4 lb (to 5lb) duckling
1/2 ts Each ground ginger and
-cinnamon
1/4 ts Each ground nutmeg &
-white pepper
1/8 ts Ground cloves
3 tb Soy sauce
5 Whole green onions
1 tb Honey
1/2 c Plum sauce
-fresh cilantro
24 Mandarin pancakes (recipe
-follows)
Rinse duck inside and out and pat dry; cut off tail and discard;
reserve giblets for another use. Mix together ginger, cinnamon,
nutmeg, pepper and cloves. Sprinkle 1/2 t of spice mixture inside
duck. Stir 1 T of the soy into remaining spice mixture, then rub
evenly over exterior of bird. Cut one of the green onions in half and
tuck inside cavity of duck. Cover and refrigerate for 2 hours or
until next day.
Set duck, breast side up, on a rack over 1 1/2 to 2 inches boiling
water. Cover and steam for one hour, adding more water, if necessary,
as it evaporates. Cool duck so it firms slightly, then drain and
discard juices and green onion from cavity. Set duck, breast side
up, on a rack in a baking pan and prick skin all over with a fork.
Bake in a 375 degree oven for 30 minutes. Blend remaining 2 T soy
with honey and brush on duck. Turn oven temperature to 500 degrees.
Bake for 5 minutes or until skin becomes richly browned; do not allow
skin to char.
While duck is roasting, cut remaingin green onions and tops in 1 1/2
inch pieces, then cut lengthwise in thin strips. Serve green onions
and plum sauce in separate bowls. When duck is roasted, slice off
skin and cut into roughly 2 inch square pieces. Slice meat into
bite-size pieces. Reserve bones for duck soup. Arrange skin and duck
pieces on a serving plate and garnish with cilantro.
To eat, put a small piece of skin and meat on a mandarin pancake.
Top with a few green onion slivers and a dab of plum sauce, then fold
pancake around duck and eat with your hands.
