Crispy duck pancakes with Mandarin pancakes and hoisin

Ingredients

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• 2 large (about 750g) (2 large (about 26oz))duck legs, at room temperature 30 minutes before roasting
• 1 tspChinese five-spice powder
• 1 tspsea salt
• 1 tbspdark soy sauce, for the glaze
• 1 tspclear honey, for the glaze
• 200g (7oz)plain flour, for Mandarin pancakes
• 115ml (4fl oz)boiling water, just off the boil
• 2 tspsesame oil, for brushing between pancake pairs
• 6 tbsphoisin sauce, to serve
• halfcucumber, cut into fine matchsticks
• 6spring onions, trimmed and sliced lengthways into fine strips

Method

1. 1

   Pat the duck legs completely dry with kitchen paper. Rub all over with Chinese five-spice and sea salt, making sure to get under any loose skin. Place skin-side up on a rack set over a roasting tin. Leave uncovered in the fridge for at least 1 hour, or overnight. This dries the skin and is the key to crispiness.

   Do not skip the drying step. Wet skin steams in the oven rather than crisping. Even 30 minutes uncovered in the fridge makes a visible difference.
2. 2

   Remove the duck from the fridge 30 minutes before cooking. Preheat the oven to 160°C fan (180°C conventional). Roast the duck legs on the rack for 1 hour 30 minutes until the meat is completely tender and pulling away from the bone.

   The rendered fat collects in the tray below — keep it. It is excellent for roast potatoes.
3. 3

   Mix the soy sauce and honey in a small bowl. Brush generously over the skin. Increase oven to 220°C fan (240°C conventional). Return the duck to the oven for 15–20 minutes until the skin is deeply golden, lacquered, and very crispy.

   Watch closely during this final blast. The honey can catch and burn within minutes. Check at 12 minutes.
4. 4

   Rest the duck for 10 minutes. Use two forks to shred the meat away from the bone, breaking up any crispy skin and mixing it through the meat. Add a spoonful of the rendered fat from the roasting tin for richness.

   Shred while the duck is still warm — it pulls apart far more easily than when cold.
5. 5

   Make the Mandarin pancakes while the duck rests. Put the flour in a large bowl. Pour in the boiling water gradually, stirring with a wooden spoon, until a shaggy dough forms. Knead briefly in the bowl until it just comes together, then turn out and knead on a lightly floured surface for 2–3 minutes until smooth. Cover and rest for 15 minutes.

   Hot-water dough is softer and more pliable than cold-water dough. Use water that is genuinely just off the boil.
6. 6

   Divide the dough into 16 equal pieces. Flatten each piece into a small disc. Brush the top of half the discs lightly with sesame oil. Press an unoiled disc on top of each oiled disc to make 8 pairs, oiled sides facing inward. Roll each pair out thinly into a circle of about 15–16cm diameter.

   The pair technique means both pancakes cook simultaneously and peel apart after cooking, giving two pancakes from each roll. Roll as thinly as you can without tearing.
7. 7

   Heat a dry non-stick frying pan over medium heat — no oil. Cook each pancake pair for 60–90 seconds on the first side until small brown spots appear and the surface looks dull. Flip and cook for 45 seconds. The pair should puff slightly in places.

   Do not use oil in the pan. The sesame oil is only between the layers. A dry pan gives the correct spotted, lightly charred surface.
8. 8

   While each pair is still warm, peel the two pancakes apart — they should separate cleanly at the sesame oil layer. Stack under a clean tea towel to keep them soft and pliable.

   Peeling while warm is much easier than waiting for them to cool. If they stick, return briefly to the heat.
9. 9

   To serve: lay a pancake flat, spread with a thin layer of hoisin sauce, add a small mound of shredded duck, a few cucumber matchsticks, and some spring onion strips. Roll tightly and eat immediately.

Pro Tips

• →The drying step for duck skin matters more than any other part of this recipe. Uncovered in the fridge overnight produces noticeably crispier results than starting from a fridge-cold wet leg.
• →Roll the pancakes in pairs — it is not a technique trick for appearance but genuinely produces thinner, more pliable pancakes than rolling singles.
• →Pancakes can be made a day ahead. Stack with greaseproof paper between each, wrap in foil, and reheat in a steamer or low oven for 3–4 minutes.
• →The rendered duck fat is excellent for roasting potatoes. Pour it into a jar and refrigerate — it keeps for weeks.

Topping Ideas

Terms in this recipe

Defined in the Pancake Day glossary.

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