Recipe - Nanking Salt Duck

1 tablespoon Szechwan peppercorns
6 tablespoon Salt
1 Duck; 4 pounds
2 tablespoon Sherry

1. Put Szechwan peppercorns and salt in a dry pan and stir constantly for
5 minutes over low heat. Let cool slightly, then crush peppercorns with a
rolling pin and strain through a sieve.

2. Wipe duck inside and out with a damp cloth. Rub inside and out with
peppersalt mixture. Refrigerate, covered, overnight.

3. Rinse duck briefly with cold water to remove pepper salt coating.
Transfer to a large heatproof bowl and add sherry.

4. Steam 1One fourth hours by the bowlinapot method (see "HOWTO SECTION").
Turn off heat, but keep pan covered until duck has cooled to room
temperature.

5. Drain duck, reserving liquid. Chop, bones and all, in 1One half inch
sections; or bone and cut in 1 by 2inch strips. Pour duck liquid over,
and chill. Serve cold.

NOTE: The duck in this dish is reddish and tender. It should not be
confused with preserved duck, which is heavily salted and dried.

VARIATIONS:

1. For the Szechwan peppercorns, substitute 1 teaspoon either ground
Szechwan pepper, ground black pepper, or cinnamon. In step 1, heat with the
salt, stirring only 1 minute.

2. After step 1, add One half teaspoon ground star anise to pepper salt
mixture.

3. At the end of step 2, wrap duck well in foil and refrigerate 3 to 4
days.

4. In step 4, instead of steaming the duck, place in a heavy saucepan
with 8 cups cold water and bring to a boil. Then simmer, covered, until
tender but not too soft (about 40 to 60 minutes). Pick up step 5.

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