Sichuan Beer Duck

Sichuan Pijiu Ya (四川啤酒鸭)

Spicy, tender bites of duck are stewed in delicious beer with peppers, chilies, and garlic sprouts before being added to a clay pot sizzling with a layer of thinly sliced red onions.

Beer Duck is a famous Sichuan dish, known for its spicy and aromatic flavors. It embodies the core of home cooked cuisine at the level of a professional restaurant. Its complex flavors derive from simple cooking methods – the core techniques used throughout Sichuan cuisine.

Because this is a home style dish, the types of ingredients used can vary widely. One common addition to Beer Duck in Sichuan is a gelatin-like substance known as Konjac (魔芋). While somewhat flavorless on its own, Konjac Jelly absorbs the incredible flavors from the sauce and adds an interesting texture to contrast the meat and vegetables. Firm Tofu is a great option if Konjac Jelly is unavailable, though the closest vegetable substitute would probably be Winter Melon. Other delicious options include Potato, White Radish (Daikon), and Taro.

(If wanting to use Konjac or Tofu in the following recipe: Cut 200 grams into 1/2-inch-thick slices. After the Beer is added and reaches a boil, add the slices to the sauce along with the Small Scallion – Winter Melon, Potato, Daikon, and Taro could all be added in a similar fashion).

One important aspect is the way in which sauces are added during the stir-frying process. Both Shaoxing Rice Wine and Light Soy Sauce are splashed around the sides of the wok and not added directly. This is a common practice in stir-frying. When sauces hit the hot metal of the wok, the water inside them evaporates and the flavor concentrates. The flavor also becomes slightly toasty. As the pieces of duck are stir-fried, they develop a richer, more complex flavor from these sauces.

For this dish, I highly recommend using a heated clay pot – either a large family size pot or small individual ones. You can heat the clay pot while the peppers are cooking in the sauce. Just before plating, add the raw thinly, sliced Red Onions which will sizzle and begin to cook in the bottom of the clay pot. The sauce from the Beer Duck will also boil slightly when added, infusing the flavor of the Onions throughout the dish.

Prep Time: 20 min

Cook Time: 17 min

Total Time: 37 min

Serving: 2 - 4 people

Ingredients

1/2 of a Duck

Boiling Ingredients
2 Tbsp. Shaoxing Rice Wine
1 4-inch white stalk of Big Scallion (大葱)
1 2-inch block of Ginger

Aromatics
5 – 10 Pickled Chilies (about 15 grams)
5 Dried Red Chilies (Snipped into 1/2-inch pieces)
4 large cloves of Garlic
1 2-inch block of Ginger

Peppers
2 – 4 long Green Chilies
1 Red Bell Pepper

1 stalk of Garlic Sprouts

Garnishes
1/2 Red Onion (Optional; Best if serving in a clay pot)
2 Tbsp. chopped Cilantro
1 Tbsp. finely sliced green stalks of Small Scallion

Spices
2 Star Anise
2 Bay Leaves
1 husk of Chinese Black Cardamom (草果)
1 large stick of Cinnamon

Stir-Frying Ingredients
1/4 cup Peanut Oil
1 tsp. Green Sichuan Pepper
1 Tbsp. Shaoxing Rice Wine
2 Tbsp. Sichuan Chili Bean Paste
1 Tbsp. Light Soy Sauce

Braising Ingredients
1 can (500 ml.) Beer
3 stalks of Small Scallion (小葱)

Seasonings
1/2 tsp. Salt
1/2 tsp. Chicken Bouillon Powder
1/2 tsp. White Sugar
1/2 tsp. Ground White Pepper

Directions

1.) Prepare the Duck:

• Wash the Duck and place it on a cutting board.
• Remove and discard the head and neck (or save these for other dishes).
• Separate the leg from the body at the thigh and cut off the wing at the shoulder joint. Chop the wing into 1 1/2-inch pieces.
• Chop the leg into 1 1/2-inch-thick strips, starting at the upper thigh and working all the way down to the foot. (The foot can be discarded or set aside to be cooked in another dish).
• Rotate the strips of leg meat and chop the strips into 1 1/2-inch-thick cubes.
• Cut the body in half separating the back from the breast.
• Chop both the back and the breast into 1 1/2-inch-thick strips and then chop the strips into 1 1/2-inch cubes.
• Place all the Duck pieces into a bowl, fill the bowl with water, drain, and repeat until the water runs clear.

