A duck with lacquered, amber, crispy skin, whose meat is enjoyed wrapped in thin pancakes with scallion and sweet soy sauce. The splendor of Beijing served with ceremony.

Why this dish? Peking duck was among the dishes appreciated by Ci'an, served at court meals. An iconic dish of Beijing elevated by Qing kitchens, it crowned banquet days at the Forbidden City.

Here is the dish of festive days, the one brought out when the household receives guests. The secret is not in the sauce but in the skin: air is blown under the skin, it is coated with maltose, then left to dry in the wind before being roasted slowly, until it sings under the knife. At my table, the duck is sliced before the guests, and each rolls their bite in a pancake thin as a veil. But know this: on fasting days, I do not touch it — everything in its time, and pleasure then yields to prayer.

How it was made : During the Qing era, duck was often roasted in closed ovens or hung over fruitwood embers. The drying of the skin and maltose glaze, inherited from court kitchens, produced the desired crispness. The service by slicing, piece by piece, was part of the banquet spectacle.

The contemporary twist : Present the slices fanned out on a slate, pancakes folded into cones, and a trio of condiments in spoons, tasting-style.

Ci'an · Charactorium