Peking Duck

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Serves 4-6

Ingredients

1½ -2 kg duck, oven ready

2 tbsp clear honey

1 tbsp dark soy sauce

Accompaniments

½ large cucumber cut into 50 mm strips

6 tbsp Oriental plum sauce

2 tbsp Hoisin sauce

12 medium spring onions cut into

   50mm fine strips

1-2 packs of Chinese pancakes

   (allow at least 3 per person)

Place the duck breast-side up on a metal rack and slowly pour a large kettle of boiling water over. Leave for the skin to dry in a cool area.

Combine the soy sauce and honey, pour over the duck. Allow to dry again in a cool area.

Preheat an oven to 180°C (350°F, gas mark 4). Place the duck on a rack and put in an oven tray, roast for up to 1½ hrs until well cooked and coloured. If the leg bones darken too quickly, wrap in kitchen foil. Ensure the duck is well cooked and no pink juices run from the cavity when tilted. Allow to relax for 15 minutes.

Steam the pancakes in a bamboo steamer or colander for 5 minutes and keep covered. Remove the skin from the duck and cut it into 5mm strips. Slice the duck thinly from the breast and cut into 10mm strips, tear the leg meat into shreds and put with the sliced breast and skin on a warm plate. Combine the plum and Hoisin sauces and put into a bowl with a serving spoon.

Take all the items to the table. Assemble the pancakes by smearing a little sauce over each one, add strips of duck topped with a few strips of spring onion and cucumber, wrap up and enjoy.