1. Separately soak dried mushrooms and tangerine peel.

2. Wipe duck inside and out with a damp cloth. Dry well with paper toweling or hang up to dry in a cool, airy place 1 to 2 hours; then rub with soy sauce.

3. Heat oil to boiling. Using a wire basket or long-handled Chinese strainer, gently lower in duck and deep-fry, basting and turning until golden. Drain on paper toweling and let cool. Then score bird along breastbone, but do not cut through bone.

4. Slice bamboo shoots and ginger root thin and combine with soaked mushrooms and tangerine peel. Mix well with star anise, salt, sugar and pepper.

5. Stuff mixture into duck cavity. Trim off scallion roots and cut celery stalks in 2 or 3 pieces; add to cavity. Sew up securely or skewer.

6. Transfer bird to a deep heatproof bowl. Steam by the bowl-in-a-pot method until done (about 2 hours). See "How-To Section".

7. Drain duck, transferring liquids to saucepan. Let bird cool, then remove stuffing; reserve mushrooms and bamboo shoots, but discard other ingredients.

8. Carefully cut off wings and legs. Then, with the hands, carefully separate meat from bones, starting with incision on breastbone. (Keep skin and natural shape of bird as intact as possible.)

9. Spread boned duck flat on a heatproof platter, skin-side down. Bone legs and place on top. Arrange mushrooms and bamboo shoots over duck. Steam 20 minutes more.

10. Cut lettuce in strips and arrange on a serving platter. Invert duck onto lettuce, skin side up, with mushrooms and bamboo shoots underneath.

11. Gradually reheat duck liquids in saucepan. Meanwhile blend cornstarch, water, remaining soy sauce and salt to a paste; then stir in to thicken liquids. Pour sauce over duck. Mince parsley and sprinkle over as a garnish.

From <The Thousand Recipe Chinese Cookbook>, Isbn 0-517-65870-4. Downloaded from Glen's Mm Recipe Archive, http://www. Erols. Com/hosey.