In our family the follow-up to Duck Dinner could be “Peking” Duck Pizza.  It started back in the days when I was ordering duck product from D’Artagnan and tended to order extra items enough to make the shipping cost worth while.  One of the things I tried was their Smoked Magret Duck Breast.  It was tasty alone but seemed like it would be a great pizza topping – probably because we lived in Southern California at the time when thanks to Wolfgang Puck and California Pizza Kitchen founders, Rick Rosenfield & Larry Flax , pizza toppings were moving beyond tomato, cheese and pepperoni!

I don’t remember the “recipe” from the first time I made Pizza with that Smoked Magret years ago.  As with many things that have appeared on our table over the years, it was likely done on the fly with ingredients I had on hand and never recorded except in the memory of those who ate it.  When I was discussing items that should make their way to this blog with my daughter, “Peking” Duck Pizza was one that came up early.

So here we go.  I’m going to give you two versions of “Peking” Duck pizza that pay homage to the creations of Puck and the early days of CPK.  The first in this post uses leftovers from Duck Dinner and a quick flat bread like pizza crust that you can make in almost the time it takes delivery to arrive.   The second, in a following post will use another great duck product (duck leg confit) with pre-made Naan for the crust.  So if you don’t have Roast Duck leftovers or are short on time, fear not.  You will be able to enjoy a “Peking” Duck pizza too.

NOTE if you are making this you will want to do it within a couple of days following your Duck Dinner.  If that’s not going to work into your schedule, freeze  the duck breast and sauce and use them within a couple of weeks.   The duck fat will keep well in either the refrigerator or freezer for much longer.

“Peking Duck” Pizza – I

The  crust ingredients are simple – All-purpose flour, yeast, whole milk  (or non fat milk with a bit of olive oil) and salt.  This will make either two 10 inch thin crust pizzas or one thick crust pizza,  you choose.

I buy my yeast in one pound packages from King Arthur Flour or Sur la Table.   One pound of SAF-instant yeast  is $5.95 and if kept in the freezer will last 5 years-so even if you don’t bake a lot it’s a good deal.  A triple packet of yeast was $1.69 last time I checked, so the difference is paying $0.37 per ounce vs. $2.25 per oz.   If a pound still seems like it’s too much for you, you can buy a 4 oz. jar of the same yeast that is in the little packets for around $1.55 per ounce.

No scale, no worries-the 1/2 oz. you will need is 4 tsp.

Room temperature milk-you don’t need to wait for it to warm up.  Just give it a nudge in the microwave (10 to 15 seconds should do).   Just make sure the temperature is not above 115°F when you add the yeast.

Stir the salt into the flour

Add the milk/yeast mixture to the flour and stir until a dough is formed.  It will seem dry at first, but keep stirring.  It just takes a bit of time for the flour to absorb the liquid.

When most of the flour has been stirred you should be able to pull the dough into a ball with your hands.

Place the rough ball onto a lightly floured surface and knead slightly, until it’s smooth.  If you are planning to make thin crust pizzas, divide the dough into two balls now.

Place the dough ball(s) into a lightly oiled bowl and cover with plastic wrap or one of those fancy silicone bowl covers I love to use!  Put the bowl in a warm place for 30 to 45 minutes.  I find that my microwave which sits on top of my oven  is a perfect spot.

If you want to split the work up into two days.  You can make the dough ahead and refrigerate for a day.  Just make sure to remove to from the refrigerator for 45 prior to rolling. 

There are several ways to bake your pizza.  If you have a pizza stone that’s great, but if not a large cast iron skillet makes a great pizza baking vessel.  If you don’t have either of those a pizza pan or cookie sheet will do (you just won’t get as great a crust).  In any case, pre-heat your oven to 425° with your pizza stone or cast iron skillet inside.

While the dough rises and your oven pre-heats you can work on your topping- using all of the great scraps from your Duck Dinner. The only new ingredients you need are some mushrooms, sprouts and cheese along with some Hoisin Sauce and Soy Sauce

Thickly slice the mushrooms (I like shiitake but any fresh mushroom will do) and coarsely chop the duck (don’t toss that skin-it will crisp up and add great flavor to your pizza) 

Start with the mushrooms and a bit of duck fat in a medium size skillet over medium heat.  Once the mushrooms have started to soften and brown, add the duck and cook until the duck starts to sizzle a bit.

Stir in the hoisin and soy sauce (I use low sodium) and stir until well combined.  Remove from heat.

Roll one of the dough balls into a circle the diameter of your skillet*.   Lucky me, my silicone cover is the perfect template!  It’s not extremely critical however, so wing it if you don’t have something close at hand that is approximately the size of your skillet.

* Instructions for both thick crust and pizza on a stone are in the recipe below.

Remove the HOT skillet from the oven and place your dough in it.  Because it is so hot, it will sear the crust almost immediately, so if you don’t hit center on the first try, you will be able to re-position it easily.

Put the skillet back into the hot oven  and bake for 5 minutes.  Remove from the oven, flip the crust over and spread with another Tbs. of hoisin

Top with the duck/mushroom filling, leftover roast onions (if you managed to save them) and grated cheese.  If you like loaded pizza use all of them on this crust, if you want two less loaded pizzas use only half and repeat the process for a second pizza after you’ve finished this one!  I made this one “loaded” and then made a simple hoisin sauce, cheese and sprout pizza with the second crust.   The other option is to use up some of the other bits you have hanging about in the refrigerator or pop the second crust in the freezer for another day ;-).

