Ingredients:
1 duck
2-4 star anise
5 tablespoons dark soy sauce
a few dried chilies
scallions
a few slices of ginger
20g sugar
1/6 onion
3-5 tablespoons light soy sauce
a few grams salt
After cleaning the duck, cut it into pieces and blanch in boiling water. Once the water boils, skim off the foam.
Rinse the duck meat with warm water. There may still be a little bit of blood residue and foam attached. Then drain and set aside.
When I cook meat dishes, I always add some onion, scallions, ginger, and garlic to stir-fry until fragrant. This helps to remove any gamey smell and enhances the flavor. The onion itself doesn’t taste great, but it works wonderfully as a supporting ingredient.
After stir-frying the scallions, ginger, chili, and onion until fragrant, add the duck meat. Give it a quick stir, then add sugar. I use rock sugar, but regular white sugar works too.
Add light soy sauce, dark soy sauce, and salt. I also added some homemade rice wine. Generally, cooking wine or beer works too—they all help to remove any gamey smell and enhance the umami flavor.
You must use boiling water. Do not use cold water.
Bring it to a boil over high heat, then reduce to a low heat and simmer for 1–2 hours. For a tender duck, you can shorten the simmering time appropriately. For an older duck, stew it until it becomes tender and soft, at least 1 hour. When the broth is reduced to about one-third, turn the heat back to high and reduce the sauce.
The fragrant braised duck is ready! The meat is tender and soft, and the sauce is perfect for mixing with rice—it’s absolutely delightful. That is, if you don’t mind the calories, haha.
