Fire Ham Hock Immortal Duck

Name: Fire Ham Hock Immortal Duck
Prep time: 20 min
Cook time: 3 h
Total time: 3 h 20 min
Ingredients: 1 (2000 g) Fat duck (dressed, plucked; make a small horizontal cut at the base of the tail to remove the entrails, wash clean; make a straight cut along the back ridge); 1 (350 g) Ham hock (wash surface grime with hot water, then scrub clean with cold water); 15 g Shaoxing wine; 15 g Fine salt; 30 g Scallion knot; 3 g MSG; 15 g Ginger piece

A traditional Zhejiang specialty, ham hock is braised with a fat duck until the duck falls off the bone and the broth retains its pure, original flavor.

3h 20m

Easy

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Ingredients

Fat duck (dressed, plucked; make a small horizontal cut at the base of the tail to remove the entrails, wash clean; make a straight cut along the back ridge) 1 (2000 g)

Ham hock (wash surface grime with hot water, then scrub clean with cold water) 1 (350 g)

Shaoxing wine 15 g

Fine salt 15 g

Scallion knot 30 g

MSG 3 g

Ginger piece 15 g

Instructions

Preparing the duck and ham hock

Dress and pluck the duck. Make a small horizontal cut at the base of the tail to remove the entrails, wash clean, then make a straight cut (about 4 cm) along the back ridge. Place into a pot of boiling water and blanch for 3 minutes to remove blood and the duck's musk gland. Break the leg bone at the tip and wash clean. Wash the ham hock with hot water to remove surface grime, then scrub clean with cold water.

Braising in a clay pot

Take a large clay pot and place a small bamboo rack at the bottom. Lay the duck breast-down on the rack with the ham hock beside it. Add the scallion knot and ginger piece, pour in about 3500 g of cold water, cover with a lid, and bring to a boil over high heat. Move to a low flame and simmer-braise until both the ham hock and the duck are half cooked.

Flipping and continuing to braise

Remove the lid and take out the scallion knot and ginger piece. Lift out the ham hock, remove the hock bone, and return it to the pot. Flip the duck over, cover the pot again, and continue to simmer-braise over low heat until both the ham hock and the duck are thoroughly tender.

Finishing and serving

Lift out the bamboo rack and skim off the surface oil. Remove the ham hock, slice it into pieces about 0.6 cm thick, and arrange them neatly over the duck's belly. Add the Shaoxing wine and fine salt, cover the pot, and braise for another 5 minutes so the seasonings and broth can penetrate the duck meat. Finally, add MSG and bring the clay pot directly to the table.