Cantonese Braised Duck with Taro (Xiang Yu Men Ya)

Remove the neck and any large back fat pad from the duck, then pat the joints thoroughly dry so the skin makes direct contact with the casserole and colours rather than steaming in its own moisture. Place them skin-side down in a cold heavy casserole or wok set over medium-high heat, starting cold so the fat has time to render out gradually before the skin seizes and locks it in. Render and brown without moving until the skin is deep mahogany and the fat has run freely — the colour of the skin at this stage will be the colour of the finished sauce.

Turn the joints and brown the flesh side briefly. Pour off all but a thin film of rendered fat so the braising liquid stays clean and glossy rather than greasy, then add the Shaoxing wine and let it bubble and reduce for one minute so the raw edge of the alcohol cooks off before it carries that sharpness into the sauce. Add the soy sauce, oyster sauce, rock sugar, star anise, and enough water or light stock to come halfway up the duck, and stir to dissolve the rock sugar — it is dissolved when no gritty sound rises from the spoon.

Bring to a gentle simmer, cover, and braise over low heat for approximately 40 minutes, keeping the heat low so the duck stays moist and the braising liquid does not reduce away before the taro goes in. Turn the duck once at the halfway point so both sides absorb the sauce evenly and colour equally. The duck is ready for the taro when the meat yields at the thickest point to firm pressure but is not yet falling from the bone.

Nestle the taro cubes into the braising liquid around the duck, pushing them down so they are partially submerged and can absorb the sweet-savoury braise from within rather than merely sitting in steam. Cover and continue to braise for a further 20 minutes. The taro is done when it is creamy at the centre — a skewer meets no resistance — yet the cubes still hold their shape and have not collapsed into the sauce.

Uncover, raise the heat to medium-high, and reduce the braising liquid, watching it closely because the sugar content means it can tip from lacquered to scorched in moments. Keep the duck and taro moving gently so every surface is basted as the sauce tightens. The sauce is ready when it clings to the back of a spoon and carries a deep, sweet-savoury aroma of star anise and rendered duck fat.

Taste the sauce and adjust with a small addition of soy sauce or rock sugar as needed. Serve directly from the pot over steamed rice.