crispy duck stuffed with sticky rice

3 min read

We wanted to include this fun dish as a homage to our Hakka roots from Dad’s side of the family. The Hakka people have a reputation for being hardworking, which is what this recipe will ask of you, but the impressive end result is totally worth it.

Serves 100g glutinous rice 4 large duck legs(1.2kg total) 3 dried Chinese mushrooms granulated sugar tsp salt 1 tsp light soy sauce 2 tsp cornflour 1 tbsp vegetable oil, plus extra for oiling 2 tsp finely diced ginger 4% tsp ground Sichuan pepper 2 cloves garlic, finely diced 50g pork belly, finely diced 2 spring onions, thinly sliced 1 tsp dark soy sauce add an exotic 1 tbsp har mey (dried shrimp) 1 Wash and soak the rice in a bowl of cold water overnight.

2 The next day, prepare the duck legs. Starting at the thigh end, use the tip of a very sharp knife to carefully slice through the membrane-like tissue that connects the skin to the meat. Peel the skin away from the meat as you do so. Keep going until you reach the end of the drumstick,then use a cleaver to chop through the bone so that the tip of the drumstick is still attached to the skin, while the rest of the bone stays inside the meat. Turn the skin so it is right-side out again and resembles a deflated duck leg shape. Set aside. 3 Soak the Chinese mushrooms in bowl of hot water with a pinch of sugar for 30 minutes, then drain. Remove and discard the stalks and dice the caps. If adding an exotic: soak the har mey in a bowl of hot water for 30 minutes, then drain.

4 Cut the duck meat from the bone, weigh out 120g for this dish, and store the rest for another meal. Cut the duck into 2 x 1cm pieces. Transfer to a bowl and mix in 1/4 teaspoon salt, the light soy sauce, 1/2 teaspoon sugar and the cornflour. Leave to marinate for at least 20 minutes.

5 Heat the oil in a wok or frying pan over a high heat and briefly stir-fry the ginger and Sichuan pepper until fragrant. Add the garlic and pork belly and stir-fry for a few minutes to render the oil out of the pork. Add the marinated duck and stir-fry for few more minutes until cooked. Leave to cool slightly.

6 Drain the rice and add it to the cooked meat together with the diced mushrooms, spring onions, and har mey, if using. Add the remaining 1/4 teaspoon salt and 2 tablespoons water and mix to combine.

7 Loosely pack each of the skins with a quarter of the rice filling and arrange on a lightly oiled steam-proof plate.

8 Steam over a medium boil for 40 minutes until the rice is cooked through, topping up the pan with extra hot water as needed. Meanwhile, preheat the oven to200c/400°f/Gas mark6and line a baking sheet with non-stick paper.

9 Remove the duck from the steamer and leave to cool for 10 minutes. Carefully transfer to the prepared baking sheet and rub 2 drops of dark soy sauce evenly over each leg then bake for 10 minutes until the skin is crisp and golden brown. Slice and serve.