Star chef and bestselling cookbook author Ming Tsai introduces a time- and step-saving approach to East-West cooking that puts its vibrant, complex flavors easily within reach of cooks of every level.

MING TSAI was named Best Chef of the Northeast by the James Beard Foundation in 2002. He has been a mainstay on the Food Network as the host of East Meets West, for which he won an Emmy, and with WBGH he is producing and hosting a new series, Simply Ming, on public television. He is the author of<b> Blue Ginger</b> (with Arthur Boehm) and has created food products and cookware under both the Ming East-West and Blue Ginger labels. He and his wife live in Massachusetts with their two sons. For more information, visit his website at www.ming.com. <br><br>ARTHUR BOEHM writes about food for a number of national publications and is co-author of the <b>Modern Seafood Cook</b>,<b> The Empire Kosher Cookbook</b>, and <b>Blue Ginger: East Meets West Cooking with Ming Tsai.</b> He lives in New York City.

HOISIN-ROASTED DUCK WITH SWEET POTATOES

Here's my easy version of the famed Peking Duck, a delicious dish that nonetheless takes lifetimes to prepare. This one-pot variation, which features sweet potatoes (wonderful with the duck), is much, much simpler to make, and you still get crispy skin, savory meat, and the hoisin-sauce "accompaniment," not to mention deliciously roasted sweets that have absorbed the tasty duck drippings.

Serves 3 to 4

• One 5-to-6 pound duck, rinsed and dried, and visible fat removed
• Kosher salt and freshly ground black pepper to taste
• 1 1/2 cups Hoisin-Lime Sauce (page 46)
• 1/2 cup red wine
• 2 large onions, cut into 1/4-inch slices
• 4 large sweet potatoes, washed and cut into 6 to 8 wedges each

1. Season the duck inside and out with salt and pepper. In a medium bowl, combine the Hoisin-Lime Sauce and the wine. Rub the duck generously with the mixture inside and out, and marinate in the mixture, refrigerated, for at least 2 hours and up to overnight.

2. Place a roasting pan in the oven and preheat the oven to 375 degrees Farenheit.

3. Combine the onions and potatoes in a large bowl. Season with salt and pepper, and toss.

4. Open the oven and carefully spray the roasting pan with nonstick cooking spray. Place one potato wedge in the pan. The potato should sizzle; if not, remove it and continue to heat the pan. When the pan is very hot, add the potato mixture to the pan and place the duck on top, breast side up. Turn the pan back to front and roast until the duck is brown, 35 to 40 minutes. Tent the duck with foil and continue to roast until the duck is cooked through, or the legs are easily moved, 30 to 35 minutes more. Transfer the duck to a cutting board and let rest for 10 to 15 minutes.

5. Using a flat spatula, loosen the potato mixture from the pan and transfer to the center of a platter. Place the whole duck on the potatoes, breast side up, and carve at table. You may also carve the duck before serving, separating the leg-thighs from the wings, and slicing the breast.

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MASTER RECIPE: HOISIN-LIME SAUCE

If you're like most people, your first encounter with hoisin sauce involved the Chinese dish mu shu pork, in which the sauce serves as a dipper for meat-enclosed pancakes. Used this way (and even in dishes), this bean-paste ingredient is too sweet, I find. That's why I came up with this sprightly lime-flavored version. The acidic kick of the lime bounces off the sauce's sweetness to create a delicious "new" hoisin. I've also added aromatics to the sauce to ensure it's well rounded—and versatile.

Makes about 2 cups
Lasts 2 weeks, refrigerated

• 1/2 cup plus 2 tablespoons grapeseed or canola oil
• 2 tablespoons minced garlic
• 1 tablespoon peeled and minced fresh ginger
• 2 cups hoisin sauce
• 1/2 cup fresh lime juice
• Kosher salt and freshly ground black pepper to taste

1. Heat a wok or large sauté pan over medium heat. Add the 2 tablespoons of oil and swirl to coat the pan. Add the garlic and ginger and sauté until soft, about 2 minutes. Add the hoisin sauce and stir to prevent burning. Cook, stirring, for 1 minute, then add the lime juice.

2. Transfer the mixture to a blender and blend, drizzling in the 1/2 cup oil. Season with salt and pepper. Cool thoroughly and use or store.

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Excerpted from Simply Ming: Easy Techniques for East-Meets-West Meals by Ming Tsai, Arthur Boehm
All rights reserved by the original copyright owners. Excerpts are provided for display purposes only and may not be reproduced, reprinted or distributed without the written permission of the publisher.