Giam Chye Ark (Duck & Salted Vegetable Soup) 咸菜鸭汤

* in collaboration with Xndo for Zero Rice

The marriage of salty and sour flavours from the few key ingredients in Giam Chye Ark (Duck & Salted Vegetable Soup) 咸菜鸭汤 always serve to tantalize appetites.

Salted vegetables 咸菜 (aka salted mustard green) are cooling in nature. Hence, I personally prefer to neutralize with some 'heaty' ingredients such as ginger, garlic and white peppercorns. This' especially comforting during the rainy days.

This is a must-have traditional dish in many South East Asian Chinese families. There are many variations and versions. I prefer to prepare mine as a single pot dish to just go with rice.

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Ingredients (enough for 2 to 4 pax) :

2 to 4 packets Xndo Zero Rice. Each box contain 4 packets.
Half a duck (chopped into pieces)(skin removed, washed & drained)
200 gm salted vegetables/giam chye/salted mustard green 咸菜 (soaked in water for 15 to 30 minutes before cook)
3 pcs pickled sour plums (available in supermarkets/markets)
1 pc dried preserved date (optional)(available in supermarkets/markets)
2 carrots (chopped into chunks)
2 to 3 tomatoes (chopped into quarters)
1 tray of tofu/beancurd (available in supermarkets/markets)(cut into chunks)
2 tbsp white peppercorns
15 cloves of garlic (peeled and pressed)
4-5 slices ginger
1.5 litre water

(tsp = teaspoon; tbsp = tablespoon)

Method :

Remove fats/skin from duck meat. Set duck fat aside.
Blanch duck pieces in boiling water for 5 minutes to remove scum beforehand. Rinse and clean duck meat in running water after that.
Render a little duck fat in stock pot. Sauté ginger, garlic and peppercorns till aromatic.
Add all ingredients into soup pot EXCEPT tofu and half portion of tomatoes.
Add 1.5 liter water into soup pot. Turn on high heat till water/soup reaches boiling point. Once the water/soup boils, turn to low heat and continue to simmer for 1.5 hours. Duck meat is tough. It takes longer to reach tenderness.
Add tofu and the rest of tomatoes to simmer for 5 to 10 minutes before serve.
Duck meat should be fall-off-the-bone kind of tender. Yet tasty. Salted vegetables still flavourful.
Serve whilst hot with Xndo Zero Rice.

Tip : Choose the stem portion of the salted vegetables. It works better for soups. The leaf portions are more suitable for other cooking processes such as stir frying.