Anise and ginger flavoured duck with steamed lotus bun

This is country-style cuisine at its best, showing the effects of affluence and good harvests upon simple peasant life. The bun resembles the shape of half-closed lotus leaves, hence the name. The northern Chinese use bread or buns rather than rice as an accompaniment.

Thoroughly tender, rich, mahogany-coloured glazed pieces of duck, exuding an enticing aroma of anise, is what you should be aiming for in this dish. Traditionally the skin is left on, but those who are very fat-consci