Braised duck

 

 

I cooked this traditional braised duck for hubby's childhood friends this CNY and all the guys

raved about it.  The beauty of cooking is when you get good comments.  All the work and sweat is worth it.  Of course, cooking is all about practice.  Do not expect the first time to be perfect but

if you try it once, the second or third time, you'll get there.  Your family will be very appreciative.

 

 

Ingredients

 

1 whole duck about 1.8 kg

1 bottle of good quality dark soya sauce

1/2 tsp five spice powder

2 pcs star aniseed

1 pc cinnamon stick

5 cloves

50 gms gula malacca

2 slices of blue ginger (lengkuas in malay)

2 whole cloves of garlic

salt to taste

water

cooking oil

 

Method

 

Rub five spice powder and some dark soya sauce in and outside of duck

Use tooth picks to seal up up the duck cavity (otherwise duck will shrink alot during cooking)

Heat oil in wok ( non stick is better)

Fry blue ginger, garlic cloves and the rest of the spices,

Add gula malacca and cook in medium heat till melted

Add in duck and make sure to coat it with the melted sugar

Pour in rest of dark soya sauce and add water.

Make sure duck is fully submerged.  Cover wok

Cook for slightly over 1 hour.  In between turn over duck for even cooking

Check that duck is not stuck to kwali otherwise it will burn

Serve with sliced cucumbers and auntie dolly's chicken rice chilli