Back into the oven for 5 to 10 minutes for a thin crust pizza.

Using a big spatula, lift the pizza from the skillet onto a cutting board and top with the sprouts of your choice.   The original version from CPK was topped with crispy fried wonton strips and slivered scallions but I like the freshness of the sprouts and the crust has plenty of crunch factor for me.

That’s a pair of kitchen shears you see on the edge-my favorite tool for cutting pizza.

Yum!  The only thing it needs is a nice crisp beer to balance the sweetness of the hoisin and the richness of the duck.

Enjoy!

M.B.

 

“Peking” Duck Pizza – I

Using Leftovers from Roast Duck with Balsamic Pan Sauce

by: M.B. Einerson

 Inspiration from California Pizza Kitchen and many others

Servings: 2

Quick Flat Bread Pizza Dough – makes two 10 inch thin crust pizzas or one thick crust

• ½ oz. (2 packets or 4 tsp.) active dry or instant yeast
• ½ cup whole milk, room temperature or ½ cup non-fat milk plus 1 tsp. olive oil
• 1 cup plus 3 Tbs. all-purpose flour, plus more for rolling
• 1 tsp. kosher salt

Pizza Topping –amped up leftovers from Roast Duck Breast with Balsamic Pan Sauce

• 1 tsp. duck fat
• ¼ lb. mushrooms-shiitake are my preference, thickly sliced
• ¾ to 1 cup coarsely chopped duck, including skin and fat layer
• 1 Tbs. pan sauce or 1 ½ tsp. balsamic vinegar plus 1 ½ tsp. honey
• 1 Tbs. hoisin sauce
• 1 tsp. soy sauce – I use low sodium

• 1 Tbsp. hoisin sauce
• 2 to 3 Tbsp. onions left from making the pan sauce
• ¾ to 1 cup coarsely grated mozzarella or Manchego cheese

• ½ to ¾ cup sprouts-sprouts or pea shoots. Onion sprouts are my favorite but alfalfa, mung bean or any micro-green will be great as well.

Quick Flat Bread Pizza Dough

Stir the yeast into the room temperature milk.  Room temperature milk-you don’t need to wait for it to warm up.  Just give it a nudge in the microwave (10 to 15 seconds should do).   Just make sure the temperature is not above 115°F when you add the yeast.

Stir the salt into the flour

Add the milk/yeast mixture to the flour and stir until a dough is formed.  It will seem dry at first, but keep stirring.  It just takes a bit of time for the flour to absorb the liquid.

When most of the flour has been stirred you should be able to pull the dough into a ball with your hands.

Place the rough ball onto a lightly floured surface and knead slightly, until it’s smooth.  If you are planning to make thin crust pizzas, divide the dough into two balls now.

Place the dough ball(s) into a lightly oiled bowl and cover with plastic wrap or a clean towel. Put the bowl in a warm place for 30 to 45 minutes or until nearly doubled in size.  If you want you can make the dough a day ahead and refrigerate.*

Pre-heat your oven to 425° with your pizza stone or cast iron skillet inside.

Pizza Topping

In a medium skillet, heat the duck fat and add the sliced mushrooms.  Cook until the mushrooms are just beginning to soften.  Add the chopped duck breast and heat until the duck is starting to sizzle a bit.  Stir in the left over pan sauce or balsamic/honey mixture and the soy sauce.  Remove from heat and set aside while you prepare the pizza dough.

Assemble the Pizza – Cast Iron Skillet

Roll the dough ball(s) or into a size the diameter of your cast iron skillet.  Carefully remove the skillet from the oven and place the dough in the pan.  Don’t worry if you don’t hit the center.  The pan should be sufficiently hot to sear the dough enough so you can position it in the center.  Put the skillet back into the oven and bake for 5 minutes.

Remove the skillet from the oven and using a pair of tongs, flip the crust over.  Spread 1 Tbs. of hoisin sauce over the surface of the crust.  Top with the duck filling, the leftover onions if you have them and the cheese.  Put the skillet back into the oven and bake.  It will take 5 to 10 minutes if you are making a thin crust (1/2 of your dough) or 10 to 15 minutes if you are making a thick crust pizza.

Remove from the oven and lift the pizza carefully from the skillet with a large spatula.  Top with sprouts.

Assemble the Pizza – Pizza Stone

Roll the dough ball(s) into 10 to 12 inch diameter.   Put a generous sprinkling of cornmeal on a pizza peel.  Place a dough round onto the peel, and shake to make sure it will slide easily.  Spread 1 Tbs. of hoisin sauce over the surface of the crust.  Top with the duck filling, the leftover onions if you have them and the cheese.  Slide onto the hot pizza stone and bake for 10 to 15 minutes depending on the thickness of your crust.  Using the peel, slide the pizza from the oven.  Top with sprouts.

* Remove the dough from the refrigerator at least ½ hour before rolling to bake.  This is the same amount of time you will need to pre-heat the oven etc.