Scallion Braised Duck
A traditional Zhejiang specialty: duck is deep-fried, then braised until tender and topped with a fragrant scallion sauce. The duck is served whole, with a subtly sweet scallion flavor.
Ingredients
Tender duck
One (about 2000g)
Beijing scallion (cut in half lengthwise into 5cm segments)
150g
Scallion knot
1
Ginger slices
5g
Shaoxing wine
100g
Soy sauce (15g for coating the duck, 60g for braising)
75g
Wet starch
50g
Sugar
35g
Sesame oil
10g
MSG
2.5g
Rendered pork fat (for deep-frying and stir-frying scallions)
1500g (about 90g used)
Instructions
1
Prepare the duck
Slaughter the duck, remove the feathers, and wash it clean. Make a horizontal cut on the upper back near the tail to remove the innards, drain off the duck's foul smell, and rinse thoroughly with clean water. Cut a slit (about 6cm long) lengthwise on the duck's back with the tip of a knife, blanch in boiling water for about 3 minutes, then remove and rinse off the blood.
2
Cut the scallion segments
Wash the Beijing scallions, cut them in half lengthwise into 5cm segments, and set aside.
3
Blanch and color the duck
Heat a wok over high heat and add pork fat. First place the duck in warm water to warm it through, wipe it dry, and coat the entire duck with 15g of soy sauce.
4
Deep-fry the duck
When the oil reaches about 80% hot (about 200°C), fry the duck until golden brown, then remove with a slotted spoon.
5
Braise the duck
Take another wok, place the duck inside, add Shaoxing wine, sugar, scallion knots, ginger slices, 60g of soy sauce, and 1000g of water. Bring to a boil over high heat, then move the pot to low heat to simmer. When the duck becomes tender, remove it and place it breast-up on a large platter. Remove the scallions and ginger from the pot, and reserve the original sauce.
6
Pour the sauce to finish
Add 15g of pork fat to the pot, stir-fry the Beijing scallion segments until softened, pour in the reserved sauce, add MSG, thicken lightly with wet starch, drizzle with sesame oil, then pour evenly over the duck to serve.
