Shanghai Duck

Oftentimes, the simplest recipes yield the most impressive results. The Shanghai Duck recipe given to me by one of my aunts is such a dish. The dish almost makes itself as you only need to add all the ingredients, toss the bird into a dutch oven, and leave it alone for a few hours. The only thing you have to do is skim off excess oil at the one hour mark, and flip the duck over. A magical transformation takes place, and the resulting dish is one of aromatic star anise, garlic, and soy sauce goodness.

This dish is such a favourite that we attempted it with other types of fowl. Chicken failed miserably as it is not a 'strong' enough meat to withstand the long oven time. A successful try was with goose: its meatiness and pronounced flavour was perfect for the cooking technique.

Shanghai Duck

(Cooking time: 2 1/2 to 3 hours)

1 Young Duck
Green Onions, a few stalks
White Pepper, as much as you like
2-3 cloves Garlic
2 slices of Ginger
3 whole Star Anise
1/4 cup Dark Soy Sauce
1/4 cup Sherry or Chinese Cooking Wine
1 Tablespoon Sugar
1 cup Water

- Put duck breast-side down in dutch oven, and add all of the above
ingredients (mix sugar into dark soy, sherry/cooking wine, and water, and
pour over duck; shake white pepper all over skin; put some of the green
onions, garlic, and ginger inside duck). Cover and cook in 365F oven for 1
hour.
- After 1 hour, take duck out of the pan, and skim off the
excess oil.
- Put the duck back into the dutch oven breast-side up, cover, and cook for
another 1 to 1 1/2 hours, or until duck is tender.