Meal of fortune

Peking duck pancakes

2 hours including 1½ hours in the oven + marinating time
EASY

Serve the duck with some warmed mango chutney for a fruity twist or, for a more traditional accompaniment, make the duck sauce. There is a type of duck called a Pekin that is bred to have less fat, making it perfect for this recipe as the skin crisps up more easily.

Duck 1 (look for Pekin free-range ducks in Waitrose)
Runny honey 5 tbsp
Dark soy sauce 2 tbsp
Chinese five-spice 4 tbsp
Soft brown sugar 2 tbsp
Peking duck pancakes 24 (buy fresh or frozen from Asian supermarkets)
Spring onions 6, sliced into long thin strips
Cucumber 1, seeds removed and sliced into long thin strips
Mango chutney optional, to serve

Peking duck sauce
Sesame oil 2 tbsp
Hoisin sauce 6 tbsp
Caster sugar 6 tbsp
Dark soy sauce 1 tbsp
Cornflour 1 tbsp blended with 1 tbsp cold water

• Put the duck on a rack over a roasting tin and pour over a kettle of boiling water. Discard the water and pat the duck dry with kitchen paper. Mix the honey, soy sauce, five-spice powder and brown sugar together and brush the mixture over the duck, inside and out. Let it dry and then brush again. Repeat, using most of the marinade but reserve 4-5 tbsp. Leave the duck uncovered in the fridge overnight (or for at least 4 hours) to dry out.
• Heat the oven to 200C/fan 180C/gas 6. Put the duck on a rack in a roasting tin. Cook for 45 minutes then turn over and brush with the reserved marinade. Check that the bird is not getting too dark (turn the oven down a notch if it is) then cook for a further 45 minutes or until the skin is crisp. Remove, cover and rest.
• To make the sauce, heat a pan with 6 tbsp water and add all the sauce ingredients except the blended cornflour. When the sauce starts to bubble slightly, add the cornflour and stir well. Set aside and allow to cool.
• Steam the pancakes for 2-3 minutes until soft or microwave briefly.
• Carve the duck and arrange on a warmed plate. Serve with the duck sauce or mango chutney, cucumber, spring onion and pancakes.
  Serves 8

Lamb and chilli bamboo shoots in little gem leaves

30 minutes
Easy

This is not a traditional starter but the mandarin segments resemble little golden nuggets, symbolising good fortune.

Groundnut oil
Garlic 4 cloves, crushed and finely chopped
Root ginger grated to make 2 tbsp
Red chillies 2 medium, seeded and finely chopped
Lamb mince 400g, sprinkled with a pinch of cornflour, salt and ground white pepper
Tinned bamboo shoots 150g, drained and finely diced
Shiitake mushrooms 12, finely diced
Shallots 2 small, finely chopped
Light soy sauce 8 tbsp
toasted sesame oil 4 tbsp
spring onion 2 large, finely chopped
coriander 1 handful, chopped
little gem lettuces 4, leaves separated
roasted peanuts 100g, finely chopped or ground
mandarins 5-6 peeled, segmented and white membrane removed, if you like, about 24 segments in total