Duck Drumsticks with Black Dates

Courtesy of our friend, Jacqueline Newman

www.flavorandfortune.com

Ingredients:

 4 Pekin Duck legs with their thigh sections
2 Tablespoons vegetable oil
4 ounces Chinese black dates, if unavailable, any dates can be used
4 cups chicken broth
2 chicken bouillon cubes
1/4 teaspoon salt
1/4 teaspoon sugar
1 teaspoon sesame oil
2 cloves garlic, peeled and minced
1 slice fresh ginger, peeled and minced
1 scallion, finely sliced
1/2 teaspoon bean paste
1 pound bokcai or another seasonal vegetable, steamed until tender
1/2 teaspoon cornstarch mixed with two teaspoons of cornstarch

1. Heat wok, then add the oil and stir-fry duck leg sections until lightly brown. Lift them out of the oil and transfer them to a pot. Add the black dates and stock and bouillon powder and set aside.
2. Reheat the oil left in the wok and stir-fry the garlic, ginger, and scallion; add the bean paste and mix well, remove and pour over the duck pieces, stir, and bring to the boil. Reduce heat and simmer about forty minutes until the duck meat is tender.
3. Arrange vegetables on one side of a heated plate, and put the duck pieces on the other. Add cornstarch mixture to the liquid left in the pot, bring to the boil, then pour this over the duck, and serve.