Chinese Banquet With 5-Spice Duck And Shanghai-Style Noodles

Preheat the oven to 190°C/ 170°C (fan)/ gas 5

Take your chicken out of the fridge and open the packet to let it breathe before cooking

Add the duck legs to a baking tray lined with baking paper

Coat the duck with the five-spice mix and season generously all over with salt

Put the tray in the oven for an initial 30 min

While the duck is in the oven, cut the chicken breast strips in half, horizontally, so you end up with smaller, bite-sized pieces

Add the chopped chicken breast strips to a bowl with half the soy sauce and half the cornflour (you'll use the rest later!)

Give everything a good mix up and put the chicken in the fridge until later – this is your coated chicken breast

Boil half a kettle

Slice the white cup mushrooms finely

Trim, then chop 3 [6] spring onions into thirds

Trim, then slice the remaining spring onion[s] lengthways into thin strips

Slice the cucumber in half lengthways and scoop out the seeds with a spoon then slice into matchsticks, discard the seeds

Add the white long grain rice to an oven-proof dish with a pinch of salt and 300ml [600ml] boiled water, mix everything together and cover tightly with tin foil

Once the duck legs have had an initial 30 min, remove them from the oven and spoon the duck fat all over, basting them twice more until golden and crispy

Return the duck legs with the rice to the oven for 30 min further or until all the water is absorbed and the rice is cooked – these are your roasted five-spice duck legs and baked rice

Meanwhile, combine the honey, toasted sesame oil, half the ginger & garlic paste (you'll use the rest later!) and remaining cornflour in a bowl with 80ml [100ml] cold water and a very generous pinch of salt – this is your sesame-honey sauce

Heat a large, wide-based pan (preferably non-stick) with a drizzle of vegetable oil over a medium-high heat

Once hot, add the sliced mushrooms and cook for 4-5 min or until beginning to brown

Once brown, add the spring onion thirds with the remaining ginger & garlic paste and cook for a further 2-3 min or until the spring onion has slightly softened

Remove from the heat and set aside for later – this is your Shanghai-style veg

Reboil a kettle

When the duck legs and rice have 15 min left, heat a separate, large, wide-based pan (preferably non-stick) with a drizzle of vegetable oil over a medium-high heat

Once hot, add the coated chicken breast and cook for 3 min on each side or until golden

Set aside to soak for 4 min, then drain

Once golden, add the sesame-honey sauce to the pan and cook for a further 2-3 min or until the sauce has thickened to a syrup like consistency and the chicken is cooked through (no pink meat!) – this is your sesame-honey chicken

While the chicken is cooking, return the Shanghai-style veg to a medium-high heat

Once hot, add the udon noodles to the pan with the remaining soy sauce and 80ml [120ml] boiled water and cook for 2-3 min or until the noodles are coated in sauce – these are your Shanghai-style noodles

Tip: Gently separate the noodles with a fork!

Remove the roasted five-spice duck legs and baked rice from the oven, shred all the duck using two forks and transfer it to a plate