Beer Braised Duck
Beer Braised Duck is a classic Hunan dish featuring tender duck pieces slow-cooked in beer with aromatic spices. The malty beer flavor blends perfectly with the heat of chilies and rich soy sauce, creating a savory sauce that is absolutely addictive. Served with steamed rice, it's comfort food at its best.
Ingredients
15 items- duck meat 500g
- beer 1 can (330ml)
- ginger 1 piece
- garlic 4 cloves
- dried red chilies 5
- star anise 2
- cinnamon stick 1 small piece
- bay leaves 2
- light soy sauce 2 tbsp
- dark soy sauce 1 tbsp
- cooking wine 1 tbsp
- sugar 1 tsp
- green bell pepper 1
- red bell pepper 1
- salt to taste
Nutrition
Steps （8 steps）
Wash the duck meat and cut into 3 cm chunks. Place in cold water with 1 tbsp cooking wine and 3 ginger slices. Bring to a boil over high heat, skim off foam, and blanch for about 3 minutes until the meat changes color and no blood seeps out. Remove, rinse under warm water, and drain well.
Heat the wok with a little oil (about 1 tbsp) over low heat. Add ginger slices, crushed garlic, and dried chili sections. Stir-fry slowly until fragrant, about 30 seconds. Add star anise, cinnamon stick, and bay leaves, continue frying for 20 seconds, being careful not to burn the spices.
Turn to medium heat. Add the drained duck pieces and stir-fry constantly. Fry until the skin tightens, the surface turns slightly golden, and the fat begins to render, about 5 minutes, until you smell the rich duck aroma.
Pour 1 tbsp cooking wine along the edge of the wok and stir quickly. Then add 1 tbsp dark soy sauce and 2 tbsp light soy sauce. Continue stirring for about 1 minute until the duck is evenly coated with a deep brown color.
Pour in the whole can of beer (330ml). Turn up the heat to bring to a boil; you'll see lots of foam. Then cover, reduce to the lowest heat, and simmer for 35-40 minutes until the duck is tender enough to be pierced easily with chopsticks.
After braising, turn up to high heat to reduce the sauce, stirring constantly to prevent sticking. When the sauce becomes thick and can coat a spoon, add green and red bell pepper chunks. Stir-fry for about 2 minutes until just cooked but still crisp.
Taste and adjust seasoning with salt (soy sauce already provides saltiness). Optionally add a pinch of sugar to enhance flavor. Finally, sprinkle with chopped spring onion or cilantro, toss well.
Transfer the beer braised duck to a deep plate or bowl. Serve hot with steamed rice. The rich sauce is perfect for mixing with rice.
Tips
1. Use regular lager beer; dark beer may become bitter. 2. Make sure to stir-fry the duck thoroughly to render fat and reduce gamey flavor. 3. Braising time depends on the duck's age; young duck takes about 30 minutes, old duck may need 1 hour or more. 4. Don't reduce the sauce too much; a little gravy is excellent for rice.
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