Vịt Nấu Chao (Braised Duck in Fermented Tofu)

This dish is a Vietnamese dish I had growing up. I had always loved this dish, but rarely ate it because of how oily it was. So, I altered the recipe a few years back. Sadly, I never once thought about taking a picture of the finished product, so I have none to share. Even worse, none of the pictures I saw online do justice to this dish.

Vịt Nấu Chao (Braised Duck in Fermented Tofu)
Savor. Devour.

Serves 4 people

Materials

· 4 chicken legs (thigh + drumstick)

· 1 small bottle of salted tofu (chao)

· 4 shallots, minced

· a 5" knob of ginger, minced

· 2 cloves of garlic, peeled and minced

· 2 small cans of coconut juice

· oongchoy (Rau muống)

· 4 small taro, peeled and cut into fours

· seasonings: 2/3 tsp salt, 2/3 tsp pepper, 2 tsp sugar, 2/3 mushroom seasoning (or any msg substitute)

Procedures

· Clean the duck and get rid of all fat (I also discarded the skin, but if you like duck skin, go ahead and keep it on). Chop the thighs and the drumstick apart.

· In a bowl, add the tofu with two tbsp of sugar and mix until well blended. Add in the minced shallots, garlic, and ginger, salt, pepper, and mushroom seasoning.Marinade the duck in this sauce for 30 minutes.

· In a pan with 2tbsp of hot oil, add the duck and fry until golden, remember to flip it so that both sides are darkened(about 5 minutes per side). Set the duck aside. Using the same pan, add the taro and the rest of the sauce from the duck marinade. Fry for 5 minutes.

· In a big pot, add the duck and coconut juice. Bring to boil. Then, add the taro and cook on medium-low heat for about an hour until the meat is tender. Add a bit more mushroom seasoning to taste.

· Take approximately 1/2 a cup of the sauce and put it in a small pot. Add the oongchoy and cook on medium heat for about a minute (overcooking leads to too soft a texture) and take out.

· Serve with rice.