1 teaspoon sesame oil
Cucumber slices, to garnish
MARINADE
2 tablespoons rice wine
3 spring onions, bruised with a cleaver or pestle
6 slices fresh ginger, bruised with a cleaver or pestle
½ teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
DIPPING SAUCE
2 tablespoons hot bean sauce
4 tablespoons plum sauce
1 tablespoon soy sauce
½ teaspoon sesame oil
1 Sprinkle the salt on the duck and rub well over the entire body including the body cavity. Set aside.
2 Combine the Marinade ingredients in a small bowl and mix well. Rub the Marinade into the duck and body cavity with your fingers. Allow to marinate for at least 1 hour, turning the duck over once or twice and basting it with the Marinade occasionally. Transfer to a heatproof dish.
3 Combine the Dipping Sauce ingredients in a serving bowl and mix well. Set aside.
4 Fill a large wok a third full with water and bring the water to a boil over high heat. Place a wire or cake rack in the wok and set the dish with the duck on it. Cover the wok and steam the duck over rapidly boiling water for 1 hour until tender, adding more hot water whenever the water runs low. Remove from the heat and set aside to cool. Drain off the sauce and fat, and discard the spring onions and ginger.
5 To smoke the steamed duck, line the bottom of a wok with double layers of aluminum foil. Combine the tea leaves and sugar, and spread the mixture evenly on the foil. Place a wire rack or criss-crossed chopsticks over the tea leaves and carefully balance the duck on top, making sure it does not touch the leaves. Cover the wok and heat over high heat until smoke begins to escape from under the lid, 3 to 5 minutes. Reduce the heat to very low and continue to smoke the duck for another 8 to 10 minutes until golden brown. Turn off the heat and leave the duck in the covered wok for 5 to 10 minutes to brown further. Remove from the wok and lightly brush the whole duck with sesame oil.
6 Cut the duck into bite-sized pieces and arrange on a serving platter. Garnish with cucumber slices and serve immediately with the bowl of Dipping Sauce on the side.
NOTE: Alternatively, you can smoke the duck in an oven. Spread the tea leaves and sugar mixture in a shallow pan lined with aluminum foil and place the pan on the lowest rack of a preheated oven. Place the duck on the middle rack and bake at very high heat (480˚F/250˚C) for 8 to 10 minutes, turning the duck over once.
Serves 6 to 8
Preparation time: 25 mins + 1 hour to marinate
Cooking time: 1 hour 15 mins
Fragrant Tender Duck
This all-time Cantonese favorite goes by the Cantonese name heong so ngap, meaning “fragrant tender duck” and involves steaming and frying a duck that has been marinated in soy, five spice powder and wine. It is delicious to eat on its own or with Mandarin Pancakes.
2 teaspoons salt
1 fresh duck, cleaned and dried
3 tablespoons cornstarch
Oil for deep-frying
2 spring onions, cut into lengths
Hoisin sauce, for dipping
MARINADE
½ teaspoon five spice powder
½ teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
1 tablespoon soy sauce
1 tablespoon rice wine
Few drops red food coloring (optional)
MANDARIN PANCAKES
2 cups (300 g) flour, sifted
1 cup (250 ml) boiling water
1 teaspoon sesame oil
1 Sprinkle the salt on the duck and rub well over the entire body including the body cavity. Set aside.
2 Combine the Marinade ingredients in a bowl and mix well. Rub the Marinade into the duck and body cavity with your fingers. Allow to marinate for at least 1 hour, basting the duck with the Marinade from time to time. Transfer the duck to a heatproof dish.
3 Steam the marinated duck for 1 hour in a covered wok (see page 19) until tender. Remove and set aside to cool.
4 While the duck is steaming, prepare the Mandarin Pancakes. Place the flour in a mixing bowl and make a well in the center. Gradually stir in the boiling water and sesame oil, mixing well with chopsticks or a wooden spoon. Flour your hands and on a lightly floured surface, knead the soft sticky mixture into a smooth dough, about 10 minutes. Cover the dough with a cloth and allow to rest for 30 minutes.
5 Divide the dough into 2 equal portions. Roll each portion into a cylinder, then slice it into 14 to 15 equal pieces. Roll each piece into a small ball between your palms. Flatten each ball slightly with your palm, and using a rolling pin, roll it out into a thin circle, about 4 in (10 cm) in diameter. Place the dough circles on a large tray, covering them with a cloth or plastic wrap to prevent them from drying out. Heat a non-stick pan and dry-fry the pancakes over low heat until small bubbles appear, about 1 minute on each side. Transfer the pancakes to a serving platter.
6 Dredge the steamed duck in the cornstarch until evenly coated. Heat the oil in a wok over medium heat until very hot. Gently lower the coated duck into the hot oil and deep-fry for 5 to 10 minutes on each side, ladling hot oil from the bottom of the wok over the duck from time to time until the duck is golden brown and evenly cooked. Remove from the heat and drain on paper towels.
7 Separate the duck meat from the bone and slice thinly. Arrange on a serving platter and serve with spring onion, pancakes and a dipping bowl of hoisin sauce. Alternatively, cut the duck into serving pieces and serve with steamed rice.
NOTE: The pancakes can be prepared up to a day in advance. Before serving, reheat by steaming the pancakes in a wok or steamer, lined with a clean towel, for about 10 minutes. If preferred, you may buy the readymade Chinese Pancakes from the supermarket, instead of making your own for this recipe.
Serves 6 to 8
Preparation time: 45 mins + 1 hour to marinate
Cooking time: 1 hour 30 mins
Steamed Duck with Bamboo Shoots
This is a good dish to serve piping hot with steamed rice. If preferred, other ingredients like leafy greens, Chinese cabbage, dried oysters and chestnuts may be added. You can also try other interesting combinations, such as gingko nuts and water chestnuts. If using ingredients that need long cooking like dried gingko nuts and black Chinese mushrooms, steam these together with the duck instead of adding them at the end.
1 fresh duck
½ teaspoon ground white pepper
1 teaspoon salt
3 tablespoons soy sauce
½ cup (125 ml) oil
8 black Chinese mushrooms, soaked until soft, stems discarded, caps halved
8 dried scallops (⅓ cup/40 g), soaked for 30 minutes, drained
3 spring onions, trimmed
2 in (5 cm) fresh ginger, peeled and sliced
2 tablespoons rice wine
½ teaspoon sugar (optional)
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