Vietnamese Braised Duck Recipe

Ingredients :

1 cup (15g) Dried black Chinese mushroom 1 X 1.5kg (3lb) Duck 2 tablespoons Soy sauce 2 tablespoons Chinese rice wine 2 teaspoons Cooking oil 2 teaspoons Sugar 2 strips Fresh orange peel 125g Watercress

Method : Soak the mushrooms in hot water for 30 minutes before draining and slicing. Chop the duck with a cleaver into small pieces, cutting through the bone. Arrange the pieces on a rack and pour boiling water over them to plump up the skin and help keep the duck succulent. Drain and pat dry with paper towels. Brush the base of a heavy based frying pan with the oil. Add the duck in 3 batches and cook over medium heat for about 8 minutes, turning regularly until browned. Between each batch, wipe out the pan with crumpled paper towels to remove the excess oil. After all the batches had been completed, return all the duck to the pan. Add the mushrooms, soy sauce, wine, sugar and orange peel. Bring the mixture to the boil. Reduce the heat, over and simmer gently for 40 minutes or until the duck is tender. Carefully skim off any surface oil. Season with salt and pepper to taste and stand for 10 minutes, covered, before serving. Remove the duck from the sauce and discard the orange peel. Pick off small sprigs of the watercress and arrange them on one side of a large serving platter. Carefully place the duck segments on the other side of the plate. Try not to place the duck on the watercress as it will become soggy. Carefully spoon a little of the sauce over the duck and serve. Note : Braising the duck over low heat will produce tender and delicious sauce. If the heat is too high, the duck will dry out and lose its flavor.