Roast duck, Peking style

This is one of the great dishes of China and notably served, in the home at least, at Chinese New Year with a specially reared, very plump duck. It would be ideal if you could obtain a seriously plump, free-range, non-frozen duck - a Gressingham duck, for example. I really would not bother using a frozen duck.

This dish is a labour of love, it takes two days to prepare, but my God it is worth it!