Yin Yang Duck
1 min readserves 4
Duck warms the stomach and spleen, reinforces all the vital functions of the body, and invigorates Yang. This duck dish is, therefore, particularly suited to Yang-deficiency syndromes. It also alleviates stomachache and diarrhea caused by low resistance to cold.
1 whole duck (approximately
5 pounds or 2½ kilograms)
18 cups (4.5 liters) water
5 slices ginger
¼ cup (50 grams) onion, chopped
1 cup (250 milliliters) soy sauce
2 tablespoons (30 milliliters) cooking wine
2 teaspoons (10 grams) salt
2 cinnamon sticks
2 teaspoons (10 grams) anise seed
2 tablespoons (30 grams) sugar
Clean the duck inside and out and pat dry. Place the duck in a large soup kettle with the water, ginger, and onion. Bring to a boil over high heat. When the water boils, reduce heat to low. Using a spoon, remove the surface foam and discard. Cook for about 20 minutes, until done. The duck is ready when you are able to pass the point of a chopstick through the flesh of the leg. Turn off the heat. Drain the duck, reserving 2 cups (500 milliliters) of the broth for later use. Return the duck to the saucepan and add the soy sauce, cooking wine, salt,cinnamon, and anise seed. Add the reserved broth. Cook over low heat for 15 minutes. Turn the duck over, add the sugar, and cook for another 15 minutes. Near the end of the cooking time, use a spoon to pour the juice over the duck. Transfer the duck to a plate and allow it to cool, then cut and serve individual portions.
