Decoding Peking vs French Duck: A Culinary Exploration

In the world of culinary artistry, few meats boast the versatility and succulence of duck meat. Its rich flavour and tender texture lend themselves to an array of preparations, but two methods stand out distinctly, they are the crispy Peking Duck and the famous French Duck Cassoulet. 

These two iconic dishes have been a decadent delicacy that encapsulates the essence of their respective cuisines. Although they share the same meats, their culinary methods come out very differently.

Crispy Peking Duck

Originating from Beijing, China, Peking Duck is a symphony of flavours and textures. The preparation process is a delicate art that culminates in the use of tools and equipment to craft a culinary masterpiece.

At its core, the duck is marinated inside and out with soy sauce, five spices, and maltose. It is then meticulously air-dried to eliminate all moisture from the skin, followed by roasting in a charcoal oven for approximately 20 minutes. The result is a smoky, succulent texture—the skin crisps up and crackles at the slightest touch. 

This dish is ultimately accompanied by cucumbers, scallions, and hoisin sauce, all delicately wrapped in a thin pancake. This complementary pairing technique is widely employed across Asia.

Confít French Duck Cassoulet

Venturing into the rustic kitchens of France, we encounter the comfort of the French Duck Cassoulet. The dish focuses on the French duck leg, transformed through the confít method. It's gently cooked top-down and marinated in its rendered fat until the meat softens to the slightest touch. 

The cassoulet itself is an assembly of white beans, sausages, and aromatic herbs, the optional, tomato, pork belly and breadcrumbs help to elevate its flavour to add tanginess to its flavour.

The duck leg is then baked for 30 hours overnight, submerged in the cassoulet for extra tenderness and embarked with flavour explosion. 

Peking Duck Cassoulet: The Fusion Dish

Now we all know about the individualistic ideas of Peking Duck and Duck Cousoulette but what happens if we implement both dishes into each other? 

Imagine a Cassoulet that hones the elegance of the Peking Duck, Here’s How it’s done:

1. Marination
   The succulent duck leg used in Duck Confít is marinated with a blend inspired by Peking Duck. Soy sauce, five spices, and a hint of maltose all mixed up and infused in the duck leg itself.
2. Confít-ing
   The marinated duck leg is then subjected to the confít method, preserving its tenderness while allowing the new Peking flavours to penetrate. 
3. East and West Roasting
   In honour of the crispy legacy of Peking Duck, the French duck leg is carefully roasted to achieve a golden and crackling exterior. Now the meat has a rich and juicy core while maintaining its crispy skin.
4. An international Cassoulet
   This is where absolute creativity meets the East and West. Experience a symphony of textures and flavours, with the mixtures of the white beans, sausages, and aromatic herbs of the French duck confit, wrapped up on the side with thin pancakes, scallions, and a touch of hoisin sauce.

And there you have it. A Peking Duck Cassoulet, This is a capture of the 2 culinary worlds colliding, inviting diners to discover the synergistic potential of the East and West. Simply buy duck meat from the butcher in Hong Kong and try it for yourself. 

Honourable Mentions

Besides the sophistication of Peking and Duck Cassoulet, many countries also use duck meat to create their very own duck dishes. These include Duck Rendang (Indonesia), Thai Duck Curry, Duck Samosas (India), and Duck Gumbo (Louisiana).