1 Duck
Salt
2 Scallions
2 sl Ginger
1 tb Fermented bean curd
-(optional)
1 c Camphor wood chips (cedar
-would probably work here!) *
1 c Raw rice
Oil
Rub the duck inside and out with salt. Let sit in a cold place for 2
~ 3 days. Stuff the duck with scallions and ginger. Steam it over
boiling water for 1 hour (the restaurant omitted this step, I think, or
rushed it). Remove and let cool. Rub the outside with the fermented
bean curd. Smoke duck slowly for 1 hour over camphor wood and raw rice
in Cameron smoker or improvised stovetop smoker. Remove and let cool.
With a cleaver, halve the duck. Discard scallions and ginger if they
haven't fallen out already. Deep-fry the halves at 370 F until skin
and bones are crisp. Chop into Chinese-style serving pieces. Serve
warm or cool.
* other combustibles may be used, for example orange peel, dry tea
leaves, or any sweet-smelling and nontoxic wood.
This is not a tested recipe, but if sort-of followed will produce a
dish very similar to that served once upon a time by Yenching Palace
in Boston.
