Long Island Peking Duck, Babylon-Style at Home Recipe

This Long Island Peking duck is a home-style roast inspired by Beijing’s famous crisp-skinned duck, served with Mandarin pancakes, hoisin sauce, cucumber, and scallions. An overnight air-dry helps the skin brown, while a quick maltose-style glaze gives it a glossy finish; “Babylon-style” here means a practical Long Island home-kitchen version, not a claim to a particular restaurant’s recipe.

Ingredients

1 whole Long Island duck, about 5 to 5½ lb (2.3 to 2.5 kg), thawed if frozen
2 tsp fine salt (10 g)
¼ tsp ground white pepper (about 0.5 g)
¼ cup maltose (about 85 g), or ¼ cup light corn syrup (80 g) or mild honey (85 g)
2 tbsp boiling water (30 ml)
2 tbsp rice vinegar (30 ml)
1 tbsp soy sauce (15 ml)
1 tsp Chinese five-spice powder (about 2 g)
1 cup water for the roasting pan (240 ml)
⅓ cup hoisin sauce (about 85 g)
1 tbsp toasted sesame oil (15 ml)
1 tsp soy sauce for the serving sauce (5 ml)
16 small Mandarin pancakes, about 12 oz (340 g), warmed according to package directions
1 English cucumber, about 12 oz (340 g), cut into thin matchsticks
6 scallions, about 4 oz (115 g), cut lengthwise into thin strips

Instructions

Prepare the duck. Remove the neck and giblets from the cavity, if included, and save them for another use. Pat the duck very dry inside and out with paper towels. Trim loose excess fat near the cavity, then prick the skin all over with a clean skewer, taking care not to pierce the meat. Concentrate on fatty areas such as the thighs and lower breast. Mix the salt and white pepper and rub it over the duck, including inside the cavity.
Air-dry the skin. Set a rack over a rimmed tray and place the duck breast-side up on the rack. Refrigerate it uncovered for 12 hours. Keep it on the lowest shelf, away from ready-to-eat foods, and make sure the tray catches any drips. The skin should look dry rather than tacky before roasting. If it still feels damp, pat it gently with paper towel before glazing.
Make the glaze. Stir the maltose with the boiling water until loosened, then mix in the rice vinegar, soy sauce, and five-spice. Maltose is a traditional, thick barley-sugar syrup that can be difficult to find. Light corn syrup is the closest practical substitute for texture; mild honey also works but tastes more floral and can brown faster. If the glaze thickens while you work, warm it briefly until brushable, not hot.
Heat the oven and glaze. About 20 minutes before roasting, heat the oven to 425°F (220°C). Set a sturdy roasting rack inside a deep roasting pan and pour 1 cup (240 ml) water into the pan below the rack. Brush a thin, even coat of glaze over the duck, including the sides, but not inside the cavity. Set it breast-side up on the rack and tuck the wing tips underneath so they do not scorch.
Roast until safely cooked. Roast at 425°F (220°C) for 20 minutes, then lower the oven to 350°F (175°C) and roast for about 85 minutes more. Check the water level during cooking and add a little more if the pan becomes dry. Begin checking the duck after about 75 minutes at the lower temperature; roasting time varies with the bird and oven. Insert a food thermometer into the thickest part of the breast and inner thigh without touching bone. The USDA FSIS safe minimum internal temperature for duck is 165°F (74°C); continue roasting and recheck if either area has not reached that temperature. The skin should be deep golden and the juices should run clear.
Rest and carve. Transfer the duck to a carving board and let it rest for 15 minutes. Keep raw duck utensils and surfaces separate from cooked food, and wash hands and equipment with hot, soapy water. Carve or pull the meat into bite-size pieces, keeping crisp skin with the meat where possible. For a classic pancake serving, slice some skin and meat into narrow strips rather than trying to serve large portions at the table.
Mix the sauce and warm the pancakes. Stir together the hoisin, sesame oil, and the remaining 1 tsp soy sauce. Warm the pancakes according to their package directions, usually by steaming or briefly warming in a covered pan. Set the duck, sauce, cucumber, and scallions out separately so everyone can assemble their own wraps.

Tips

Dry skin makes a difference. Do not cover the duck during its refrigerator rest. Air circulation helps dry the surface, which encourages browning. If refrigerator space is tight, use a clean tray and rack on a shelf where the duck cannot touch other foods.
Keep the pricks shallow. The goal is to let fat escape through the skin, not to make holes in the meat. Deep punctures can let meat juices leak out and leave the finished duck less succulent.
Watch the glaze near the end. Syrup and honey can darken quickly. If the skin is already a deep mahogany before the duck reaches 165°F (74°C), loosely tent the breast with foil and continue cooking until the thermometer confirms the safe temperature.
Plan for the overnight step. The 12-hour drying time is part of the recipe, not an optional resting period. For a shorter schedule, you can roast after patting the duck very dry, but expect less crisp skin and a less even glaze.

