This dish received its name from the fact that various cold, thinly sliced meats are arranged on a platter to resemble the beautiful span of a peacock tail. No precise recipe can be given. It can be as extravagant or simple as time, money and ingenuity allow. Cooked ham, white cooked chicken, roast meats,abalone,braised duck and red simmered meats can be cut into equal sized, very thin slices.
It is easiest to slice the meats with a commercial meat slicer, but, assuming that one is not available, be sure the meat is very cold or even partially frozen and your knife extremely sharp before you slice the meats. Asparagus sliced hard boiled eggs, radishes,cucumber slices, carrot flowers,pineapple wedges, Chinese preserved eggs and many other things can be used for decoration.
