Peking Duck

Set a large stockpot of water to a full rolling boil. Place the duck breast-side up in the sink and carefully ladle the boiling water all over the skin — you'll see it contract and tighten immediately, like a drumhead. Turn the duck and repeat on the back. Pat every surface bone-dry with paper towels, including inside the cavity. In a small bowl, combine the five-spice powder, soy sauce, Shaoxing wine, and a generous pinch of salt into a paste. Reach inside the cavity and rub this mixture over every surface of the interior. Tie the legs together with kitchen twine.

About 10 min

Warm 2 tablespoons of water in a small saucepan and stir in the maltose until it dissolves completely — it will smell like rich caramel. Stir in the rice vinegar; the sauce should be tangy-sweet and glossy. Brush a generous, even coat all over the duck's skin, getting into every fold around the wings and the crease of the legs. Place the duck breast-side up on a wire rack set over a baking tray and refrigerate uncovered for a full 24 hours (up to 48 hours is even better). By the end, the skin will feel papery and dry to the touch, almost translucent in places — this is your guarantee of shatteringly crisp skin in the oven.

About 10 min

Take the duck out of the fridge 30 minutes before roasting to take the chill off the meat. Preheat your oven to 240 °C (460 °F) — it needs to be blazing hot. Roast the duck on the rack, breast-side up, for 25–30 minutes until the skin turns pale gold and begins to blister slightly. Without opening the oven unnecessarily, drop the temperature to 180 °C (355 °F) and continue roasting for 50–60 more minutes. The duck is done when the skin is a deep mahogany red, feels drum-tight across the breast, and a probe thermometer in the inner thigh reads 75 °C. The dripping tray beneath will collect pools of clear golden fat — that's a sign of a well-prepared bird.

About 1 hr 30 min

Transfer the duck to a warm cutting board and let it rest, uncovered, for 10 minutes. Use your sharpest knife — a dull blade will drag and shred the skin instead of slicing it cleanly. Begin carving the breast: using long, confident strokes, slice the skin into thin oblongs, keeping a paper-thin sliver of fat beneath each piece. Work methodically down one side of the breast, then the other. The skin should shatter at almost no pressure. Once the prized skin is served, carve the remaining meat off the carcass in thicker slices and keep warm.

About 10 min

Steam the Mandarin pancakes in a bamboo steamer for 2–3 minutes until soft and pliable, or microwave them wrapped in a damp cloth for 30 seconds. Lay out everything on the table: the warm pancakes, a small bowl of hoisin, julienned cucumber, and green onion shreds. To assemble: use the back of a spoon to swipe a stripe of hoisin across the centre of a pancake. Place a slice of crispy skin — with its hair-thin layer of meat — on top, add a cucumber baton and two or three strands of scallion, then roll it up tightly and eat in one or two bites. The skin should crack audibly. This is one of the great eating experiences.

About 5 min