Crispy taro-crusted duck with mandarin sauce

Instructions

1. Place duck on a chopping board and remove fat from cavity. Cut off winglets and neck and with a cleaver. Split duck in half.
2. To make marinade, combine all ingredients in a saucepan on medium-high heat and boil for 2 minutes. Allow to cool, then rub marinade all over duck. Marinate for at least 3 hours, or preferably overnight.
3. Bring a pot of water to the boil and steam duck for 45 minutes. Remove from heat and allow to cool to the point where you can handle it. Carefully remove bones, taking care not to break the skin. Use a small knife to ease out the wing and leg bone. Deboning is easier when the duck is slightly warm, as it presses together much better. At the end of this step you should have 2 rectangles of duck.
4. Place duck on a board and fold under all the skin. Cover loosely with plastic wrap (allow some slack so they can spread). Place in a container and set another container that fits inside the first on top, then a 5 kg weight. Refrigerate overnight.
5. Take duck out of container and unwrap. You should have two solid pieces of duck with flat, smooth-skinned sides. Place a steamer on the stove over some boiling water.
6. To make the coating, whisk egg whites in a bowl until they start to thicken, but before soft peaks form. Mix flours together.
7. Dip duck into egg whites, skin-side down. Ensure there is an even cover of egg white over the skin. With a sieve, dust the duck with the flours, blow off any excess and place on a heatproof plate. Repeat. Place both in a steamer and cook for 20–25 minutes, or until egg white crust is dry to the touch. If it is undercooked, it will detach from the duck during the frying process, so ensure that it is cooked through.
8. Meanwhile, to make the sauce, place palm sugar and a little water in a saucepan and bring to the boil. Add mandarin peel and ginger and continue to cook until the palm sugar reaches a dark caramel colour. Add fish sauce and mandarin juice and stir. Add mandarin fillets and set aside, keeping warm.
9. Add enough peanut oil to a wok or deep fryer to submerge the ducks, and heat to 180°C. Add ducks and fry for about 6 minutes, or until the coating is crisp and the duck warmed through. Remove and drain. Rest in a warm place.
10. To serve, cut the ducks into finger-wide slices and spoon the sauce over.