This dish began with how much I love Chinese black vinegar. I was eating dumplings and wondered what else I could do with these flavours. I decided to make a salad based around duck and persimmons.

Confit duck is traditionally big and rich and in French cuisine usually requires fruit to cut through. To bring the flavours back to the Asian vinegar I initially thought of tamarillos. Blood plums would be great as well. Even cucumber would work.

I love that the duck has not been cooked with cinnamon or star anise or orange or anything like that. The flavours are totally clean and the vinegar dressing is really able to bring the punch and complexity. The hoisin adds a lovely viscosity and background sweetness.

The rice paper sheets add crisp texture. They puff up almost instantly when you fry them, like prawn crackers.

You could have this as a little starter before something like dumplings – or even torn up and served in a milk bao with a garnish, or cucumber and coriander and more of the dressing for dipping. You could easily double the dressing and keep some in the fridge. It works beautifully with steamed fish or with vegetables such as snow peas. You could also spoon it over a crab omelette if you wanted to get really fancy.

It’s easy enough to buy confit duck at a specialty food store. If you want to do it yourself, the basic technique is to sprinkle rock salt over the duck legs and leave them for two hours at room temperature. Wipe off the salt with a damp cloth and pack the duck into a snug dish. Then submerge it in warmed duck fat and olive oil, alongside smashed garlic, thyme and juniper berries. Cook this for two hours, covered, at 110ºC. Leave undisturbed to cool, allowing the fat to congeal. There you go.