Creating Restaurant-Quality Aroma with Everyday Ingredients – Truly Satisfying!

Previously, duck was most commonly prepared as beer duck, braised duck, or duck soup with sour radish. Today, while shopping at the supermarket, I saw a whole package of duck breasts for sale, which looked like good quality and the duck breasts were neatly cut. I enjoy seeing fresh and beautiful ingredients, which greatly boosts my mood when cooking. On the way home, I've been thinking about what method to use for these beautiful duck breasts.

Duck meat has a strong aroma, so it needs to be washed several times. When cooking, it needs to be added with an appropriate amount of yellow wine or baijiu. Braising for a long time not only makes the duck meat more tender but also enhances its flavor. Before serving, it's crucial to use a high heat to reduce the sauce until it thickens, and the combination of sugar and honey brightens the flavor. The sauce becomes thick and viscous, and the duck meat is fully coated with the rich juice. The taste is quite rich and flavorful.

1 Duck breasts should be washed and dried thoroughly or patted dry with kitchen paper to prevent them from splattering oil when pan-fried. 2 Add a generous amount of edible oil, as you would when cooking everyday dishes, to the pan. Reduce the heat to medium-low and sear the duck breasts skin-side down. 3 Flip the duck breasts and sear both sides until they are firm and golden-brown. 4 After both sides are seared, add scallion segments and pour in yellow wine or baijiu to remove the duck meat's aroma. 5 Pour in light soy sauce and dark soy sauce for color and flavor. 6 Add an appropriate amount of water to cover the duck breasts. Bring the water to a boil, then cover the pot and simmer over low heat for about 30 minutes to 1 hour. My family prefers a very tender texture, and longer cooking times enhance flavor. After an hour, add 5-6 pieces of rock sugar and increase the heat to medium-high to reduce the sauce. Taste the sauce and add salt if needed. Because of the soy sauce and dark soy sauce, the taste is already sufficient, and I didn't add any salt today. 7 After about 10 minutes, the sauce has thickened considerably and turned a very shiny color. At this time, add a spoonful of honey, which makes the meat color more translucent and appealing. When reducing the sauce, use a spatula to turn the duck breasts frequently to ensure that the surface of each piece is evenly coated with the sauce. When the sauce reaches the desired consistency, remove from heat, plate, and sprinkle with a few grains of toasted sesame seeds for fragrance and added flavor. A bite of the whole duck breast is very satisfying, and it can also be cut into small pieces for easier eating, paired with blanched vegetables for a more balanced nutrition.

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