Recipe ‘Duck’ & Spring Onion Pancakes

To make the pancakes, mix the flour and salt in a large bowl, pour over the boiling water and stir with chopsticks. Pour in 125 ml (1⁄2 cup) of cold water, then knead the mixture for 5 minutes. Allow the dough to sit for 1 hour or cover and refrigerate overnight.

Combine the oil paste ingredients in a bowl. Divide the pancake dough into six equal portions. Working with one portion at a time and keeping the rest covered, brush a small amount of oil onto your work surface to stop the dough from sticking. As thinly as you can, roll out a portion of dough and brush with some of the oil paste.

Sprinkle with one-sixth of the spring onion and gently roll the dough away from you to create a long tube. Roll the tube into a snail shape, then repeat with the remaining dough until you have six little dough ‘snails’.

Cruelly flatten each ‘snail’ with the palm of your hand, then roll between two sheets of baking paper into roughly circular pancakes 23cm (9 inch) in diameter. Cook immediately or freeze between sheets of baking paper and fry directly from frozen as needed.

Fry each pancake in a pan over medium-high heat in 2 tablespoons of hot oil for about 2 minutes on each side or until golden and crisp. Drain on paper towel.

Shred the cucumber and squeeze out the excess liquid with your hands. Add 1-2 tablespoons of hoisin sauce to one half of each pancake and top with the grated cucumber. Roll up the strips of bean curd ‘duck’ to create loose balls and divide among the pancakes. Scatter with spring onion batons and sliced red chilli (if using), then carefully fold over the pancakes and serve.