Mushroom & ginger duck

serves 4
ingredients
2.5kg/51⁄2lb duck
1 teaspoon granulated sugar
50ml/2fl oz soy sauce
2 garlic cloves, crushed
8 dried Chinese mushrooms, soaked
in 350ml/12fl oz warm water for
15 minutes
1 onion, sliced
5cm/2in piece of fresh root ginger,
cut into matchsticks
200g/7oz baby sweetcorn
1⁄2 bunch of spring onions,
white bulbs left whole and green
tops sliced
2 tablespoons cornflour mixed
with 4 tablespoons water to form
a paste
salt and freshly ground black pepper
• Cut the duck along the breast, open it up and cut along each side of the
backbone. (Any trimmings of fat can be rendered in a frying pan, to use
later in the recipe.) Cut each leg and each breast in half. Put in a bowl,
rub with the sugar, then pour over the soy sauce and garlic.
• Drain the mushrooms, reserving the soaking liquid. Trim and discard
the stalks.
• Fry the onion and ginger in the duck fat, in a heavy frying pan, until
they give off a good aroma. Push to one side. Lift the duck slices out of
the soy sauce, and fry them until browned. Add the mushrooms and the
reserved soaking liquid.
• Add 600ml/1pt water to the pan. Season with salt and pepper, cover
and cook over a gentle heat for about 1 hour until the duck is tender.
• Add the sweetcorn and the white part of the spring onions. Cook for a
further 10 minutes. Remove from the heat and add the cornflour paste.
Return to the heat and bring to the boil, stirring. Cook for 1 minute until
glossy. Garnish with the green spring onion tops.
• Serve hot with plain boiled rice.