Ingredients

• 1 whole English free range duck
• trimmed
• wings removed
• salt
• 1 tsp Sichuan peppercorns
• ground
• 300ml/10fl oz chicken or duck stock (preferably made with the giblets)
• 6 sprigs thyme
• leaves picked
• 100g/3½ oz butter
• 1 lemon
• peel only
• 4 Little Gem lettuces
• cut in half lengthways and washed
• 150g/5½oz clear honey
• 75g/2½oz soy sauce
• 250g/9oz cold baked potato
• flesh only
• mashed
• 75g/2½ oz plain flour
• 1 tsp baking powder
• 2 free-range eggs
• 125ml/4fl oz milk
• salt and pepper to taste
• oil
• for cooking

Directions

• Preheat the oven to 200C/400F/Gas 6. Using a small sharp knife
• pierce the skin of the duck all over
• but be careful not to tear holes in the skin. Season the duck with salt and the ground Sichuan pepper and place on a wire rack sat in a roasting tin. Roast in the oven for 25 minutes.
• Pour any excess fat into a jug. Reduce the oven temperature to 120C/250F/Gas ½. When at 120C/250F/Gas ½
• return the duck to the oven and cook for a further 1¼ hours - basting with the reserved fat every 20 minutes.
• While the duck is roasting
• bring the duck or chicken stock up to the boil with the thyme
• butter and peeled rind from one lemon. Place the lettuce into the stock and cover with a lid or tin foil. Turn the heat down and braise on the hob for 8-10 minutes
• or until the lettuce starts to wilt. Remove from the heat and keep warm until ready to serve.
• Remove ninety percent of the duck fat from the roasting tin and pour the honey over the duck. Turn the oven up to 180C/350F/Gas 4 and put the duck back into the oven for a further 15-20 minutes
• basting every five minutes and making sure the honey doesn’t burn. On the final baste
• drizzle the soy sauce over the duck. When cooked
• remove the duck from the oven and set aside to rest.
• While the duck is resting make the potato pancakes. Mix the cold mash
• flour and baking powder together. In a separate bowl or jug
• whisk the eggs and milk together. Pour into the mash and flour mixture and gently stir to make a batter (don't worry about a few lumps). Season with salt and pepper to taste. Fry spoonfuls of the batter mix in a non-stick frying pan with a little oil until golden-brown on each side. Remove from the heat and keep warm.
• Carve the duck and serve with the braised lettuce and the potato pancakes. Spoon a little of the cooking liquor from the lettuce over the top and tuck in.