A Chinatown Special

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Chinatown Duck With Mushrooms and Bok Choy

Steamed rice or noodles

Asian pears or lychees

Hot tea

An occasional trip to a Chinese delicatessen can supplement your grocery shopping with food that is difficult to duplicate at home. There is, for instance, crisp-skinned roast pork or there’s char siu , barbecued pork that’s been tinted red. Steamed ginger chicken is wonderful by itself, makes a great potluck item or can be shredded for Chinese chicken salad. But my favorite choice for serving a lot of people is Chinese roast duck, fragrant with star anise and five-spice seasonings.

When simmered with the meat’s aromatic roasting juices and some chicken broth, the duck turns into a delicious stew with a slightly sweet taste. I got the idea from my cousin Lou, who gets raves every time she serves it. She adds whatever vegetables she has in her refrigerator (sometimes even romaine or iceberg lettuce), but for special company she chooses baby bok choy, baby corn and shiitake mushrooms. For a pleasant crunch, she suggests snow peas.

Steamed rice is a perfect match with the duck stew, or you can serve egg or rice noodles quickly boiled in broth, then drained and seasoned.

Crisp Asian pears or sweet lychees, now available fresh, are a nice, light way to end the meal.

CHINATOWN DUCK WITH MUSHROOMS AND BOK CHOY

Staples

2 tablespoons soy sauce or to taste

1 1/2 tablespoons cornstarch

1 teaspoon sugar

1 3/4 cups chicken stock

Rice

Shopping

1 roast duck, cut up

1 (14 1/2-ounce) can clear chicken broth (if homemade stock not on hand)

1 small piece ginger root

1 small bottle or packet star anise

4 baby bok choy

6 fresh shiitake mushrooms (or reconstituted dried)

1 small bottle sesame oil

Optional Side-Dish Shopping Asian pears or fresh or canned lychees

1. Combine 1 cut-up roast duck with its juice, 1 3/4 cups chicken stock or 1 (14 1/2-ounce) can clear chicken broth, 1/2 cup water, 1 star anise and 2 tablespoons soy sauce in small wok or large skillet. Cover and simmer 15 minutes.

2. Combine 1 1/2 tablespoons cornstarch with 2 tablespoons water. Add to duck with 1 teaspoon sugar.

3. Add 4 baby bok choy and 6 fresh shiitake mushrooms (or reconstituted dried). Simmer just until bok choy is tender-crisp and mixture is thickened.

4. Adjust soy sauce to taste. Stir in 1/2 teaspoon sesame oil. Serve with hot rice or noodles.

Note: Other vegetables such as canned baby corn, Chinese pea pods, broccoli and spinach may be added or substituted. For a more tender duck, simmer with broth and seasonings for 30 minutes before adding thickener and vegetables.

Makes 4 servings.