Recipe - Braised Duck With Potatoes

1 Duck; 6 to 7 pounds
2 pound Potatoes
One fourth cup Oil
3 Cloves garlic
2 Leek stalks
One fourth cup Red bean cheese
2 One half tablespoon Brown bean sauce
2 teaspoon Salt
1 tablespoon Sugar
4 tablespoon Soy sauce
One fourth cup Sherry
1 Clove star anise
1 tablespoon Oil
6 cup Water
1 Clove star anise
One half Head lettuce
2 teaspoon Cornstrch
2 tablespoon Water
Few sprigs Chinese parsley

1. Wipe duck inside and out with a damp cloth. Peel potatoes and cut in
thick slices. (Keep in cold water until ready to use.)

2. Heat oil in a large heavy pan. Brown duck quickly on all sides. Drain
off excess fat. Tie or sew up duck's neck to seal. Place bird tailside up
in a deep bowl.

3. Crush garlic. Cut leeks in 2inch sections. In one cup mash red bean
cheese with brown bean sauce and salt. In another, combine sugar, soy
sauce, sherry and star anise.

4. Heat remaining oil and brown garlic lightly. Add red bean cheese
mixture and cook, stirring over medium heat, to blend and heat through.

5. Add water, leek sections and sugarsoy mixture. Continue stirring to
blend and heat.

6. Pour 1 to 2 cups of this sauce mixture into duck cavity. Add remaining
star anise. Sew up cavity securely or skewer so that liquid cannot leak
out.

7. Leave remaining sauce mixture in pan and bring to a boil. Add duck and
potato slices and simmer, covered, 20 minutes. Turn bird over and simmer,
covered, 20 minutes more.

8. Remove duck, leaving liquids in pan. Let bird cool slightly; then chop,
bones and all, in 2inch sections. Shred lettuce and arrange on a serving
platter with duck and potato slices on top.

9. Reheat liquids in pan. Meanwhile blend cornstarch and remaining cold
water to a paste, then stir in to thicken liquids. Pour over duck and
potatoes. Garnish with Chinese parsley.

From The Thousand Recipe Chinese Cookbook, ISBN 0517658704. Downloaded
from Glen's MM Recipe Archive, http://www.erols.com/hosey.