I always think duck is slightly more difficult to cook comparing with chicken because of the odd original taste. But this beer duck completely solved this problem. Although beer is not originated from China but it is enjoying a high popularity now.
The best partner of beer duck is moyu, a konjac jelly made from konjac starch. Konjac is widely grown in man Asian countries. Konjac is consumed in Sichuan cuisine and people call the konjac jelly “konjac tofu”. You may find the moyu in Chinese or Japanese supermarket; otherwise, you can use taro or potato instead.
Picture of Chinese moyu
It might be difficult to image how delicious this dish is just by reading the descriptions. This dish has been popular in Sichuan area for years. The cooking method is a traditional Sichuan style braised dish with doubanjiang, garlic, ginger, scallion, dried peppers and fresh peppers.
You will need
- Around 1500g (3.3 lb)whole duck, cut into small pieces
- 1L beer
- around 1000g pack moyu
- 2 tablespoons cooking oil
- 1 whole garlic, peeled and keep as whole pieces
- 1 thumb ginger, sliced
- 1 scallion white, cut into inch-long pieces
- 3-4 dried chili peppers
- 2 tablespoons doubanjiang
- 3 fresh chili peppers (2 red+1 green)
- salt to taste
- coriander for decoration
Cut the moyu into small cubes (2cm thick), blanch in boiling water for 2-3 minutes. Transfer out and drain. This can reduce the pungent flavor and purify the taste.
Heat a large pot of water to boil and then cook duck chunks for 2-3 minutes, transfer out and drain completely.
Over medium fire, heat cooking oil and then fry the duck chunks for 6-8 minutes until the fat becomes to release and the skin becomes slightly brown. In the process, you need to keep stirring. Add ginger slices in the middle.
Move the duck chunks to the edges and thus form a small hole in the center, add doubanjiang, dried chili peppers and scallion, fry for 1 minute and then mix everything well.
Pour beer along the edges and then cover the lid to simmer for 20-30 minutes (depending on how soft you want the duck to be) and then add moyu chunks to cook for another 10 minutes.
By now, uncover the lid and continue cooking for 5-10 minutes until there is only around 1 cup of sauce left.
Add salt to taste if necessary and then add fresh chili peppers. Give a big stir-fry to mix everything well. Serve with coriander decorated.
Ingredients
- 1500 g whole duck , cut into small pieces
- 1 L beer
- around 1000g pack moyu
- 2 tablespoons cooking oil
- 1 whole garlic , peeled and keep as whole pieces
- 1 thumb ginger , sliced
- 1 scallion white , cut into inch-long pieces
- 3-4 dried chili peppers
- 2 tablespoons doubanjiang
- 3 fresh chili peppers , 2 red+1 green
- pinch of salt
Instructions
- Cut the moyu into small cubes (2cm thick), blanch in boiling water for 2-3 minutes. Transfer out and drain. This can reduce the pungent flavor and purify the taste.
- Heat a large pot of water to boil and then cook duck chunks for 2-3 minutes, transfer out and drain completely.
- Over medium fire, heat cooking oil and then fry the duck chunks for 6-8 minutes until the fat becomes to release and the skin becomes slightly brown. In the process, you need to keep stirring. Add ginger slices in the middle.
- Move the duck chunks to the edges and thus form a small hole in the center, add doubanjiang, dried chili peppers and scallion, fry for 1 minute and then mix everything well.
- Pour beer along the edges and then cover the lid to simmer for 20-30 minutes (depending on how soft you want the duck to be) and then add moyu chunks to cook for another 10 minutes. Add whole garlic cloves in the middle.
- By now, remove the lid and continue cooking for 5-10 minutes until there is only around 1 cup of sauce left.
- Add salt to taste if necessary and then add fresh chili peppers. Give a big stir-fry to mix everything well. Serve with coriander decorated.
Nutrition
Looks yummy! One of my favorite foods.
Haochi!:)
We too! It is really yummy.
Yummy. I always love Sichuan food because it’s spice :). xiexie
Could I ask what kind of beer to use? Or rather, what beer you use for this recipe? There’s as lot of different beers out there…
Hi Michelle,
Common wheat beer can work.
In China, residue on pottery dating from between 5400 and 4900 years ago shows beer was brewed using barley and other grains.
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/History_of_beer,
https://news.stanford.edu/2017/02/06/recreate-5000-year-old-chinese-beer-recipe/
Hi Elaine,
I’ve searched far and wide but couldn’t find any “moyu” from China. Could I maybe replace it by Japanese Konnyaku
(https://www.justonecookbook.com/pantry_items/konjac-konnyaku/)?
Yes, Japanese konnyaku is the same with Chinese moyu.
Hi Elaine,
by chance I found some Japanese konnyaku at the Korean grocery store last week. So I finally was able to try this recipe. I didn’t use a whole duck, just a pair of legs but it turned out very good nonetheless.
Thank you for the advise on blanching the konnyaku it really had a kind of fishy smell at first, but that was completely gone in the final dish.
I really love those Sichuan style braised dishes as you call them. They taste great and are easy to prepare. So thank you for this recipe, I’ll definitely make this again.
Andreas,
You are so lucky to find this special ingredient. It is so amazing and yummy especially with ducks. Enjoy!
There seems to be the same caption above the third and fourth picture “Cut the moyu into small cubes…”
Thanks Andreas. I have already updated it. It should be cook the duck meats.
I just don’t understand why this recipe isn’t more popular. It’s just so delicious. Served with some noodles, a light soup and some salad or blanched vegetables this is real comfort food.
I can’t thank you enough for introducing this Elaine.
This actually is one of the top dishes in winter in cold winter days in my city. Sometimes, we add lots of water and make it a soup base for hot pot.
Hi Elaine,
could you explain that a little bit more?
Do you first make the braised duck dish and then use the leftover soup as a broth for a hotpot, or do you cook it to make all ingredients of it into hot pot?
In a hot pot based on this would you add the regular ingredients for a “spicy” hot pot or something else?
Andreas,
Usually we add more water to make it a soup braised dish, contains lots of soups. Of course we need to add more seasonings because of the the water amount. Then serve with other ingredients prepared just as you make hot pot. Eating the duck firstly, then turn up the fire and continue blanching vegetables like what we did in regular hot pot.
Thank you for the explanation Elaine.
My pleasure, Andreas.
Can I cook this a day in advance?
Sure. 100%. It tastes better in the second day since the flavors combine better. You can make the duck meat firstly and add the side ingredients for example peppers and moyou.