Beijing imperial court cuisine — the multi-service duck meal structure developed to maximise value and demonstrate culinary respect
The full three-service Peking duck meal: First service — crispy skin with sugar and cucumber; Second service — duck pancakes with hoisin and julienned spring onion/cucumber; Third service — the duck carcass prepared as duck bone soup (turned into rich congee) or stir-fried with aromatics. The three-service structure wastes nothing and demonstrates complete culinary resourcefulness.
Rich, duck-fat-infused porridge or intensely flavoured stir-fried bones — the deeply satisfying conclusion to a celebratory meal
{"Every part of the duck has a purpose — the three-service structure demonstrates zero waste","Carcass soup requires long simmering (1–2 hours) to extract the marrow and collagen","Duck congee from the carcass soup is an extremely rich, porridge enriched with duck fat","Stir-fried duck bones: high heat with garlic and chili — eat the last bits of meat from bones"}
{"The third service is often the most satisfying for seasoned Peking duck diners","Add tofu skin (fu zhu) to the carcass soup for an additional texture","The congee can be served as the final course or offered between duck pancake courses"}
{"Discarding the carcass — it is the source of the third service","Rushing the carcass soup — needs long simmer for rich broth","Under-seasoning the third service — it should be as well-crafted as the first two"}
Shark's Fin and Sichuan Pepper — Fuchsia Dunlop