Traditional chinese food recipe

How to Prepare / Make / Cook - ?Traditional chinese food recipe

My late father loved to have this dish in the traditional manner with red-mouthed Green Parrot (page 271) and Chinese steamed bread (page 122) to soak up the delicious soy sauce gravy. When he moved to Hawaii for health reasons and would return to Boston for visits, I often prepared this for him.

I also like to make this dish for dinner parties since it can be prepared in advance and kept warm or made a day ahead and warmed up. The Chinese do not use knives at the table, even when a whole duckling is served; they pull off pieces with chopsticks. For company, I cut pieces off the duck so everyone can pick up tasty morsels of duck without a struggle.

1 duckling, thawed if frozen(4 to 5 Pounds)
½ cup sugar
1 tablespoon dry sherry
¾ cup dark soy sauce
8 scallions, green and white parts, cut into 3 pieces
2 slices unpeeled gingerroot, 1 X 1/8 inch each
3 whole star anise

1. Remove and discard any large pieces of fat from the cavity. Carefully lower the duckling and the giblets into a large pot of boiling water and let soak 2 to 3 minutes until the skin shrinks and is covered with goose bumps. This will clean the duck and open the pores. Drain and pull out any pinfeathers with tweezers. Rinse and drain the bird thoroughly.

2. Combine the sugar, sherry, soy sauce, and ½ cup water in a small bowl. Stir to dissolve the sugar.

3. Put the scallions, gingerroot, star anise, and giblets in the bottom of a heavy oval pot or Dutch oven that will just hold the whole bird comfortably. Place the duckling, breast side down, in the pot and pour the soy sauce mixture over. Cover the pot and bring to a boil.

4. Reduce the heat to low and simmer for 1 ½ to 2 hours, or until the duckling is tender. Halfway through cooking, turn the duckling over so the breasts is facing up. If much of the liquid has evaporated, add another ½ cup of water. Test if the duckling is done by piercing the thigh with a chopstick. If it goes in easily, the bird is done.

5. When the duck is ready, remove the cover and skim off the fat with a spoon or bulb baster. Turn the heat to medium and baste the duck frequently for 15 minutes, or until the skin becomes dark brown and about ½ to 1 cup of liquid remains. Transfer the duckling and the liquid to a large oval platter with enough depth to hold the liquid. Or serve directly from the cooking pot. Remove and discard the gingerroot and star anise if desired. Serve hot.