Ingredients
1 whole duck (about 1500 g / 3.3 lbs), 25 g red yeast rice.
Seasonings
75 g rock sugar, 50 g cooking wine, 20 g each of scallions and ginger, 15 g salt, 5 g each of star anise and cinnamon bark.
Instructions
1. Split the duck open along the belly, remove the innards, and rinse clean. Cut off the beak and feet, remove the tail gland, then blanch the duck in boiling water and drain. Rinse off any blood residue, and rub the inside of the duck cavity evenly with salt.
2. Place an iron pot on the stove and add 1000 g (about 4 cups) of water. Wrap red yeast rice, scallions, ginger, star anise, and cinnamon in a clean cloth, tie it securely, and add it to the pot. Bring to a boil and cook until the liquid turns red, then remove the cloth bundle. Add the duck to the pot along with rock sugar, salt, and cooking wine. Simmer over low heat for about 2 hours, until the duck is tender and the liquid has reduced to about 200 g (about 3/4 cup). Then, increase the heat to high to reduce the sauce, continuously spooning the sauce over the duck while gently shaking the pot to rotate the duck. When the sauce has reduced to about 100 g (about 1/3 cup), remove the duck and place it on a plate. Let it cool naturally, then cut into pieces and arrange on a serving dish. This dish is savory, aromatic, rich, and tender, with a pleasant balance of saltiness and sweetness.