Smoked Duck Brains
A Beijing-style specialty: duck brain slow-braised and smoke-cured, served with crispy fried pea shoots arranged around the plate. Delicate flavor, appealing color, and a satisfyingly crisp texture.
Ingredients
duck heads (to extract brains after boiling)
20
duck brains
about 20 g
pea shoots (leaves only)
125 g
scallion segments
3
ginger
2 slices
five-spice powder
a pinch
Shaoxing wine
12.5 g
soy sauce
6.5 g
MSG
a pinch
clear broth
250 g
cabbage leaves (for lining the smoking basket)
to taste
rice (for smoking)
a pinch
sugar (for smoking)
a pinch
wood chips (for smoking)
a pinch
raw oil (for deep-frying pea shoots)
500 g
Instructions
1
Pre-treatment and Simmering
Take 20 duck heads, place them in a pot of boiling water and cook until done. Split each one open and extract the duck brains. Add clear broth, soy sauce, wine, scallion segments, ginger slices, and five-spice powder, then simmer over low heat. Strain off the liquid.
2
Preparing the Smoker
Set up a smoking basket; line the bottom with cabbage leaves and arrange the duck brains neatly on top.
3
Smoking
Use a dry pot. Place a small amount of rice, sugar, and wood chips in the bottom, set the smoking basket on top, cover tightly, and let the smoke rise to flavor briefly. Then remove and place on a serving plate.
4
Frying Pea Shoots and Plating
Pour 500 g of raw oil into a wok and heat until very hot. Briefly rinse the pea shoots (leaves only, no stems) in clean water, then quickly deep-fry them. Remove and arrange around the duck brains. Watch the frying time carefully—too long will yellow the leaves, too short will leave moisture inside, making them neither crisp nor flaky.
