Peking duck with Mandarin pancakes, cucumber & spring onions

Instructions

1. 1

   Remove any giblets from the cavity and pat the whole duck dry inside and out with kitchen paper. Trim excess fat from the neck area. Sprinkle sea salt and Chinese five-spice evenly inside the cavity and rub a little sea salt over the skin.

2. 2

   Gently prick the skin all over with a small skewer or fork, taking care not to pierce the meat. The purpose is to release fat beneath the skin, not to make holes through to the flesh.

3. 3

   Bring a kettle to the boil and, standing over the sink, pour the boiling water evenly over the duck to tighten and slightly shrink the skin. Pat again until dry.

4. 4

   Make the glaze: place maltose, caster sugar, white wine vinegar and light soy sauce in a small saucepan and warm gently until the maltose and sugar have dissolved and the mixture is glossy. Remove from the heat and allow to cool slightly.

5. 5

   Brush the glaze all over the duck — inside the cavity and over the skin. Place the duck on a wire rack set over a baking tray and leave uncovered in the fridge to air-dry for 12 hours (overnight).

6. 6

   While the duck dries, make the Mandarin pancake dough: put plain flour in a mixing bowl, pour in the boiling water and mix with a chopstick or spoon until combined. When cool enough to handle, knead briefly into a smooth dough, cover and leave to rest for 30 minutes.

7. 7

   After resting, divide the dough into 16 equal pieces. Roll each into a ball, flatten, brush lightly with vegetable oil, sandwich pairs together and roll each pair into thin 10–12 cm rounds. Separate the pairs before cooking.

8. 8

   Cook the pancakes in a dry non-stick frying pan over a medium heat for about 1 minute each side until pale with a few brown spots. Keep cooked pancakes warm under a clean tea towel and brush lightly with sesame oil to stop them sticking.

9. 9

   Preheat the oven to 200°C fan/220°C conventional. Place the duck, breast-side up, on the wire rack with the baking tray underneath to catch fat. Roast at this temperature for 15 minutes to start the crisping process.

10. 10

    Reduce the oven to 170°C fan/190°C conventional and roast for a further 45 minutes. Baste once halfway through with any glaze or accumulated juices.

11. 11

    Turn the oven back up to 200°C fan/220°C conventional for a final 15 minutes to finish crisping the skin.

12. 12

    Remove the duck from the oven and rest for 15 minutes before carving (do not wrap tightly; a loose tent is fine).

13. 13

    Carve the duck into thin slices — traditionally the meat and crispy skin are served together. Arrange pancakes, hoisin sauce, spring onions and cucumber on a platter for guests to assemble their own pancakes.

Tips

• The overnight air-dry in the fridge is the most important step for crispy skin — don’t skip it or cover the duck.
• When pricking the skin, keep the pokes shallow. Deep holes let juices escape and the skin won’t crisp properly.
• If you’re short on time, buy ready-made Mandarin pancakes and skip the dough step — still delicious, just slightly less fresh.
• Save the fat that drips into the tray: strain and refrigerate for roasting potatoes or sautéing vegetables.
• Carve the duck against the grain into thin slices so each pancake gets a good balance of meat and crisp skin.

Substitutions

• maltose → golden syrup or runny honey, same weight (80 g)

  Stays close

• plain flour → ready-made Mandarin pancakes, use 16 pancakes

  Noticeably different

• light soy sauce → tamari (gluten-free), same volume (60 ml)

  Stays close

Nutrition

Per serving · estimated

705

Calories

35 g

Protein

40 g

Carbs

45 g

Fat

3 g

Fibre

10 g

Sugar

900 mg

Sodium

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