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Chef Louella Villa
Cook
09.24.25

Perfecting Classics: How Chef’sCombi is a Game-Changer for Peking Duck

When it comes to iconic dishes, they’re often both legendary and technically demanding. For example, Peking Duck. For chefs, it’s the ultimate test of precision: balancing crispy, golden skin with juicy, tender meat. Traditional methods require specialized ovens, extensive attention, and considerable guesswork. However, with Vulcan’s Chef’sCombi™, you get all the artistry of this classic dish with the consistency and control of modern technology.

USING CHEF'SCOMBI

One of the many great features of the Chef’sCombi is the ability to create customizable and intuitive programs that allow consistent, repeatable recipes. Peking Duck is prepared traditionally by inflating the skin away from the meat, scalding the duck, and coating it with maltose or honey syrup before air-drying for hours or overnight. The duck is then roasted in a wood-fired oven until the skin is crisp and golden, while the meat stays tender.

With the Chef’sCombi, recipe creation and programming are right at your fingertips. It eliminates the challenges of traditional Chinese or wood-fired ovens, where roasting Peking Duck demands constant monitoring, precise heat management, and expert control of humidity and airflow. Inconsistencies, hot spots, and the labor-intensive traditional process often make achieving crisp skin and tender meat difficult.

Chef’sCombi solves this by offering precise control of temperature, humidity, and airflow. You can program the drying phase, cooking stage, and crisp finishing with exact repeatability, removing guesswork. Steam keeps the meat juicy, while dry heat ensures a crisp lacquered skin. 

When programming a recipe in Chef'sCombi, you have the ability to display custom prompts and messages that require verification before proceeding to the next cooking step (pictured left below). With Peking Duck, you can prompt confirmation that the duck is fully cooked before crisping. Once you're done programming, the outcome is a complete recipe sequence, with the crisping step as the final stage (pictured right below).

peking steps

The best part? Once you've perfected your program for Peking Duck, it's locked in for future service. That means no matter who’s on the line, your guests get the same quality dish every single time. This consistency is essential for kitchens who want to maintain high standards, increase efficiency, and streamline training.

simplify your classics

With the Chef’sCombi, Peking Duck is just the beginning. From global specialties to everyday menu staples, its precision, programmability, and repeatability open the door to endless possibilities. Ready to see it in action? Schedule a demo today and experience how the Chef’sCombi can transform your entire menu.

Watch the video below to see the process from the Vulcan Test Kitchen!

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