ALMOST PEKING DUCK PAN CAKES

I ONCE tried to make an authentic Peking duck, which involved blowing air into the duck with a bicycle pump to lift the skin from the carcass so it would dry to amazing crispness when roasted. Needless to say, I’ve not done this since. You can get a nice all-over crisp duck if you roast it on a wire rack. One year, when there was only the immediate family for Christmas, we had this instead of turkey. My son, then ten, now 43, has never forgotten it and would like a repeat. There is something very good about a sharing sort of dish with everyone making their own pancakes. You can buy Chinese pancakes in supermarkets, or make your own, depending on how much time you have. This dish is delicious with the chicory and orange salad (left).

SERVES 4-6 For the pancakes

● 225g plain flour ● 2 tbsp cornflour ● 80ml water ● 80ml milk ● 4 eggs ● 55g butter, melted

For the filling

● 1 large 2.5kg duck ● Good pinch of salt ● 6 spring onions, washed ● Half a cucumber ● Jar hoisin sauce HEAT the oven to 200c/180c fan/gas 6. Prick through the skin of the duck, rub over the salt and set it on a wire rack over a roasting tin. Now roast for 1½ hours, or until the skin is crisp and a skewer will glide easily into the thigh and the duck is cooked through. Cool on the rack. While the duck roasts, whizz the flour, cornflour, water, milk, eggs and half the melted butter in a food processor to make a smooth batter. Pour into a jug. Cover and stand for at least 15 minutes (or overnight in the fridge is fine). Use a little of the remaining butter to lightly grease a small frying pan (with a base about 11cm). Put over a medium heat and, when hot, pour a tablespoon of batter into it, swirling to make a thin pancake. Cook until set, then turn the pancake over and cook for another minute. Remove to an oven-proof plate. If the batter’s too thick, thin with a little milk. Repeat with remaining batter. When cool enough to handle, remove all the skin off the duck and cut it into fine strips. If they are not crisp, put them aside and carefully pour all the fat, but none of the juices, from the roasting tin into a frying pan. Fry any soggy duck skin in this until crisp. Drain it well on kitchen paper, then put aside, but don’t cover. Pull the meat off the duck into shreds, or cut into strips, put into the roasting tin and turn in the juices. Transfer to an ovenproof dish and cover with foil. Cut the spring onions and cucumber into thin finger-length strips. Rewarm the pancakes, covered in foil, in the oven for ten minutes. Place them and the fillings (duck, skin, spring onion, cucumber, hoisin and salt and pepper) on the table so that everyone can reach them to roll their own pancakes. And eat with your fingers, of course!