Simply Ming Easy Techniques for East-Meets-West Meals

HOISIN-ROASTED DUCK WITH SWEET POTATOES Here's my easy version of the famed Peking Duck, a delicious dish that nonetheless takes lifetimes to prepare. This one-pot variation, which features sweet potatoes (wonderful with the duck), is much, much simpler to make, and you still get crispy skin, savory meat, and the hoisin-sauce "accompaniment," not to mention deliciously roasted sweets that have absorbed the tasty duck drippings. Serves 3 to 4 One 5-to-6 pound duck, rinsed and dried, and visible fat removed Kosher salt and freshly ground black pepper to taste 1 1/2 cups Hoisin-Lime Sauce (page 46) 1/2 cup red wine 2 large onions, cut into 1/4-inch slices 4 large sweet potatoes, washed and cut into 6 to 8 wedges each 1. Season the duck inside and out with salt and pepper. In a medium bowl, combine the Hoisin-Lime Sauce and the wine. Rub the duck generously with the mixture inside and out, and marinate in the mixture, refrigerated, for at least 2 hours and up to overnight. 2. Place a roasting pan in the oven and preheat the oven to 375 degrees Farenheit. 3. Combine the onions and potatoes in a large bowl. Season with salt and pepper, and toss. 4. Open the oven and carefully spray the roasting pan with nonstick cooking spray. Place one potato wedge in the pan. The potato should sizzle; if not, remove it and continue to heat the pan. When the pan is very hot, add the potato mixture to the pan and place the duck on top, breast side up. Turn the pan back to front and roast until the duck is brown, 35 to 40 minutes. Tent the duck with foil and continue to roast until the duck is cooked through, or the legs are easily moved, 30 to 35 minutes more. Transfer the duck to a cutting board and let rest for 10 to 15 minutes. 5. Using a flat spatula, loosen the potato mixture from the pan and transfer to the center of a platter. Place the whole duck on the potatoes, breast side up, and carve at table. You may also carve the duck before serving, separating the leg-thighs from the wings, and slicing the breast. ----- MASTER RECIPE: HOISIN-LIME SAUCE If you're like most people, your first encounter with hoisin sauce involved the Chinese dish mu shu pork, in which the sauce serves as a dipper for meat-enclosed pancakes. Used this way (and even in dishes), this bean-paste ingredient is too sweet, I find. That's why I came up with this sprightly lime-flavored version. The acidic kick of the lime bounces off the sauce's sweetness to create a delicious "new" hoisin. I've also added aromatics to the sauce to ensure it's well roundedand versatile. Makes about 2 cups Lasts 2 weeks, refrigerated 1/2 cup plus 2 tablespoons grapeseed or canola oil 2 tablespoons minced garlic 1 tablespoon peeled and minced fresh ginger 2 cups hoisin sauce 1/2 cup fresh lime juice Kosher salt and freshly ground black pepper to taste 1. Heat a wok or large saute pan over medium heat. Add the 2 tablespoons of oil and swirl to coat the pan. Add the garlic and ginger and saute until soft, about 2 minutes. Add the hoisin sauce and stir to prevent burning. Cook, stirring, for 1 minute, then add the lime juice. 2. Transfer the mixture to a blender and blend, drizzling in the 1/2 cup oil. Season with salt and pepper. Cool thoroughly and use or store.Tsai, Ming is the author of 'Simply Ming Easy Techniques for East-Meets-West Meals' with ISBN 9780609610671 and ISBN 0609610678.