Clear-Stewed Old Duck Soup
A classic Chinese recipe for clear-stewed old duck soup, made with mature duck, fresh ginger, salt, and cold water.
Ingredients
old duck
0.5
fresh ginger
1
salt
a pinch
cold water
to taste
Instructions
1
Step 1
Pluck the feathers from half an old duck, and also pare away the tough old skin from the soles of the feet;
2
Step 2
Use a sharp knife to chop it into small pieces. The bones of an old duck are very hard, so every cut must be steady, accurate, and decisive — try to avoid leaving a lot of bone fragments;
3
Step 3
Place the duck pieces in a bowl and rinse them twice with cold water to wash away the excess blood water;
4
Step 4
Transfer the duck pieces into a clay pot, then pour in enough cold water. Try to add enough water in one go; if you must top it up along the way, be sure to add hot water;
5
Step 5
Set the clay pot on an electric ceramic stove and first heat it on the largest 8-setting power using the double ring. Cover with the clay pot lid — very little heat escapes, so it will come to a boil shortly;
6
Step 6
When the soup is about to boil, a large amount of foam will rise to the surface — this is the blood water from the duck meat. Skim off the foam with a skimmer; this will take roughly 5 minutes;
7
Step 7
Drop in a few slices of fresh ginger, cover with the lid, and lower the heat to setting 2 or 1. Simmer gently so the duck meat becomes more tender and the broth more flavorful;
8
Step 8
When the time is up, look at this pot of old duck soup: a layer of golden duck fat floats on the surface while the broth beneath is crystal clear. Season with a pinch of salt to taste, and ladle up two steaming bowls while it's still hot.
9
Step 9
Clear-Stewed Old Duck Soup — an autumn soup to hydrate and warm the body.
