Milk Poached Peking Duck Recipe
This milk poached Peking duck recipe combines rich, tender duck with bold Georgian and Hong Kong influences, featuring khachapuri dumplings and black sesame aioli. Featured on CombiNation, this dish layers complex flavours and textures into a refined plate that’s perfect for ambitious home cooks and special occasions.
The Inspiration
This dish is a striking fusion of Georgian and Hong Kong culinary traditions. Drawing inspiration from the bold spices and sauces of Georgian cuisine—like tkemali and herb-forward curing blends—host Bianca Osbourne pairs them with the iconic flavours of Peking duck. The addition of a delicate khachapuri-inspired dumpling and nutty black sesame aioli bridges cultures beautifully, resulting in a dish that is both comforting and avant-garde. It’s a true reflection of CombiNation’s global storytelling through food.
Ingredients
Cured Duck Legs
- 4 duck legs with thighs (Frenched leg bone)
- 2 cups (470 ml) kosher salt
- 1 cup (240 ml) brown sugar
- 1/2 cup (120 ml) tkemali (sour plum sauce)
- 2 tablespoons (30 ml) dry basil
- 2 tablespoons (30 ml) dry dill
- 2 tablespoons (30 ml) dry parsley
- 1 tablespoon (15 ml) dry savory
- 3 bay leaves
- 1 tablespoon (15 ml) black peppercorns
- 1 tablespoon (15 ml) ground coriander
- 1 tablespoon (15 ml) ground fenugreek
- 1 teaspoon (5 ml) celery seeds
- 1 tablespoon (15 ml) marigold powder
Poached Duck Legs
- 4 heads garlic
- 2 tablespoons (30 ml) olive oil
- Cured Duck Legs
- 1 quart (1 L) 2% milk
- 1 cup (240 ml) whipping cream
- ¼ cup (60 ml) of hoisin
Black Sesame Aioli
- Reserved milk solids-garlic mixture
- 2 egg yolks
- ½ cup (120 ml) vegetable oil
- ¼ cup (60 ml) black sesame seeds
Peking Duck Crumble
- ½ cup (120 ml) all-purpose flour
- ½ cup (120 ml) rice flour
- 1/3 cup (80 ml) rendered duck fat, melted
- 1 teaspoon (5 ml) salt
- 1 teaspoon (5 ml) MSG
- ¼ cup (60 ml) hoisin
- 1 tablespoon (15 ml) honey
- 1 tablespoon (15 ml) Chinese five spice
Khachapuri Dumpling
- 4 sheets rice paper
- Warm water, for rehydrating rice paper
- ½ cup (120 ml) ricotta
- 4 quail eggs, yolks separated from whites
- Salt and pepper
Method
For the Cured Duck Legs
- Combine the sugar, salt, and tkemali in a mixing bowl and mix well.
- Combine the basil, dill, parsley, savory, bay leaves, peppercorns, coriander, fenugreek, celery seeds and marigold in a spice grinder. Pulse until you reach a fine powder. Add to the bowl with salt, sugar and tkemali and mix well.
- Place 1/3 of the mixture in the bottom of a small tray, place duck legs over top, flesh side down.
- Cover with the remaining cure mixture and refrigerate for 24 hours.
- Rinse, pat dry and refrigerate, uncovered, for an additional 24 hours to dry.
For the Poached Duck
- Preheat oven to 350 F (175 C).
- Cut the tops off of each garlic bulb, place in a small sheet of foil, top with a little olive oil and fold foil over bulb. Roast for 30 minutes until brown and soft.
- Reduce oven temperature to 290 F (140 C).
- Squeeze the roasted garlic pulp into a mixing bowl, add milk and cream, and use an immersion blender to blend until smooth. Season with salt and pepper.
- Place cured and dried duck legs in a cast iron pan, and add the milk-garlic mixture.
- Heat the pan with the duck over medium heat until the milk almost boils.
- Cover and bake for 3 hours until tender but not disintegrating.
- Transfer the duck to a dish, cover and refrigerate, do not discard the contents of the pan.
- Carefully pour the excess fat from the pan, retaining the milk solids, garlic, and the stuck caramelized bits in the pan. Transfer the solids and bits into a small container and refrigerate. Reserve for Black Sesame Aioli.
- Once the duck is chilled, cut away thigh section (use for another application), creating a flat surface for the duck leg to sit on.
- Cut away any tendons near the bone, and wipe the bone clean.
- Brush the leg with hoisin.
- Before serving, place the duck legs on a small tray, and re-heat in a 275 F (135 C) oven for 15 minutes.
For the Black Sesame Aioli
- Start by adding the chilled reserved milk solids-garlic mixture from the Poached Duck Legs to a small food processor.
- Add the egg yolks and pulse for 1 minute, until smooth.
- Add black sesame seeds and pulse for 1 minute, to infuse color and flavor.
- While still pulsing, slowly drizzle in vegetable oil to reach a loose mayonnaise texture.
For the Peking Duck Crumble
- Preheat oven to 350 F (175 C).
- Combine the all-purpose and rice flour in a mixing bowl. Pour in duck fat and mix until uniform.
- Add the salt, MSG, hoisin, honey, and Chinese five spice and mix thoroughly.
- Use fingers to crumble the mixture over a lined baking sheet, bake for 10-12 minutes until starting to firm up.
- Remove from oven, and rest at room temperature for 15 minutes.
- Use a fork to crumble the cooked mixture to the texture of large bread crumbs (panko and bigger).
For the Khachapuri Dumpling
- Separate egg yolks from egg whites, add the egg whites to ricotta, and whisk together. Season with salt and pepper.
- Rehydrate 1 rice paper sheet at a time for 15 seconds and transfer to a prepared work station. Pat dry.
- Use a ½ ounce (15 ml) ice cream scoop or a tea spoon to place a small amount of the ricotta mixture onto one side of the rice wrap.
- Form a divot on the top of the ricotta, gently place the egg yolk into the indentation.
- Fold the other side of the rice wrap over the top of the ricotta-yolk arrangement.
- Use fingers to press down and seal all the edges around the ricotta-yolk filling, take care to gently press out any air bubbles.
- Use a 1 ½ inch (3.75 cm) round cookie cutter to cut circle into the rice paper around the filling. Press down on the edges again to insure the best seal. Repeat to make four dumplings.
- Prepare a steamer by boiling water in a wok fitted with a bamboo steamer basket.
- Prepare a small round piece of banana leaf for the steamer by brushing it lightly with oil.
- Transfer the dumplings onto the greased banana leaf, transfer the leaf into the steamer, cover and steam for 1-2 minutes until just warm. Remove from heat and serve immediately.
Plating
- Place a 3 inch (7.5 cm) circle of Black Sesame Aioli into center of large round white plate.
- Place steamed Khachapuri Dumpling over the left side of the sauce.
- Holding the duck by the bone, roll in Peking Duck Crumble to cover the flesh on all sides, keeping the bone clean. If needed, use fingers to sprinkle on more crumble until the leg is evenly coated.
- Place the crumble-coated duck leg over the back right part of the sauce with the bone pointing up.
Serving Suggestions
This milk poached Peking duck recipe is best served as a show-stopping main course for special occasions or fine dining experiences at home. Pair it with elegant sides like lightly dressed greens or simple steamed vegetables to balance the richness of the duck. Beverage pairings such as Pinot Noir, aged Riesling, or even traditional tea service complement the dish’s complex flavors beautifully. Its dramatic plating and fusion elements make it ideal for tasting menus or celebratory dinners where presentation and flavor take center stage.