with a little hoisin sauce.
4. Roll the pancake up and eat it by hand.
5. Then enjoy the stir-fried meat and finish with the clear soup.

Why three courses?

The three-course form is not a trick, but respect for the product. By serving the duck in parts, each element comes into its own at its best: the skin crunchy, the meat tender, and the carcass as soup. That way you taste not a single bite, but the whole duck, from the lightest to the most savoury.

For which occasion?

Peking duck is above all a dish to share. It suits an elaborate dinner with family or friends, a special occasion, or an evening when you take your time. One duck is usually enough for two to four people, and it combines beautifully with other dishes from our menu.

Reserving and tips

• Reserve ahead and mention that you would like the Peking duck, so it is ready for you.
• Take your time: it is a dish to enjoy slowly.
• Come with several people so you can share all three courses.

Want to experience the Peking duck yourself? Read more on our Peking duck page or reserve a table directly.