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By Root 178 0

fresh ginger makes its annual appearance in Chinese markets. It is often paired with duck, where its tang cuts through the richness of the duck meat. These roots (well, actually rhizomes) have thin, pale yellow skin, pink tips, and a milder flavor than the older ginger we use the rest of the year. But they are seasonal and hard to find. To make this dish year-round, substitute Chinese pickled ginger, which has a tender texture and mild flavor similar to young ginger, and is not unlike the Japanese ginger served with sushi.

Makes 4 servings

Sliced Duckling with Pickled Ginger

1 boneless duck breast (available at specialty markets)

1 large egg white

1 teaspoon cornstarch

1 teaspoon salt

Vegetable oil, for passing through

¼ cup sliced water chestnuts (⅛-inch-thick slices)

Sauce

2 tablespoons soy sauce

2 tablespoons sugar

2 tablespoons rice wine or dry sherry

1 tablespoon distilled white vinegar

1 tablespoon Chicken Stock (page 70) or canned chicken broth

1 teaspoon cornstarch

8 scallions, white and green parts, trimmed and sliced diagonally into ½-inch pieces

3 garlic cloves, peeled and sliced ⅛ inch thick

2 teaspoons hot bean paste

⅓ cup sliced bottled pickled ginger (cut 1 ½ inches long, 1 inch wide, and ⅛ inch thick)

3 Chinese dried black mushrooms, soaked in hot tap water until softened, drained, stems trimmed, and caps cut into ½-inch-wide slices

1 teaspoon dark sesame oil

1. Cut off and discard the skin from the duck breast. Slice the breast across the grain into ¼-inch-thick pieces, then cut them into pieces 2 inches long and 1 inch wide. Mix the duck, egg white, cornstarch, salt, and 1 tablespoon water in a medium bowl. Cover and refrigerate for 30 minutes.

2. Heat a large wok over high heat. Add enough oil to come about 1 ½ inches up the sides of the wok, and heat it to 325°F. Add the duck and stir gently, keeping the pieces separate and cooking until they turn pale brown, about 30 seconds. Add the water chestnuts and cook for 10 seconds. Using a wide wire-mesh strainer, transfer the duck and water chestnuts to a colander to drain. Discard all but 2 tablespoons of the oil from the wok.

3. To begin the sauce, mix the soy sauce, sugar, rice wine, vinegar, and stock in a small bowl, and set it aside. Dissolve the cornstarch in 1 tablespoon cold water in another small bowl, and set it aside.

4. Return the wok with the oil to medium-high heat. Add the scallions, garlic, and hot bean paste, and stir-fry until the garlic is fragrant, about 15 seconds. Add the pickled ginger and mushrooms, and stir-fry to blend the flavors, about 10 seconds. Stir in the soy sauce mixture, then the cornstarch mixture. Return the duck and water chestnuts to the wok, and stir-fry until the duck is just cooked through, about 20 seconds. Add the sesame oil, and serve immediately.

A SPECIAL-OCCASION FESTIVITY often requires an extraordinary dish, one that may take a bit of effort, but one that also guarantees that your guests know that they are being treated to something exceptional. This tea-smoked duck, with steps of marinating, smoking, steaming, and deep-frying, is such a dish. The duck—succulent and deeply flavored, with a crisp, burnished skin—is sliced and served in thin Chinese pancakes like its cousin, Beijing duck. The duck can be marinated, smoked, and steamed up to a day in advance; store it, covered, in the refrigerator, and it will be ready for frying right before serving. You will need a round wok or cake rack to fit in the wok to hold the duck while it is smoked.

Makes 4 to 8 servings

Tea-Smoked Duck Sichuan-Style

One 6-pound duck

Marinade

5 tablespoons salt

2 scallions, white and green parts, trimmed

Two ¼-inch-thick slices peeled fresh ginger

3 Sichuan peppercorns

One 3-inch cinnamon stick

2 whole star anise

For smoking the duck

Vegetable oil

Aluminum foil, for lining the wok

¼ cup sugar

¼ cup oolong tea leaves

¼ cup long-grain rice

1 tablespoon Sichuan peppercorns

One 3-inch cinnamon stick

2 whole star anise