Main Ingredients:

See below ingredients and instructions of the recipe

Cooking Preparation of the Recipe:

Stephen Ceideburg
4 1/2 lb Duck *
3 tb Sichuan peppercorns
3 tb Coarse salt
1 1/2 tb Sugar
4 Quarter-sized slices fresh
-ginger, shredded
3 Green onions, cut into
-2-inch pieces, crushed
1/4 c Chinese rice wine or dry
-sherry
Asian sesame oil
ACCOMPANIMENTS:
Chinese Steamed Lotus Buns
Slivered green onions
Hoisin sauce (1/2 teaspoon
-per serving)
SMOKING MATERIALS:
1/2 c Sichuan peppercorns
1/2 c Raw long-grain rice
1/2 c Black tea leaves
1/2 c Dark brown sugar
2 Cinnamon sticks, broken into
-small pieces
4 Whole star anise or the
-equivalent in pieces

* or 2 Cornish game hens, about 1 1/2 pounds each (see note)

Remove fat from duck or hens and discard. Rinse thoroughly with cold
water. With the palm of your hands press down on the breastbone to
snap the bone and flatten the bird. Pat dry.

Marinating: In an ungreased skillet or wok over medium heat, toast the
peppercorns and salt until the salt turns a tan color and the
peppercorns are aromatic, about 5 minutes. Finely grind in a food
processor or spice mill and combine with sugar, ginger, onions and
wine. Rub mixture throughout the duck or hens inside and out and
place in a shallow heat-proof bowl (select one that will fit
comfortably into the wok or pot that you will steam in). Cover and
marinate overnight or up to 3 days, refrigerated. Turn every few
hours, Remove from the refrigerator. Let the duck or hens come to
room temperature.

Steaming: Fill the bottom of wok or steaming pot with boiling water.
Place bowl with the duck or hens and marinade on a rack over the
water. Cover and steam 1 1/2 hours for duck, 45 minutes for hens.

At 15-minute intervals, check water level and replenish with more
water if needed. Remove hens with their bowl. Cool. Transfer duck or
hens to a cooling rack; scrape off marinade. (Save duck stock. It
makes a delicious cooking stock for vegetables.) Set hens in a cool,
airy spot to dry for at least 4 hours, or refrigerate, overnight,
uncovered,

Smoking: Line bottom of a wok with heavy-duty aluminum foil. Mix
together and distribute smoking materials on the bottom. Set a 9 or
10-inch round cake rack into the wok or devise a rack by
crisscrossing 6 wooden chopsticks in the middle of the wok. Place
duck or hens directly on rack. Turn heat to medium-high. When the
smoke begins, cover the wok and smoke for 10 to 20 minutes, or until
duck or hens turn golden brown. Remove from rack and brush lightly
with sesame oil. The hens may be served at this point or browned.

Browning: Place hens breast side up on a roasting rack in a 425
degree F. oven for 5 to 10 minutes to crisp the skin.

Serving: Chop duck or hens into bite-size pieces, or remove bones and
cut meat into thin slices. Serve with Lotus buns and accompaniments.

Note: If you are preparing more than 2 hens, you will need to steam
and smoke them in 2 batches.

PER SERVING (duck, not counting lotus buns): 700 calories, 38 g
protein, 1 g carbohydrate, 58 g fat (20 g saturated), 168 mg
cholesterol, approximately 1,270 mg sodium, 0 g fiber.

Joyce Jue writing in the San Francisco Chronicle, 11/25/91.

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