Braised Duck with Konjac
A Sichuan braised duck dish with glossy, bright red coloring, rich savory flavor, featuring konjac as a side ingredient.
Ingredients
Duck (cleaned, large bones removed)
1 (~750 g)
Konjac (cut into strips, blanched once to remove bitterness, soaked in warm water)
1000 g
Salt
1.5 g
Garlic sprouts (cut into segments)
50 g
Soy sauce
30 g
MSG
1.5 g
Ground white pepper
1 g
Rendered pork fat
100 g
Pixian doubanjiang (finely chopped)
60 g
Sichuan peppercorns
20+
Wet cornstarch
75 g
Stock
1250 g
Instructions
1
Prepare the ingredients
Cut the konjac into strips about 5 cm long and 1.2 cm wide and thick. Blanch once in boiling water to remove bitterness, then soak in warm water (drain before use). Remove the large bones from the cleaned duck and chop into strips slightly longer and wider than the konjac. Cut the garlic sprouts into 3.5 cm segments and finely chop the Pixian doubanjiang.
2
Stir-fry the duck and build the base
Heat a wok over high heat, add the rendered pork fat, and once hot, add the duck strips. Stir-fry to drive off the moisture, then remove and set aside. Reheat the remaining oil in the wok, add the doubanjiang and Sichuan peppercorns, and stir-fry until fragrant. Pour in the stock; once boiling, skim out the doubanjiang solids with a slotted spoon and add the duck strips back in. Add the salt and soy sauce, cover, and begin simmering over low heat.
3
Braise and finish
When the duck is about 70% tender, add the konjac and ground white pepper. Cook until the duck is fall-apart tender and the sauce has reduced to a small amount, then add the garlic sprouts and MSG and toss to combine. Stir in a little wet cornstarch slurry to thicken, then transfer to a serving dish.
