Ingredients
• 2 teaspoons whole Szechuan peppercorns (see note)
• 1/4 teaspoon ground star anise
• 1.8kg whole duck (see note)
• 2 whole star anise
• 1 piece cassia bark or 1 cinnamon quill
• 2cm piece ginger, sliced
• 1 spring onion, cut into 3 lengths
• 2 tablespoons dark soy sauce
• 2 tablespoons Chinese rice wine (shaohsing) (see note) or dry sherry
• 1 cup plain flour, to dust
• Vegetable oil, to deep-fry
Lotus root & edamame stir-fry
• 1 tablespoon peanut oil
• 2 red eschalots (see note), thinly sliced
• 1 tablespoon grated ginger
• 2 garlic cloves, finely chopped
• 500g fresh lotus root (see note), peeled, sliced into 5mm rounds (or use 400g frozen sliced lotus root) (see note)
• 350g frozen, shelled edamame beans (see note)
• 100g black (cloud ear) fungus (see note) , chopped
• 1/4 firmly packed cup (60g) brown sugar
• 1/3 cup (80ml) Chinese rice wine (shaohsing) (see note) or dry sherry
• 1/4 teaspoon sesame oil
• 1 teaspoon Chinese black (Chinkiang) vinegar (see note)
• 2 teaspoons soy sauce
Method
1. Place the Szechuan pepper, ground star anise and 1 1/2 tablespoon sea salt in a frypan over medium heat. Dry-fry for 2 minutes until fragrant. Cool, then pound to a powder using a mortar and pestle.
2. Rinse duck inside and out and dry well with paper towel. Place whole star anise, cassia, ginger and spring onion in duck cavity, then rub powdered spice mix into skin. Cover and chill for at least 4 hours, preferably overnight, for flavours to infuse.
3. Cook duck in a large steamer set over boiling water for about 1 hour 30 minutes until cooked (juices run clear when thigh is pierced). Cool for 2 hours to dry out.
4. Mix soy and wine, then rub well all over duck. Dust in flour, shaking off excess.
5. Half-fill a large wok with oil and heat to 190°C (a cube of bread will turn golden in 30 seconds when oil is hot enough). Carefully add duck, breast-side down, then cook for 4 minutes. Turn and cook for a further 4 minutes until deep golden all over. Drain on paper towel and rest in a warm place while you make the stir-fry.
6. For the stir-fry, heat peanut oil in a wok over medium-high heat. Cook eschalot, ginger and garlic for 1 minute or until fragrant. Add lotus, stir-fry for 1 minute, then beans and toss for 1 minute. Add fungus and cook for 1 minute, then sugar and cook for 1-2 minutes until dissolved. Stir in wine, seasame oil, vinegar and soy.
7. Carve duck or cut into smaller pieces using a cleaver, then serve with stir-fry.
