Eight Precious Duck

1. Separately soak glutinous rice and dried mushrooms. Blanch and shell chestnuts, ginkgo nuts and lotus seeds. 2. Bring water to a boil. Add soaked rice and simmer, covered, 5 minutes, then drain. Rinse under cold running water and drain again. 3. Dice pork, ham and bamboo shoots; shell and dice shrimp; dice chestnuts and mushrooms. Combine in a bowl with cooked rice. Add sov sauce, sherry, ginkgo nuts and lotus seeds. 4. Wipe duck inside and out with a damp cloth; then stuff rice mixture into cavity, and sew up securely or skewer. Truss bird (see "HOW-TO SECTION"). Place duck in a heavy pan. 5. Cut scallion stalk in 1-inch sections; slice ginger root. Add to pan along with stock, salt, remaining soy sauce and sherry. 6. Bring to a boil, then simmer, covered, 1 hour, turning duck several times for even cooking and coloring. Add sugar and simmer 1 hour more. 7. Scoop out rice stuffing and arrange on a serving dish. Chop duck, bones and all, in 1- to 2-inch sections, or carve Western-style. Arrange over stuffing and serve. NOTE: This dish, sometimes called Eight Jewel Duck, can also be eaten cold. It will keep about a week in the refrigerator. VARIATION: For the glutinous rice, substitute pearl barley. Bring to a boil in 2 cups cold water, then cook, covered, until soft (about 20 minutes). Drain, rinse in cold water and drain again. From <The Thousand Recipe Chinese Cookbook>, ISBN 0-517-65870-4. Downloaded from G Internet, G Internet.