Vegetarian Duck

Vegetarian Duck
Bean curd sheets, spices and bamboo shoots create flavors and textures similar to duck. The tofu skins stand in for the duck meat and the bamboo shoots for the bones, giving a somewhat crunchy texture.

Ingredients:
150 to 200 g bean curd sheets
270 g bamboo shoot halves (half of a can)
5 to 6 tablespoons starch
1 teaspoon salt
2 tablespoons light soy sauce
1 tablespoon dark soy sauce
1 teaspoon MSG (optional)
1 teaspoon white pepper powder
1/4 teaspoon five-spice powder
1 teaspoon Szechuan peppercorns
6 slices ginger
4 teaspoons sugar
3 tablespoons vegetable oil
1 tablespoon vegetarian broth mixed with 1/5 cup water

Directions:
1. Separate the bean curd sheets. Leave one full sheet uncut and finely dice the other sheets.
2. Cut the bamboo halves into 2 to 3 mm thick slices. Soak the slices in boiled water for 1 minute, then dry well.
3. In a bowl, mix the starch, salt, MSG, white pepper powder, light soy sauce, dark soy sauce, five-spice powder, sugar and oil. Mix this sauce with the diced tofu skins.
4. Spread out the full bean curd sheet and wipe it several times with a damp cloth to soften it. Place the sheet on top of a thin cloth.
5. Spread half of the diced tofu mixture on the tofu skin in a section about 6 cm long, 3 cm wide and 2 cm thick. Lay the bamboo shoots on top, then spread the rest of the tofu mixture on top.
6. Roll the bean curd skin from one end to the other as tightly as possible. Spread the peppercorns and ginger slices on top of the roll and roll it in the cloth to tighten it more.
7. Place 4 chopsticks around the four sides of the roll and tie tightly with string.
8. Place in a steamer and steam for 1 hour. When done, unwrap the cloth, slice and serve hot or cold.

Note:
It is crucial to roll the tofu skin and cloth, and tie the strings, as tightly as possible so the filling sticks together during steaming and gets a nice, firm texture.