Peking duck (home style)

Step 1: Pat the 4 ⅞ lb whole duck dry inside and out. Rub the cavity with 2 tsp salt, 1 tsp five-spice powder and push in 3 spring onions and 1 oz fresh ginger. Close the opening with a skewer so the aromatics stay inside.

Step 2: Set the duck on a rack in the sink and pour the 8 ¼ cups boiling water slowly over every part of the skin. The skin will tighten and shrink at once; this is what lets it crisp later.

Step 3: Warm 3 tbsp maltose or honey, 2 tbsp rice vinegar and ½ cup hot water in a small pan over a low heat, stirring until smooth. Brush the glaze over the whole duck, then brush again after 10 minutes.

Step 4: Put the duck on a rack over a tray, uncovered, in the bottom of the fridge, away from ready-to-eat food, and leave for 12–24 hours. The skin should feel dry and papery, like parchment. Wash the sink, rack and anything the raw duck touched in hot soapy water.

Step 5: Take the duck out 30 minutes before roasting. Heat the oven to 400°F (350°F fan). Pour 2 cm of water into a roasting tin and set the duck on a rack above it, breast side up; the water catches the fat and stops it smoking.

Step 6: Roast for 30 minutes, then turn the duck breast side down and roast for 30 minutes more. Shield any dark patches on the wing tips with small pieces of foil.

Step 7: Turn breast side up again, raise the oven to 425°F (400°F fan) and roast for 15–25 minutes until the skin is deep mahogany and crackles when tapped. Check the thickest part of the thigh: it must reach 165°F (165 °F) and the juices must run clear.

Step 8: Meanwhile, make the pancake dough: stir ¾ cup boiling water into 9 oz plain flour with chopsticks, then knead for 5 minutes into a smooth, soft dough. Cover and rest for 20 minutes.

Step 9: Roll the dough into a log and cut into 16 pieces. Flatten two pieces, brush one with 1 tbsp sesame oil, put the other on top and roll the pair into a thin 16 cm round. Repeat with the rest.

Step 10: Cook each pair in a dry frying pan over a medium heat for 40–60 seconds a side, until it puffs and shows a few pale spots but no colour. Peel the two layers apart while hot and stack under a clean tea towel.

Step 11: Rest the duck for 15 minutes so the juices settle. A common mistake is to carve at once and drown the crisp skin in its own juices; resting keeps it crunchy.

Step 12: Carve the skin first into small squares, then slice the breast and leg meat thinly. Serve with the warm pancakes, 1 cucumber, 6 spring onions and ½ cup hoisin or sweet bean sauce, plus a saucer of 2 tsp sugar for dipping the crispest skin.