Duck cooked with fermented tofu is a delicious dish loved by many for its aromatic flavor, with tender and fragrant duck meat absorbing the spices, and the rich taste of fermented tofu and taro. Let’s get cooking with TasteVN to make this soup dish in 2 ways!
1. Duck cooked with fermented tofu
Preparation
10 minutes
Cooking
30 minutes
Difficulty
Easy
Ingredients for Duck cooked with fermented tofu Serves 4
Duck 1 whole (about 1.5kg) Taro 500 gr (2 tubers) Red fermented tofu 350 gr (or fermented tofu) Water spinach 200 gr Bok choy 200 gr Shallots 4 bulbs Garlic 5 cloves Ginger 1 piece Saté chili 1/2 teaspoon Fresh noodles 500 gr Rock sugar 3 tablespoons Cooking oil 7 tablespoons Annatto oil 2 tablespoons Common spices a little (Salt/ seasoning powder/ sugar/ monosodium glutamate)
How to Cook Duck with Fermented Tofu
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Prepare the Ingredients
To remove the smell of duck meat, rub 1 tablespoon of salt over the surface of the duck, then wash it thoroughly with water. Next, chop it into bite-sized pieces and place it in a basket to drain.
Peel the taro with a knife, wash it clean, and cut it into bite-sized pieces about 2 finger lengths long.
Remove the skin from shallots, garlic, and ginger, wash them clean, and finely chop. For water spinach and bok choy, discard the old stems and wilted leaves, wash them clean, and cut them into bite-sized pieces about 2 finger lengths long.
Put 200g of prepared taro into the blender, add 200ml of unsweetened fresh milk, and blend until smooth.
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Marinating Duck
You take 300g of red fermented tofu and 2 tablespoons of the liquid from the tofu into a bowl, add 3 tablespoons of sugar, 2 tablespoons of annatto oil, and 2 tablespoons of monosodium glutamate, and use a spoon to mash it well.
You marinate the duck with the tofu mixture and 1/2 of the minced shallots, 1/2 of the minced garlic. Mix well and let the duck marinate for about 2 hours to absorb the seasoning.
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Frying Taro
Place a pan on the stove over medium heat, add 5 tablespoons of cooking oil to the pan, wait for the oil to heat up and then add the remaining taro to fry.
You lower the heat and fry for about 5 minutes until the taro is evenly golden on both sides, then remove it to drain the oil.
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Making duck cooked with fermented tofu
Place a pot on the stove over medium heat, add 2 tablespoons of cooking oil, wait for the oil to heat up, then add the remaining shallots, garlic, and 1 tablespoon of minced ginger, and sauté until fragrant.
When the shallots and garlic are fragrant, add the duck meat, stir-fry for about 10 minutes over high heat until the duck meat is firm, then add the mashed taro mixture and stir-fry for another 10 minutes over medium heat.
Next, add 2 liters of water, 3 tablespoons of rock sugar, and 4 tablespoons of seasoning, adjust to low heat, cover, and cook for an additional 30 minutes.
Finally, add the straw mushrooms and fried taro, wait for it to boil again, season to taste for your family, and it’s done!
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Making dipping sauce
Take 50g of fermented tofu (about 2 pieces) and 4 tablespoons of the fermented tofu liquid into a bowl, use a spoon to mash it, then add 1/2 teaspoon of chili oil to complete the dipping sauce.
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Finished Product
The braised duck after completion has an attractive color and a delightful aroma that fills the entire room.
When eating, place fresh noodles in a bowl, and dip them with water spinach and bok choy as you eat, the duck meat is fragrant, fatty, and tender, soaked in just the right seasoning, paired with a bowl of fermented tofu, will surely make your family fall in love with the first bite.
2. Braised Duck (Recipe shared by a user)
Preparation
20 minutes
Cooking
55 minutes
Difficulty
Easy
Ingredients for Braised Duck (Recipe shared by a user) Serves 4
Duck 1/2 bird Delicious chili fermented tofu 400 gr (1/2 jar) Taro 300 gr Fresh bamboo shoots 200 gr (boiled) Fresh noodles 200 gr Accompanying vegetables 200 gr (water spinach/celery or vegetables of your choice) Ginger 1/2 bulb Garlic 3 cloves Shallots 2 bulbs White wine 2 tablespoons Cooking oil 3 tablespoons Common spices a little (Salt/sugar/seasoning granules/msg/pepper)
Implementation Tools
How to choose delicious fresh bamboo shoots
- For fresh bamboo shoots with skin, choose shoots that are straight, have a fresh color, and have a surface without spots or wilting.
- For pre-boiled bamboo shoots, choose those with thin, crunchy skin, and avoid shoots that are too white; the shoots should be yellow-brown with some stripes.
