Duck pancakes

SERVES 4 INGREDIENTS

● 4 tsp Chinese five-spice powder

● 4 tsp hoisin sauce

● 4 duck legs (or breasts)

● 40g fresh ginger root, sliced

● 70g spring onions (about 4)

● Vegetable oil, for brushing

● Salt and white pepper For the pancakes

● 8 shop-bought Chinese pancakes To serve

● 4 spring onions, thinly sliced lengthways

● Hoisin sauce

● Cucumber, sliced into thin batons (remove the watery seeds if you are not eating them straight away or they will make everything soggy)

1. Preheat the oven to 180°C/160°C fan/ gas mark 4.

2. Rub 1 teaspoon of Chinese five-spice powder and 1 teaspoon of hoisin sauce into each duck leg or breast, rubbing them into the exposed flesh. Put the ginger and spring onions into a shallow roasting tin with a grill rack and pour over enough water to cover the bottom (about 250ml).

3. Put the grill rack in the roasting tin. Place the duck on the rack, making sure it isn’t touching the water, and brush with a little vegetable oil. Sprinkle with salt and pepper, cover the whole roasting tin with foil and bake the duck in the oven for at least 1 hour 30 minutes, until tender.

4. While the duck is in the oven, brush a frying pan with a little oil and place over a medium heat. Add a pancake and fry for 30-60 seconds until it is dotted with brown circles. Turn the pancake over and cook for another 30-60 seconds.

5. Carefully remove the pancake from the pan. Repeat with the remaining pancakes, stacking them on a plate under a slightly damp tea towel to keep soft and warm.

6. Place the spring onions in a bowl of cold water to refresh them. Remove the duck from the oven and shred the meat from the bones. If it seems slightly dry (possibly if you’ve used breast meat), add some of the liquid from the bottom of the roasting tin and mix it through the meat.

7. Serve the shredded duck with the pancakes, hoisin sauce, drained spring onions and cucumber.