Free Food Recipes

Ingredients

• 1 medium duck (about 1.5 kg/3 1/2 lb)
• 4 slices root ginger
• 22 ml (1 1/2 tablespoons) sugar
• 45 ml (3tablespoons) soy sauce
• 5 ml (1 teaspoon) salt
• 10 ml (2 teaspoons) cinnamon bark
• 4 pieces star anise
• 2 medium onions
• 1 ml (1/4 teaspoon) cochineal or red coloring
• 12 ml (3/4 tablespoon) corn flour

Serve 8

** Free Food Recipes **

Method:

1. Remove the innards, neck and head, parboil the duck for l10 minutes, If and drain. Place it in a pot or casserole. Add 10 ml (2 teaspoons) sugar, the Soya sauce, salt, sherry, cinnamon, anise, ginger, sliced onions, fed coloring and enough water to cover the duck.

2. Bring to the boil, cover, reduce the heat to low, and simmer for 1 1/2 hours, turning the bird over twice. Remove it from the pot to drain and cool.

3. When the duck is cold, chop it through the bone into bite sized pieces, and arrange them neatly on a serving dish. Skim, off any excess fat from the liquid tin the pot. Remove all solids and reduce the liquid by a third through boiling.

4. Use half the liquid to, make a sauce, by adding the balance of sugar, the corn flour (blended first in 45 ml/3 tablespoons stock or water) and mix them together thoroughly. Put the pan  over a medium heat until the sauce thickens.  Allow the, sauce to cool and serve.

Note: It is a favorite Soochow dish in the summer. The interesting flavor lies in the trace of saltiness within i6i general fresh sweetness.