Moo Shu Duck

Ingredients:for the duck:1 6 lb duckzest of one lemon2 tablespoons five spice powder1 1/2 tablespoons ginger powder1 1/2 tablespoons salt1 tablespoon dark brown sugar1/2 tablespoon freshly ground black pepperfor the filling:1/3 cup dried tiger lily buds6 dried cloud ear mushrooms5 dried black or shiitake mushrooms2 cloves garlic, minced1 carrot, cut into matchsticks1 bunch green onions, cut into 1 inch chunks4 cups shredded napa cabbage1/2 cup chicken or duck stock2 tablespoons shaoxing wine2 tablespoons soy sauce1 1/2 tablespoons cornstarch mixed with an equal amount of water1 1/2 teaspoon sesame oilfor the omelet:2 eggs1/4 teaspoon sesame oil1/4 cup diced green onionfor the pancakes:2 cups flour3/4 cup boiling watersesame oil

In a small bowl, whisk together the zest, ginger, sugar, salt, pepper and five spice powder. Rub the dry rub into the skin of the duck.

Place the duck on a roasting rack on a roasting pan and roast for 2 hours or until cooked though*. Allow to cool slightly then shred the meat and set aside.

Add the flour and boiling water to a boil.

Whisk together. Flour a clean, flat surface. Knead the dough until smooth, 3-5 minutes. Cover in plastic wrap and let sit for 30-40 minutes.

Roll the dough into a tube about 1 1/2 inches thick.

Cut into 16 equal pieces. Use the palm of your hand to flatten each one slightly.

Brush the top of half the rounds with sesame oil. Top with a second pancake.

Roll them together until they are 5-6 inches wide. Stack, covered with a damped cloth until ready to heat.

Heat a nonstick pan and cook each pair for about 2 minutes on each side. Separate them into individual pancakes. Wrap the stack in foil until ready to serve. If needed, steam in a bamboo steamer or microwave them for a few seconds to reheat.Meanwhile, rehydrate the mushrooms and lily buds in hot water.

Cut off any hard bits on the lily buds and tie them in a knot. Thinly slice the mushrooms. Set aside.

Whisk the omelet ingredients together. Cook the eggs in a flat layer in a nonstick skillet or work. Slice into strips. Set aside.

Heat the oil in a wok.

Add the vegetables, lily buds, mushrooms and broth. Stir fry for 2 minutes.

Add the soy sauce, sesame oil and shaoxing. Stir fry for 1 minute then add the cornstarch mixture. Cook until the mixture boils.

Add the egg and duck. Stir fry for 2 minutes.

Serve in pancakes with hoisin sauce.*If you would like to reserve the duck fat for another recipe, drain it off the bottom of pan every 1/2 hour to 45 minutes and pour into a heat safe container. Duck fat is amazingly tasty to cook with.My thoughts:This is a bit of a time consuming recipe, I admit, but it is worth it. The pancakes are super simple to make (who knew?) and the duck is so flavorful that when you sit down to eat, you won't remember that it took the better part of an evening. If you are a planner, make the duck ahead of time and just toss it in with everything else when you actually want to eat. Normally moo shu is made with pork (or occasionally chicken) but we found a duck for a good price and thought it would make an excellent variation. We were right, the meat is succulent and adds a richness to the mixture that is similar to what you would get from pork but slightly more complex. Not to slight pork, you know how deep my love for pork runs, but it is a wonderful, delicious change. Some of the ingredients are a bit exotic but any Chinese (or even Korean in our experience) store will have them and since they are dried they keep for ages, possibly even years. I really would try to find them all, they add the perfect textures and flavors to the dish and are sorely missed if absent.Leftovers hold up surprisingly well. Just refrigerate the pancakes and filling (separately)in air tight containers and reheat them over low heat the next day. What a treat it is to have homemade moo shu pancakes for lunch!