Braised Duck with Sea Cucumber (海参鸭)

Ingredients:

1/2 duck (~500g), washed and chopped into smaller pieces

2-3 sea cucumbers, already hydrated from FairPrice, cut into chunks. Add ½ tbsp dark soya sauce to coat sea cucumbers.

5-6 slices of ginger

5-6 dried shitakke mushroom, soaked

8 garlic cloves, with skin on, smashed to release aroma

 

Marinate for duck:

1 tsp five-spice powder 

1 tbsp light soy sauce

1 tbsp light soy sauce

1 tbsp oyster sauce

1 tbsp Chinese cooking wine

1 tsp sesame oil

1/4 tsp salt

1/2 tsp ground white pepper

 

Seasoning:

1 tbsp light soy sauce

1 tbsp oyster sauce

1 tbsp dark soya sauce

1 tbsp sugar

1/2 tsp sesame oil

About 150ml water from soaking mushrooms + 300 ml chicken stock (you can use either homemade or store-bought chicken stock), and water.

1 tsp corn flour with 1 tbsp water (Thickening mixture)

 

Method:

1.     In a mixing bowl, place the rinsed and chopped half duck into it. Then add in all the ingredients for the marinate. Mix well to coat the duck meat with all marinate. Cover and leave the duck to marinate and chill in fridge for a good 1 hour before cooking.

2.     Prepare all the rest of the ingredients. Heat pot over the stove at medium low fire. Add a tbsp of cooking oil follow by the smashed garlic and ginger slices. Cook till fragrant.

3.     Next, squeeze the water out from the mushrooms. Add in the mushroom and fry for a minute. Finally, add in the marinated duck meat to the pot. Panfry the duck meat on all sides to brown.

4.     Add in the seasonings. Add in mushrooms water, chicken stock and top up with water to cover ingredients. Bring it to a boil and simmer for 20mins.

5.     Add in the sea cucumbers. Toss and cook awhile and bring to a boil. Lower the fire to a simmer and cover the pot. Cook about 1-2hours and check occasionally, making sure the dish doesn't dry out. Use a pair of chopsticks to poke and check if the duck meat is tender. The sea cucumbers should be soft and yet still thick-jellish like.

6.    Taste and adjust accordingly to your taste. Thickened the gravy with corn flour water. Garnish with coriander and serve hot with rice.