crispy duck (chinese style) 1 oven-ready duck 2 teaspoon salt 6 star anise 1 tablespoon Szechuan peppercorns 1 teaspoon cloves 2 cinnamon sticks 4 spring onions 4 fresh unpeeled root ginger 6 ½ Chinese wine or dry sherry vegetable oil for deep frying lettuce leaves 12 to 16 thin pancakes plum sauce ½ bunch shredded spring onions ½ cucumber - cut into matchsticks strips 1. Remove wings from duck 2. Split body in half down the backbone 3. Rub salt all over two halves 4. Place duck in bowl with spices, spring onions, root ginger and rice wine. 5. Marinate duck for at least 4 to 6 hours 6. Steam duck vigorously with sauce for 3 to 4 hours Remove duck and leave to cool, covered for 5 hours Duck must be completely cold and dry or skin will not be crispy. 7. Heat oil in wok till smoking. Place duck in oil, skin down and deep fry for 6 minutes or until crisp and brown, turning once at the last moment. Remove duck and drain on kitchen paper To serve: Spread lettuce leave on platter. Remove all bones from duck and place on top of lettuce leaves. Provide each guest with a pancake. Place a little duck combine with plum sauce, spring onions and cucumber on pancake. Form pancake into roll.   back