Chinese New Year recipe: Duck buns by Eightysix, Canberra

• Another Chinese New Year recipe: Sebak kristang by Lanterne Rooms

When David Chang opened Momofuku in Sydney it was impossible to get a table. It took a month of trying, but we got one, and we went to eat pork buns.

On our return I set out to perfect our own version. And so the duck bun was born. What started as a staff meal has now become the most popular thing we have ever run on the eightysix blackboard. Even at brunchtime.

This recipe is complicated but well worth the effort. You need to salt rub the duck legs overnight before cooking. This alters the texture as well as seasoning the meat. After washing and drying the duck well, we sous vide the legs at 86 degrees for 10 hours in duck fat.

Start this recipe two days in advance.

For the duck

12kg of duck leg marylands
500g salt
500g brown sugar
15 juniper berries
15 juniper berries
7 cloves
zest of 3 oranges
5 star anise
1 tbsp allspice
2 cinnamon sticks

Put the duck in a big flat tray, skin side down. It should not overlap. Blitz all ingredients in a food processor and scatter over the duck. Cover and refrigerate over night. Wash and dry the duck well. Submerge in duck fat and cook at 86 C for 10 hours. Keep the bits you want to eat and discard the rest. Dress the duck in hoisin, rice wine vinegar & sesame oil. Store the duck meat with a little duck fat in a zip lock bag in the fridge. If kept clean, duck fat can be re used many times. We use a coffee filter to help us with this.

For the buns

We use the Momofuku bun recipe, straight from the book of Chang.

600g 00 flour
1 tbsp + 1 tsp dried yeast
350 ml water at room temp
6 tbsp sugar
3 tbsp skim milk powder
1 tbsp sea salt
½ tsp bicarb of soda
½ tsp baking soda
2 and a half tbsp duck fat

Use a stand mixer with a dough hook. Let the yeast activate in warm water for 5 mins. Add all other ingredients. Mix on low speed for 15 minutes. Grease a big bowl, chuck the dough in and cover. Put in a warm place for 2 hours. Cut baking paper into rectangles. Weigh balls of dough at 30 grams. Roll into thin oval shapes between two sheets of baking paper. Paint one side with duck fat and fold over. Place buns in a steamer without touching. Steam for 9 minutes.

Freeze. For months if you have to. Chop some shallots. Dress some cucumbers in rice wine vinegar, sugar, salt and water for 10 minutes. Steam the buns from frozen for 5 minutes. Open bun. Add dressed duck. Add hot sauce. Add pickled cucmbers. Add shallots. Close bun. Eat more than one. Use your hands.

Gus Armstrong co-owns Eightysix in Braddon.