Serving Suggestions

Serve the duck family-style while the skin is still crisp, with warm pancakes, hoisin sauce, cucumber matchsticks, and scallion strips. To make a wrap, spread a small spoonful of sauce over a pancake, add a few pieces of duck and skin, then finish with cucumber and scallion. Keep the filling modest so the pancake folds without splitting. The sauce is salty and sweet, so start with less and add more to taste.

For a fuller meal, add steamed jasmine rice or plain noodles and a simple green vegetable such as bok choy, gai lan, or sautéed cabbage. These sides balance the rich duck without competing with its seasoning. If you are serving a group, warm the pancakes in batches and keep them covered in a clean towel so they stay pliable. Put out a separate platter for carved duck rather than leaving it in the roasting pan, where residual heat can overcook it.

Variations

Use a different glaze. If maltose is unavailable, light corn syrup gives a similar sheen with a fairly neutral flavor. Honey is an easy pantry substitute and adds a noticeable floral sweetness; watch it closely because it may brown more quickly. Maple syrup is possible but shifts the flavor away from the familiar Chinese-style glaze.

Adjust the seasoning. Add ½ tsp (about 1 g) ground ginger to the glaze for a warmer, sharper note, or leave out the five-spice if you prefer a simpler soy-and-vinegar profile. Five-spice blends vary, so use a light hand if yours has a strong clove or anise aroma.

Make lettuce wraps. For a lighter, crisp alternative to pancakes, serve the duck in sturdy lettuce leaves. This changes the texture and makes the meal less traditional, but the cucumber, scallion, and hoisin still work well. Rice paper wrappers are another option, though their chewy texture is quite different from soft Mandarin pancakes.

Use the leftovers in another meal. Chopped cooked duck can be folded into fried rice, tossed with noodles, or added to a bowl of greens. Add it near the end of cooking so it warms without becoming dry. Keep the crisp skin separate if you want to retain some crunch.

Storage and Reheating

Refrigerate leftover duck within 2 hours of cooking, in a shallow airtight container. For best texture, store the meat and skin separately from the pancakes, cucumber, scallions, and sauce. Cooked duck keeps for 3 to 4 days in the refrigerator. If you will not use it in that time, freeze portions in airtight, freezer-safe packaging; for best quality, use them within 2 to 3 months. Thaw frozen duck in the refrigerator rather than on the counter.

Reheat the meat covered in a 325°F (165°C) oven with a spoonful of water or stock until it reaches 165°F (74°C), checking with a food thermometer. This helps limit drying. For crispier skin, remove it from the meat and place it on a baking sheet for the final few minutes, watching closely. You can also reheat small portions in a skillet over medium-low heat, stirring as needed and checking that the duck reaches 165°F (74°C). Warm pancakes separately; do not reheat cucumber or scallions.

Frequently Asked Questions

Can I make this with another kind of duck?
Yes. A similar-size domestic duck works well; the Long Island reference describes the style of duck often available locally, not a requirement for the recipe. A larger or smaller bird may take longer or less time, so use the thermometer reading rather than relying only on the clock.

Can I skip the 12-hour refrigerator drying?
You can, but the skin is more likely to remain soft and the glaze may not brown as evenly. If time is short, dry the duck thoroughly with paper towels and roast it the same day. Do not leave raw duck at room temperature to dry.

Why did the skin not get crisp?
Common reasons include damp skin, a crowded roasting setup, or insufficient time in the oven. Check that the duck was uncovered in the refrigerator and that it sat on a rack rather than in pooled liquid. Also confirm that the oven is fully preheated; avoid basting with pan juices, which wet the surface.

Can I prepare the sauce and vegetables ahead?
Yes. Stir the hoisin sauce together up to 3 days ahead and refrigerate it in a covered container. Cut the cucumber and scallions earlier the same day, store them separately in the refrigerator, and keep them dry so they stay crisp. Warm pancakes just before serving.

Do I need to serve the duck with pancakes?
No. Pancakes are a familiar Peking-style accompaniment, but rice, noodles, or lettuce leaves also make good serving options. Keep the cucumber, scallion, and sauce as toppings if you like, or set them aside when serving a more straightforward roast-duck dinner.

More recipes to cook

Safety notes: safe minimum internal temperatures from USDA FSIS; raw and undercooked fish guidance from the U.S. FDA. Food safety notes

Spotted an error? Tell us and we will correct it (corrections policy).