BRAISED DUCK OVER RICE

Steps:

• Heat oven to 325 degrees. Place a large sauté pan over medium high heat. Add 1 tablespoon oil. Season duck pieces with salt and pepper to taste, and lay skin-down in the pan. Brown well on both sides, turning once. Drain off fat and return pan to heat. Add riesling and bring to a boil. Add soy sauce, 1/2 cup water, 1 clove garlic, ginger and sugar. Return to a boil, cover, and place in oven. Braise until meat is very tender, turning every 30 minutes, about 1 1/2 hours. Remove pan from oven, and let meat cool in pan.
• In a medium saucepan, bring 2 1/2 cups lightly salted water to a boil. Stir in rice, cover, and reduce heat to very low so water barely simmers. Cook until water is absorbed, then uncover and stir. Meanwhile, transfer duck to a plate, reserving sauce. (There should be about 1 cup of sauce; if necessary, add chicken broth to thin as desired.) Discard duck skin and fat. Pull meat from bones, pulling it or cutting it into small slivers.
• Place a large sauté pan over medium-high heat, and add remaining oil. Add remaining garlic, peppers (use 2 for mild heat, 3 for spicy), lemon grass and carrots. Sauté for 1 minute. Add duck, stirring to crisp edges. Add 1/4 cup of reserved sauce. Reduce until mixture is sticky. Mix in scallions.
• To serve, pile rice into four serving bowls, and top with duck and some of the remaining sauce. Sprinkle with cilantro, and serve.