- Smaller bamboo shoots are usually thicker and richer in flavor than larger ones.
How to make Duck cooked with fermented tofu (Recipe shared by users)
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Preparation of duck meat
To eliminate the fishy smell and clean the duck, when purchasing, rub salt on both the inside and outside of the duck. Then, use 1/2 a crushed ginger root and 2 tablespoons of white wine to rub all over the duck for 3 – 5 minutes and rinse thoroughly, letting it drain.
Next, chop the duck into bite-sized pieces, about 2 finger widths.
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Prepare other ingredients
Garlic and shallots peeled, crushed, and minced.
Accompanying vegetables picked to remove old leaves, taking the tender part, washed clean, soaked in diluted salt water for 15 minutes, then rinsed with water and drained.
Lotus root peeled, rinsed with water for cleanliness, cut into bite-sized pieces about 2 finger widths thick. Soak the lotus root in basin of cold water to remove the sap and prevent browning. Soak for about 20 minutes then drain.
After draining the lotus root, place a pan on the stove on medium heat, add 2 tablespoons of cooking oil, wait for the oil to heat up then add the lotus root to fry for 5 minutes until browned on the edges, then remove and let it drain from the oil.
Fresh bamboo shoots washed clean, then briefly boiled and cut lengthwise with a knife to a thickness of about half a finger width for easy eating.
Note: You only need to fry the lotus root until it’s browned on the edges, there’s no need to fry it fully; frying first helps prevent the lotus root from becoming mushy during cooking.How to boil bamboo shoots and detoxify them
- When buying fresh bamboo shoots, peel off the outer layers, boil in boiling water several times and rinse with clean water each time. When testing, if the bamboo shoots are soft and the bitterness has lessened, they can be used for cooking.
- You can also soak bamboo shoots in rice washing water or lime water.
See details: How to boil fresh bamboo shoots without bitterness, quickly detoxify, and very delicious
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Marinate the duck meat
You marinate the meat with minced garlic, minced shallots, 1/2 jar of delicious chili fermented tofu (about 400g), 1/2 teaspoon of monosodium glutamate, 1 teaspoon of seasoning powder, 1 tablespoon of sugar.
Mix the meat mixture well and marinate for about 30 – 60 minutes for the duck meat to absorb the spices.
Note: The fermented tofu is already salty, so when marinating and cooking, you should season just enough to avoid the dish being too salty. -
Make duck cooked with fermented tofu
You place a pot on the stove over medium heat, add 1 tablespoon of cooking oil and sauté the duck meat for about 10 minutes until the meat is firm and absorbs the spices.
Then, add 2 liters of water and simmer for 30 minutes until the duck meat is cooked, then add taro, cook for another 15 minutes, and add bamboo shoots.
You season with 1 tablespoon of sugar, 1/4 teaspoon of salt, 1 teaspoon of seasoning powder, 1/4 teaspoon of pepper, taste and adjust the seasoning according to your family’s preference, then turn off the heat.
Tip: If you want the broth to be light and sweet, replace water with coconut water. -
Final Product
When eating, you scoop the duck into a bowl, served with fresh vermicelli or rice, water spinach, celery, and dipping sauce made with ginger fish sauce or fermented tofu.
The duck cooked with fermented tofu is delicious and visually appealing, with sweet and tender duck meat infused with spices, a rich broth, and the unique flavor of taro that is very tasty!
How to choose fresh and delicious duck
For live ducks:
- Choose ducks with shiny feathers, and check the inner side for no down feathers, with fully grown outer feathers. Do not choose ducks with frizzy feathers, a foul smell, or droopy appearance, as they may be sick.
- When holding the duck by the breast, it should feel plump and firm, with thick skin on the neck and belly indicating good quality.
- If the two duck wings can cross each other, it is an adult duck, easy to pluck, and has more meat.
For processed ducks
- Choose ducks that have a uniform light yellow color, feeling fresh. Do not choose ducks that are too dark or have bruises and spots.
- Pressing on the duck should feel firm and elastic, indicating good quality; avoid those that feel soft, have a rotten smell, or are leaking fluids, as they have been stored too long and are not fresh.
How to choose good taro
- Good taro has a moderate size, not too big or too small, round and similar to a chicken egg. The outer skin of taro is rough with many hairs.
- Holding the taro in your hand, it should feel light and fluffy, indicating good quality. In contrast, if it feels heavy, it has too much water inside, and when cooked, it will taste bland or be tough and not delicious.
- Choose taro with many indentations as they are of good quality; avoid those with smooth skin and few indentations as they are not good.
- Inside, if the taro has purple veins and deep red color, it is of good quality; conversely, taro with few veins and a pale color is usually not good.
