Start the whole roast duck by pre-heating the oven to 220˚C/gas mark 7. Remove giblets from inside the cavity of the duck and prick the skin of the duck all over with a skewer; this will allow excess fat to render off the duck during the cooking process

Season the duck with salt and pepper and place on a roasting rack inside a roasting tray. Cook for 30 minutes, then turn the oven down to 170˚C/gas mark 3 and cook further for 1 hour and 10 minutes. Rest for 15 minutes in a warm place before carving

For the Szechuan sauce, heat the sunflower oil in a heavy based saucepan and sweat the onions for 3-4 minutes without colouring. Add the garlic and the chillies and continue to cook for 2-3 minutes, again without colouring

Rinse the black beans thoroughly under cold water. Place into a suitable sized pot, cover with cold water and bring to a simmer for 10 minutes. Once cooked, strain the beans and reserve for the next step

Add the black beans, stir through until hot before adding the sesame seed oil towards the end of cooking process

Add the chicken stock, brandy, white wine, oyster sauce and soya sauce and bring to the boil. Dilute the cornflour with a little water and then whisk into the simmering black bean mixture. Cook out until the sauce slightly thickens for 2-3 minutes

Carve the duck and serve with the hot Szechuan sauce