Beijing Spring Duck with Plum Sauce

Prepare the duck by patting it dry. Rub the inside and outside with Shaoxing wine, five-spice powder, salt, and white pepper. Let it marinate for 1 hour at room temperature.

In a saucepan, combine plums, rock sugar, rice vinegar, and 500 ml water. Simmer over low heat for 30 minutes until plums break down and sauce thickens. Strain to remove solids and set plum sauce aside.

Place the marinated duck in a large steamer. Steam over high heat for 1 hour until the duck is tender and cooked through. Remove and let it cool slightly.

Heat oil in a wok over medium heat. Sauté ginger and spring onions until fragrant. Add bamboo shoots and shiitake mushrooms, stir-frying for 3-4 minutes.

Add soy sauce, hoisin sauce, and the remaining 500 ml water to the wok. Bring to a simmer, then add the steamed duck. Cook for 15 minutes, basting occasionally.

Remove the duck from the wok and place it on a serving platter. Thicken the sauce in the wok with cornstarch slurry until it coats the back of a spoon.

Pour the thickened sauce over the duck. Serve hot with the prepared plum sauce on the side, garnished with additional spring onion greens if desired.