Eight-Treasure Duck
八宝鸭
Eight-Treasure Duck — Jiangsu-ZhejiangShanghai home cooking.
Ingredients
- duck leg (skin-on, boneless, ~350 g per leg)
- glutinous rice (soaked 4 hours)
- dried chestnuts (pre-cooked, chopped)
- Shaoxing wine
- light soy sauce
Instructions
- Rinse soaked glutinous rice, drain well. Mix with chestnuts, 15 ml Shaoxing wine, 10 ml light soy sauce, 10 g minced ginger, and 10 g minced scallion. Set aside. (Rice grains glisten and cling slightly when stirred)
- Flatten duck legs on cutting board, skin-side down. Pat rice mixture evenly over each, leaving 2 cm border. Roll tightly into cylinders, tucking ends inward. Secure with kitchen twine. (Rolls are compact, no rice oozing; twine lies flat against skin)
- Heat 15 ml oil in Dutch oven over medium-high. Sear rolls skin-side down until golden brown (3–4 min). Flip, sear other side 2 min. Remove and set aside. (Skin blisters lightly and releases easily from pan)
- In same pot, add 10 g minced garlic, 10 g minced ginger, and 1 star anise. Stir 1 minute until fragrant. Return rolls. Add remaining Shaoxing wine (15 ml), light soy sauce (15 ml), and 300 ml water. Bring to simmer. (Liquid simmers at edge with gentle bubbles)
- Cover and braise on lowest heat for 2 hours. Uncover, increase heat to medium-low, reduce sauce 10 minutes until glossy and thickened. Rest 10 minutes before slicing. (Sauce coats back of spoon thickly and slowly drips)
