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By Root 807 0

that must be broken up with a hammer before use; and mei kuei lu chiew, or “rose wine,” a floral wine that smells like rose water and costs two bucks a bottle. But don’t knock yourself out looking for any of these—I give substitutions in the recipe.

But if you can easily acquire them, do, because this sauce can be used time and again, as long as you freeze it between uses (or refrigerate it and bring it to a rolling boil every few days) and top up the liquids now and then.

3 cups mushroom-flavored soy sauce or any dark soy sauce

3 cups (1 bottle) mei kuei lu chiew wine, or any floral, off-dry white wine, like Gewürztraminer or Muscat

2 whole star anise

14 ounces (1 box) yellow rock sugar or 1 cup granulated sugar

3 ounces (about a 5-inch knob) fresh ginger, peeled, cut into thick slices, and bruised with the side of a knife

10 medium scallions, untrimmed

One 2½- to 3-pound chicken

1. In a narrow pot with about a 6-quart capacity, combine the soy sauce, wine, 2 cups of water, and the star anise over high heat. While the sugar is still in its box (or wrapped in a towel), smack it several times with a hammer or rolling pin to break it up; it need not be too fine. Add the sugar and ginger to the liquid and bring it to a rolling boil.

2. Add 6 of the scallions, then gently and slowly lower the chicken into the liquid, breast side down. (In a narrow pot, the liquid will easily cover the chicken; if it is close, just dunk the chicken under the liquid as it cooks. If it is not close, add a mixture of soy sauce and water to raise the level.) Bring the liquid back to a boil and boil steadily for 10 minutes. Turn off the heat and turn the chicken over so the breast side is up. Let it sit in the hot liquid for 15 minutes. Meanwhile, trim and mince the remaining scallions and preheat the oven to 500°F, if you like.

3. Carefully remove the chicken from the liquid and serve it hot or at room temperature. Or place it in an ovenproof skillet or roasting pan. Roast for 5 minutes, or until nicely browned; keep an eye on it, because it can burn easily. In either case, reheat the sauce and, when the chicken is ready, carve it. Serve the chicken with a few spoonfuls of sauce on it. Put another cup or so of the sauce in a bowl and add the remaining scallions; pass this at the table.

VARIATIONS

• Poach other vegetables in the soy sauce for added flavor and to serve along with the chicken. Root vegetables, like carrots, turnips, and parsnips, are best.

• Cook cut-up chicken or Cornish hens in the same way; the cooking time will be somewhat less.

ROASTED AND BRAISED DUCK WITH SAUERKRAUT

MAKES 4 SERVINGS

TIME: 2 HOURS, LARGELY UNATTENDED

HERE’S A SIMPLE procedure for duck in which you first roast the bird and then braise it briefly. It keeps even the breast meat moist while making the legs ultratender. There are many options for the braising medium, but none provides more complementary flavor with less work than sauerkraut. The result is a moist bird with a sauce that doubles as a side vegetable. Although the cooking takes some time, you can practically ignore the duck as it roasts; if the oven temperature is moderate, it will brown more or less automatically and render its fat at the same time.

1 duck (about 4 pounds)

Salt and freshly ground black pepper

4 cups sauerkraut, rinsed (see Note)

2 teaspoons paprika

½ cup dry white wine or water

2 bay leaves

1. Preheat the oven to 375°F. Prick the duck all over with a fork, then sprinkle it with salt and pepper and put it in a large, deep ovenproof skillet or Dutch oven that can later be covered. Roast the duck, checking occasionally to make sure it is browning steadily, for about 1½ hours. (If the duck is barely browning, increase the heat by 50 degrees; if it seems to be browning too quickly, reduce the heat slightly.) At that point it will be nicely browned and will have rendered a great deal of fat; pour off all but a few tablespoons of the fat and transfer the pan to the top of the stove. Don’t worry if the duck does not appear to be fully cooked.

2. Scatter the