Duck: Use half a duck for 3-4 people, or a whole duck for guests. This recipe uses half a duck. Remove the wings.
Cleaning and inflating: Clean the duck thoroughly and pat the skin dry with kitchen paper. Insert a straw between the skin and meat, pinch the surrounding area, and blow firmly to separate the skin from the meat. Repeat in several spots. This step is crucial for achieving crispy skin in authentic Peking duck. Though optional, it takes only minutes and is highly recommended for optimal results. Pour boiling water over the entire duck three times, ensuring both inside and outside are scalded to tighten the skin. Inflate again to further separate skin from meat. Drying: Hang the duck over plastic or newspaper (to catch drips). Use a fan to air-dry for over 5 hours. In hot weather, consider using air conditioning. The skin should become dry, tight, shiny, and reddish. Brush with sugar syrup hourly during drying. After 5 hours, preheat the oven to 220°C with convection. Wrap leg bones in foil. Place apple chunks and soaked solid steamed buns under the duck cavity to retain moisture. Roast at 180°C on the lowest rack for 40 minutes. Brush with syrup (caution: hot), then increase oven temperature to 220°C. Return to oven at 180°C for 20 minutes. Repeat brushing and roast at 170°C for final 20 minutes. Pancakes: Prepare during roasting. Stack 8 dumpling wrappers, brushing oil between each layer and edges. Roll into 15cm circles. Steam over water for 5 minutes on silicone paper. The layered pancakes are flexible and superior to spring roll wrappers. Sweet bean sauce: Mix flour with cold water in a pot. Add light soy sauce, dark soy sauce, and oyster sauce. Adjust with sugar and salt. Simmer over medium heat until bubbling, then reduce heat. Stir constantly to prevent burning. Thin consistency is ideal as it thickens when cooled. Add sesame oil last.For those with pre-made noodle sauce, simply adjust the flavor by adding appropriate amounts of water, sugar, and sesame oil.
After roasting the duck, use kitchen paper to absorb excess oil. Slice the duck while hot, maximizing the meat yield compared to restaurant practices. The remaining carcass can be chopped and used to prepare a rich, aromatic soup.