Crispy Aromatic Duck Legs

• Vegetable oil for deep frying
• 2 duck legs
• 1 pack Chinese pancakes
• 3-4 tbsp hoisin sauce
• ½ cucumber
• 3 spring onions

The Salt Brine:

• 1 thumb sized piece ginger
• 3-4 spring onions
• 4-5 tbsp rock salt
• 2-3 cinnamon sticks
• 6 star anise
• Handful dried mandarin peel
• 6-8 tbsp Shaoxing rice wine

• Place the duck legs in a large pan filled with boiling water to blanch for 3-5 minutes to remove excess fatty impurities.

• Chop the ginger and spring onions and set aside. Whilst the duck is blanching, place the cinnamon sticks, star anise, mandarin peel into a dry frying pan on a medium heat. Bring to heat until you start to smell the sweet aroma of the spices.

• Once blanched, cool the duck down by running under cold water and then pat dry and place the duck halves skin side down in a roasting tray and cover the duck in the dry toasted spices, the ginger and spring onion and the rest of the “salt seasoning” and rub well all over the duck so that you can fill the cavities of the duck with the mandarin peel and whole spices. Allow to cool, cover and chill in the fridge overnight.

THE NEXT DAY

• Set a steamer up with a good amount of water in the base pan. Place the duck legs on a plate or bowl that can fit into the steamer and all the salt seasoning is poured over the duck too to retain as much flavour as possible when steaming. Steam for 1.5-2 hours, topping up the water in your base pan with boiling water as and when needed.

• Once steamed, place the duck in cold water for 15-20 minutes and then remove and pat dry once again. Once cool either chill the duck in the fridge for a further hour, without covering the duck, or freeze ready to deep fry to finish at a later date.

FINISHING THE DISH

• Slice ½ a cucumber and 2-3 spring onions into matchsticks.

• Half-fill a wok with vegetable / sunflower oil and heat to 180°C (350°F) or use a wooden skewer or wooden chopstick to test the oil by placing the tip of the wood in the oil: if the wood starts to fizz after a second or so, the oil is at roughly 180°C. Deep fry ½ a duck at a time for 8-12 minutes to finish.

• Steam the duck pancakes in a bamboo steamer for 5 minutes. Shred the duck and serve with hoisin sauce and the matchsticks of carrot, cucumber & spring onion on the side.