Arhat Duck
A traditional Fujian (Min) dish: the duck is steamed until tender, deboned, stuffed with a mix of vegetarian ingredients, steamed again, and finished with a glossy starch glaze poured over the top.
Ingredients
duck (split from the back, remove innards, remove feet and claws, wash clean)
1 (about 1400 g)
winter bamboo shoot slices
165 g
soaked dried winter mushroom slices
to taste
flattened tip bamboo shoot segments
to taste
chestnut slices
to taste
tofu skin
to taste
ginkgo nut meat
to taste
baby bok choy hearts
to taste
scallion segments
to taste
ginger slices
to taste
Shaoxing wine
to taste
sugar
to taste
salt
to taste
soy sauce
to taste
water chestnut starch
to taste
sesame oil
to taste
clear broth
to taste
hot lard (unknown net usage)
1000 g
Instructions
1
Preparing the duck
Split the duck from the back, remove the innards, remove the feet and claws, and wash clean. Briefly pass through a wok of warm hot lard, pour off the oil, add soy sauce, salt, scallion, ginger, sugar, and clear broth, cover the lid, and simmer for about ten minutes. Remove the duck, place it on a plate, then steam in a steamer for about fifty minutes. Take it out, remove all the large and small bones, and set aside.
2
Preparing the filling
Place the mushroom slices, baby bok choy hearts, chestnut slices, ginkgo nut meat, winter bamboo shoot slices, flattened tip bamboo shoot segments, and tofu skin into a wok, add a pinch of salt, cook for about five minutes, then remove and stuff into the duck's cavity.
3
Second steaming and sauce
Place the duck breast-up on a plate, steam for another fifteen minutes, then remove and invert it onto another plate with the back facing up. Use a little of the original duck broth with water chestnut starch in a wok to make a sauce, pour it over the duck, and drizzle with some sesame oil. Serve.
