The twice-cooking process involves braising and tenderising the meat, infusing it with flavour, before glazing to create the outer shell of caramelised chilli and ginger. We recommend asking your butcher for a free-range duck, but they are pretty pricey. Kecap manis, a sweet soy sauce common in Indonesian cooking, is another key ingredient.
Ingredients
1 tbsp sesame oil
1 tbsp vegetable oil
1 bunch lemongrass, bruised and roughly chopped
1 red onion, roughly chopped
1 piece ginger, about the size of a golf ball and finely sliced
1 bulb garlic, peeled and roughly chopped
2 long red chillies, finely sliced
½ bunch coriander, leaves, stalks and roots, roughly chopped
1 cinnamon quill
2 star anise
1 tbsp coriander seeds
150ml sweet soy sauce
2 tins coconut milk
2L water or chicken stock
1 whole duck, cut in half with spine removed
Glaze
100ml hoisin sauce
100ml kecap manis
2cm piece ginger, finely grated
1 long red chilli, finely diced
½ bunch coriander root, finely chopped
Method
Put a large pot on a high heat and add the sesame oil, vegetable oil, lemongrass, red onion, ginger, garlic, chilli, coriander, cinnamon, star anise and coriander seeds. Cook until onion and garlic begin to caramelise.
Add sweet soy and cook for another 3 minutes, stirring continually.
Add coconut milk and bring to boil.
Add water or chicken stock and the two duck halves as well as the spine. Bring to simmer and cook for 2 to 3 hours, or until the duck is very tender.
Remove duck from the stock and place on an oven tray lined with baking paper. Strain the stock and store in the fridge for next time.
Preheat oven to 200C.
Mix glaze ingredients in a small bowl. Using a pastry bush, generously coat the duck with glaze.
Put duck in the oven for 5-7 minutes then remove and glaze again. Repeat three or four times, until the duck skin is dark, sticky and caramelised.
Serve immediately with Three Blue Ducks' charred Chinese broccoli recipe