Whole duck is braised in aromatics and seasonings to give you tender and delicious duck meat you will love. The recipe can be made with a pressure cooker or on the stove.
2Tbsptapioca starch + 4 Tbsp watermore or less depending on how thick you want the gravy to be
Optional:
10hard-boiled eggs
1blockextra-firm tofu (or tau kwa)about 450 grams ( 1 lb)
Chili sauce (short-cut version):
3Tbspsambal oelekI used store-bought. You can use any ground red chili paste
1tspsugar
2tspvinegar
saltto taste (I don't need any as sambal oelek is seasoned already)
Instructions
Prepare the duck:
Trim off any excess fat from the duck. Remove any giblets or neck for other use. Bring a large pot of water to a boil
While waiting for water to boil, rub the duck with some salt and marinate for about 15-20 minutes and then wash off the salt
When water is hot boiling, very carefully and gently submerge the duck into the hot water for 5 minutes and then remove and place on a cutting board. Pluck off any visible hair from the skin if you see any
Cooking on the stove:
Preheat a large braising pot or wok. Add cooking oil. Add garlic, shallots, ginger, and galangal and stir fry until aromatic, about 3 minutes or so. Add the rest of the spices followed by the dark soy sauce and regular soy sauce. Add the duck, doesn't matter breast side up or down in this case. Top up with some water just enough to cover the duck
Bring it to a boil and then lower the heat to simmer and cover and let it braise for the next 1 to 1 1/2 hours or until the duck is cooked through. Very carefully remove the duck from the pot or Instant pot. Let it rest on the chopping board. Do not cut straight away. Wait for 10 minutes or so. Proceed to braise tau kwa and boiled eggs if you choose to
Cooking with Instant Pot pressure cooker:
Turn on saute mode. When it says "hot", add the cooking oil and add garlic, shallots, ginger, and galangal and stir fry until aromatic, about 3 minutes or so. Add the rest of the spices followed by the dark soy sauce and regular soy sauce. Add the duck, doesn't matter the breast side up or down in this case. Top up with some water just enough to cover the duck
Turn off saute mode. Close the lid. Turn the steam release valve to "sealing". Press "pressure cooker" and make sure it's on high pressure. Set the timer to 40 minutes. Read my post above on how to determine the cooking time based on weight.
Then wait for it to naturally release pressure, it may take 10-15 minutes. After that turn the steam release valve to "release" and carefully unlock the lid. Very carefully remove the duck from the pot or Instant pot. Let it rest on the chopping board. Do not cut straight away. Wait for 10 minutes or so. Proceed to braise tau kwa and boiled eggs if you choose to
Braise some tau kwa and eggs (optional)
Cut the tau kwa into large pieces. Peel the hard-boiled eggs. Place them in the braising liquid and let them braise over medium heat for about 20-30 minutes. If you are using instant pot, you can turn the saute mode back again. If you have a glass lid, I recommend to cover it so it won't splatter. You can also transfer the liquid out into a large pot and braise it on the stove instead of instant pot. Remove tau kwa and eggs
Thicken the braising liquid:
Strain the liquid and discard the solid. Pour it back into the pot and have a taste and adjust the seasonings to suit your taste. I used about 1/4 of the braising liquid and save the rest as it is a lot of liquid. Bring the liquid back to a gentle simmer. Mix tapioca starch with water. Pour it while stirring at the same time and the liquid will start to thicken. You can add more tapioca mixture if you don't think the gravy is thick enough
Prepare chili sauce:
Place the chili sauce ingredients in a small saucepan and cook until the sugar melts over medium heat. Remove from the heat and serve
Serve:
Slice the duck and put on a serving platter along with some braised tau kwa and boiled eggs. Ladle the gravy over and garnish with some fresh cilantro leaves