Time: One hour or so
1 duck, 4 to 5 pounds, cut up
Salt and pepper to suit
2 tablespoons rice wine or dry sherry
3 tablespoons soy sauce
2 tablespoons of water
½ cup brown sugar
1 cinnamon stick, approximately 3 inches long
5 or 6 nickel-size slices of ginger
4 pieces whole star anise
2 cloves
1 teaspoon coriander seeds
Have butcher( or do it yourself ) cut duck into six or eight serving pieces. Get ride of wing tips, back and neck or make stock with them.
Place duck, skin side down, in a 12-inch skillet over high heat and sprinkle with salt and pepper. When duck begins to sizzle, cover and turn heat to medium. Turn duck after 15 minute and season skin side. After 15 more minutes, uncover skillet and turn heat to medium high. Cook duck, turning as necessary so that it browns nicely on both sides for about 15 minutes. WARNING—IN LAST PHASE OF COOKING, DO NOT LET IT BURN. SUGAR CAN TURN FROM BROWN TO BLACK QUICKLY; WHEN THE DUCK LOOKS LIKE IT IS A PERFECT MAHOGANY COLOR, GET IT OUT OF THE OVEN AND PAN.
Remove duck to a plate and pour off all but a tablespoon of fat; leave solids in pan. Over medium-high heat, add rice wine or sherry and bring to a boil. Add soy sauce and 2 tablespoons of water and bring to a boil; stir in remaining ingredients. Once mixture starts bubbling, return duck to skillet and cook turning often until sauce is thick and duck is glazed, 5 to 10 minutes. Remove duck and discard solid spices from sauce. Spoon sauce over duck and serve.
(The spices are those found in the traditional Chinese five-spice powder. You can use that,(2 teaspoons) but the whole spices are more favorable.