2.) Boil the Duck:

• Place the Duck into a large pot.
• Add all of the Boiling Ingredients (Rice Wine, Scallion, and Ginger) and fill the pot with about 3 liters of water.
• Bring the water to a boil on high heat and, as the water boils, skim away any scum that rises to the surface.
• Drain the water once it’s clear, and allow the pieces of Duck to drip dry in a wire strainer while preparing the other ingredients.

3.) Prepare the Aromatics, placing them all into the same bowl:

• Cut the Pickled Red Chilies and Dried Red Chilies into 1/2-inch pieces.
• Peel, smash, and roughly dice the Garlic and Ginger.

4.) Prepare the Peppers and Garlic Sprouts:

• Cut the Red Bell Pepper in half and remove the core. Cut each half of the Pepper into 4 strips and then cut these into 1-inch squares. Set aside on half of a plate.
• Cut the Green Chilies into 1/2-inch-thick slices and set aside on the plate with the Red Bell Pepper.
• Smash the Garlic Sprouts with the flat of a cleaver and slice them into 1 1/2-inch pieces. Set them aside on the other half of the plate separate from the Peppers.

5.) Prepare the Garnishes:

• Thinly slice the Red Onion and set these slivers aside. (These are not technically used as a Garnish but as a base layer for serving in a heated clay pot; therefore, if not serving in a heated clay pot, Onions are not recommended).
• Roughly chop one small bunch of Cilantro and set aside about 2 Tbsp. for the Garnish.
• Thinly slice or julienne one green stalk of Scallion and set aside about 1 Tbsp. for the Garnish.

6.) Place all of the Spices (Star Anise, Bay Leaves, Black Cardamom, and Cinnamon) into a separate bowl from the Aromatics.

7.) Fill a seasoned wok with 1/4 cup of Peanut Oil and heat on medium high. Once hot, add the Green Sichuan Pepper and Duck, stir-frying quickly until the excess water from the Duck evaporates.

8.) Add the Aromatics and stir fry again just a few seconds until fragrant.

9.) Increase the heat to high and add the Shaoxing Rice Wine by splashing it around the sides of the wok and stir-frying the Duck quickly as it drips down into the wok basin.

10.) Pull the wok away from heat and add the Sichuan Chili Bean Paste and the Spices. Return the wok to heat and stir-fry, just until the Chili Bean Paste combined fully with the Oil.

11.) Add a splash of Soy Sauce around the sides of the wok and stir-fry with the Duck as the sauce drips down into the wok basin.

12.) Pour in the Beer and bring the soupy sauce to a boil. Tie the Small Scallion into a knot and add to the sauce.

(Other optional ingredients such as Konjac Jelly, Winter Melon, Potato, White Radish (Daikon), or Taro would be added at this time).

13.) Braise the Duck on medium low heat for 15 minutes. After 15 minutes, remove the Scallion and any large Spices.

14.) Stir in the Seasonings (Salt, Chicken Bouillon, Sugar, and White Pepper) and mix in the Peppers. Cook the Peppers for about 1 minute.

15.) Add the Garlic Sprouts and mix them in briefly for about 30 seconds. Transfer the delicious Beer Duck to a serving dish – preferably a heated clay pot lined with Red Onion Slivers.

16.) Garnish the Beer Duck with fresh Cilantro and Scallion before enjoying with individual bowls of white rice.

 

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