Yongzhou Blood Duck

永州血鸭

Yongzhou Blood Duck — HunanYongzhou, Hunan home cooking.

Ingredients

• duck leg meat, boneless, diced (skin-on preferred)
• fresh duck blood, chilled
• garlic, minced
• ginger, julienned
• scallions, white and green parts, cut into 3-cm lengths
• light soy sauce
• Chinese black vinegar

Instructions

1. Rinse duck meat under cold water; pat very dry with paper towels. Season lightly with ¼ tsp white pepper. (Meat pieces look matte, not glistening or wet)
2. Heat wok over high heat until smoking slightly. Add 20 g (1½ tbsp) neutral oil. Swirl to coat. Add duck meat in single layer; sear without stirring for 90 seconds. (Edges of duck pieces turn golden-brown and slightly curled)
3. Flip duck pieces and stir-fry 2 minutes until browned on all sides. Push to wok perimeter. Add ginger, garlic, and scallion whites to center; stir-fry 30 seconds until fragrant. (Aroma rises sharply; garlic edges turn pale gold)
4. Return duck to center. Add light soy sauce and black vinegar. Stir-fry 1 minute to coat and caramelize slightly. (Sauce clings to meat in glossy, thin film; no pooling liquid)
5. Remove wok from heat. Immediately pour chilled duck blood over meat while stirring vigorously with wooden spatula. Stir continuously 45 seconds until blood coagulates into tender, dark-brown curds. (Blood transforms into soft, irregular dark-brown shreds clinging to duck)
6. Fold in scallion greens. Serve immediately in warmed bowl.