Lychee Duck

WITH A SIDE OF CHINESE BROCCOLI

[ prep 15 min | cook 15 min ]

“Growing up, we mostly had duck on special occasions and at banquets.

Mom didn’t always make this, but one night she came home — she had this dish somewhere and figured out how they did it — and she started making the dish and I just watched her. I asked, ‘What do you put in this sauce?’ and she goes, ‘Oh, you know, water, this, that, this.’ That’s it. She didn’t tell me any amounts, and I just experimented.

The first time I tried it, I put in way too much plum sauce. But we always used canned lychees because you need the sweetness from the syrup. I’ll supplement it with fresh lychees when I have them. Fresh lychees are [closes eyes and smiles]… mmm.”

Recipe from: Marian Wong

As prepared and shared by: Lester Wong

All quantities are approximate.

Pairs well with a “Chill Pill” cocktail, if desired (or needed). Recipe below.

WHAT YOU NEED

  • 1 whole cooked duck (the sauce that comes with it is optional)

  • 1 can lychees, drained, reserving the syrup

  • 1 C water

  • 1/4 C plum sauce

  • 1/3 C white vinegar

  • 1 T sugar

  • 1 T cornstarch

  • sesame seeds

Step 1: MAKE THE SAUCE

In a small sauce pan over medium heat, add water.

Stir in plum sauce, white vinegar, sugar, a few spoonfuls of the sauce that came with the duck (if you have it), and about 1/2 of the reserved lychee syrup. Adjust to taste.

Bring to a boil, then let simmer.

Step 2: PREPARE THE DUCK

Using a cleaver and your hands, cut and/or pull off the meat and the skin, discarding the fat.

To discard the fat, scrape it off the back of the skin and pull it off the pieces of meat.

Chop the meat and skin into bite-size pieces.

Re-heat in oven or microwave until warm, melting away some of the remaining fat in the process.

Step 3: FINISH SAUCE & PLATE it

Mix together corn starch and a little water in a separate bowl.

Bring sauce back to a boil, and add corn starch mixture until slightly thickened.

Spread pieces of duck meat and skin on a platter. Scatter lychees amongst the duck. Pour sauce over the top and sprinkle with sesame seeds.

Chinese Broccoli

WHAT YOU NEED

  • 1 bunch Chinese broccoli

  • 2 T oyster sauce

  • 1 t sesame oil

Step 1: COOK THE BROCCOLI

Trim ends of broccoli and discard. Cut into pieces 3-4 inches in length. (If stalks are thick, cut at an angle.)

Bring a pot of water to boil. When boiling, add broccoli. Cook for 3-4 minutes, until sightly “fork tender.” (Don’t overcook - you want a little “crunch” to them.)

Remove from pot and drain.

Step 2: MAKE THE SAUCE & plate it

While broccoli is cooking, mix oyster sauce and sesame oil together in a bowl.

Spread pieces of broccoli on a plate and drizzle sauce over the top.

DINNER’S READY!

PAIRING: CHILL PILL, aka a martini

  • 2 oz. Bombay Sapphire gin

  • 0.5 oz dry vermouth

  • olives

  • a hug

STEP 1: mix well and eNJOY.

A NOTE FROM THE WONGVER SOUS WOK (WHICH I STOLE FROM A RESTAURANT): If you want to elevate your martini game, pre-chill a couple martini glasses in your freezer. If, on the rare occasion, you’re not drinking fast enough and the cocktail warms up, transfer it from your hand-warmed glass to a new pre-chilled glass. Voilà, you’ve got yourself a fresh martini. You’re welcome.

MORE TIPS FROM THE WONG WOK

WHAT TO DO WITH THE DUCK FAT? You can either discard it, or get fancy and use it to make duck fat fries or potatoes. We used ours to cook the potatoes in the Potatoes and Eggs dish!

GOT EXTRA LYCHEES? Store the lychees and some of the extra syrup in a container and use them to make a lychee cocktail.

WHAT TO DO WITH THE DUCK CARCASS? Make a pot of jook! (Also known as zhou, congee, or Chinese porridge.)

  • 1 duck carcass

  • 6 C water

  • 3/4 C long grain rice

  • 2 large chunks ginger

  • dried bean curd skin, soaked & cut into small chunks (optional)

  • for some added greens: green onions, kale, cilantro (all chopped)

  • seasoning: soy sauce to taste