PEKING DUCK SALAD RECIPES

1. Place the duck breasts skin-down in a cold frying pan and place the pan over low-medium heat for 10-12 minutes, until the fat is rendered and the skin is crisp and golden.

2. Turn the breasts over and cook on the meat side for about 2 minutes. Remove from the pan and rest for at least 5 minutes in a warm place, then season with salt and thinly slice when ready to serve.

3. For the hoisin vinaigrette, whisk the hoisin sauce, vinegar, lemon juice, soy sauce and pepper together, then gradually whisk in the olive oil.

4. Combine the onion, cucumber, rocket, watercress, pomegranate and mint in a large bowl and toss well. Toss some of the dressing through the salad and divide among four plates. Place the duck on top and drizzle with a little more dressing.

5. Scatter with the finely sliced chilli to serve.

*To get the "jewels" out of a pomegranate easily, cut or break it in half and repeatedly and firmly tap the fruit's hard shell with a tablespoon. The seeds will just fall out.

If the duck is frozen, thaw it thoroughly. Rinse the duck well and blot it completely dry with kitchen paper. Insert a meat hook near the neck.

Bring the water and vinegar to the boil in a large pot. Hold the duck by the hook over the pot and, using a large ladle, carefully pour this mixture over the outside of the duck several times, as if to bathe it, until all the skin is completely coated with the mixture. Reserve the mixture. Hang the duck in a cool, well-ventilated place to dry, or alternatively hang it in front of a cold fan for about 2-3 hours, or overnight. When the duck is dried, bring the reserved water-vinegar liquid to the boil, add the sugar (or honey) and soy sauce and again bathe the duck skin and leave to dry in front of fan for at least 2-3 hours more. Once the duck has dried, the surface of the skin will feel like parchment. Mix the salt, five-spice and peppercorns together and rub this mixture evenly inside the cavity of the duck.

Preheat the oven to 240°C/475°F/gas 9. Meanwhile, place the duck on a roasting rack in a roasting pan, breast side up. Pour 150ml (¼ pint) of water into the pan (this will prevent the fat from splattering). Roast for 15 minutes, then lower the oven temperature to 180°C/350°F/gas 4 and continue to roast for 1 hour and 10 minutes.

While the duck is roasting, make the spring onion brushes. Cut off and discard the green part of the spring onion then trim off the base. You should be left with a 7.5 cm (3in) white segment. Make a lengthways cut of about 2.5cm (1in) long at one end of the spring onion. Roll the spring onion 90° and cut again. Repeat this process at the other end. Soak the cut spring onions in iced water and they will curl into brushes. Pat them dry before use.

Remove the duck from the oven and let it sit for at least 10 minutes before you carve it. Using a cleaver or a sharp knife, cut the skin and meat into pieces and arrange them on a warm platter. Serve at once with Chinese pancakes, spring onion brushes and a bowl of Hoisin sauce (or sweet bean sauce).