Crisp Skinned Duck with Mock Mandarin Pancakes

This dish is similar to classic Peking duck in the way that it is eaten: Slices of breast meat, crisp skin, scallion, and hoisin sauce are rolled inside pancakes. In a traditional rendition the meat from the duck legs would be stir-fried with vegetables, but here the duck legs are served whole. Be sure to allow three days for this duck to dry in the refrigerator.

two 5- to 6-pound Long Island (Pekin) ducks, thawed if frozen
1 cup boiling water
1/4 cup honey
1 tablespoon rice vinegar
Accompaniments:
24 or 48 thin scallions for scallion brushes
hoisin sauce
Mock Mandarin Pancakes

Rinse ducks inside and out and pat dry. Remove excess fat from cavities and truss ducks. On a metal rack set in a large roasting pan arrange ducks, breast sides up and several inches apart. Let ducks dry, uncovered and chilled, 3 days.
In a small bowl stir together boiling water, honey, and vinegar and cool to room temperature. Brush ducks with some honey mixture, keeping them chilled, and brush again every 20 minutes for 1 hour. Let ducks dry at room temperature 30 minutes.

Preheat oven to 350�F.

Pierce skin of ducks all over with a fork to allow fat to drain and help skin get crisp. Roast duck in middle of oven until mahogany brown and a meat thermometer inserted into fleshy part of a thigh registers 180�F., about 1 hour 15 minutes. Let ducks stand 10 minutes. Discard string and carefully pour out juices from cavities.

Cut around entire breast of each duck with a sharp paring knife and carefully peel off crisp skin in large pieces. Cut skin into 2 1/2- by 1-inch strips. Cut away and discard any fat on breast meat and remove breast meat from bone. Slice breast meat diagonally into 1/4-inch-thick slices and arrange on a platter with crisp skin. Remove legs from duck and arrange on another platter. Duck meat may be reheated and skin recrisped in a 350�F. oven until just hot.

To make scallion brushes:
If serving mock pancakes halved, 48 scallion brushes (one for each half) will be necessary for rolling inside the pancakes. If leaving the pancakes whole, 24 scallion brushes will be needed.

Trim roots and green parts from scallions, leaving about 2 1/2 inches of stalk. Fringe ends of scallions by cutting slits about 1/2 inch deep all around both ends of each stalk, leaving about 1 inch of solid scallion in center, and spread fringed ends gently. Put scallions in bowl of ice and cold water. Chill scallions 2 hours, or until fringed ends have curled

Drain scallions well.

To assemble pancakes:
Using a scallion brush spread some hoisin sauce on a pancake (whole or half) and top with the scallion brush, some breast meat, and some crisp skin. Roll up pancake to enclosed filling. Make more pancakes with remaining scallion brushes, hoisin sauce, breast meat, and crisp skin in same manner.

Serve duck legs on the side.

Serves 6.

MOCK MANDARIN PANCAKES

For these pancakes use good-quality flour tortillas - ones that are fresh, tender, and not too thick.

Can be prepared in 45 minutes or less.

twenty-four 6- to 8-inch flour tortillas
1/4 cup Asian sesame oil

Preheat oven to 350�F.

Brush one side of each tortilla with some oil and stack on a large sheet of foil. Wrap tortillas loosely in the foil and heat on middle rack of oven until warm, about 10 minutes.

Serve pancakes whole or halved.