Sichuan Braised Duck with Potatoes

Duck and potatoes are already a pretty great duo, but Sichuan cooking turns them into something a lot more exciting. The duck starts by rendering in its own fat, then gets a glossy coat of doubanjiang, dried chillies, and warming spices before being gently braised into tenderness. The potatoes join the party later, just long enough to turn soft and creamy while soaking up all that spicy, savoury sauce. Three stages, one very happy pot.

3-Stage Technique
This braise is built in three stages: first the duck renders and browns, then the aromatics and doubanjiang create the flavour base, and finally everything is slowly braised until the duck is tender and the potatoes have soaked up the sauce.

Ingredients

Main

• 1 kg duck, bone-in and chopped into pieces

• 2 medium potatoes, cut into large chunks

Aromatics

• 5 cloves garlic, lightly crushed

• 1 large thumb-sized piece ginger, sliced

• 3 spring onions, white and green parts separated and cut into segments

Sauce

• 1½ tbsp doubanjiang (Chinese-style fermented bean paste)

• 1 tbsp light soy sauce

• 1 tsp dark soy sauce

• 1 tbsp Shaoxing wine

• 1 tsp sugar

Spices

• 1–1½ tsp Sichuan peppercorns

• 8–12 dried red chillies, roughly torn

• 1 star anise

• 1 small cinnamon stick

• 1 bay leaf

Liquid

• 2½ cups hot water or unsalted stock

To finish

• Chinkiang vinegar, a small splash

• MSG, a pinch, optional

• Salt, as required

Method

Quick blanch
Place the duck pieces in a pot of water with a few slices of ginger and a splash of Shaoxing wine. Bring to a simmer and cook for 2–3 minutes.
Drain, rinse the duck and pat it dry.
This isn't essential, but it gives you a cleaner-tasting braise.

Stage 1: Render and brown the duck
Heat a wok or large heavy-bottomed pan over medium-high heat.
Add the duck pieces without adding oil. Stir-fry for 6–8 minutes, allowing the fat to render from the skin.
You are looking for lightly browned edges and enough rendered fat to fry the aromatics. The duck should start smelling rich and nutty rather than strongly gamey.
Remove the duck from the wok and leave about 2–3 tbsp of rendered duck fat behind. If there isn't enough, add a little neutral oil.

Stage 2: Build the Sichuan flavour base
Reduce the heat to medium.
Add the ginger, garlic, dried chillies, star anise, cinnamon and bay leaf to the duck fat.
Stir-fry for 30–40 seconds, until fragrant.
Add the doubanjiang and fry for 2–3 minutes, stirring constantly.
The paste should darken slightly and the oil should turn a deep red. This is an important step. Frying the doubanjiang in fat releases its chilli and fermented-bean flavours and gives the braise its characteristic red colour and depth.
Return the duck to the wok and toss for another 2 minutes, coating it thoroughly in the spicy oil.
Add the Shaoxing wine, light soy sauce and dark soy sauce. Stir well and cook for another 30 seconds.

Stage 3: Braise
Add the hot water or stock, sugar, Sichuan peppercorns and the white parts of the spring onions.
Bring to a gentle simmer.
Cover and braise over low heat for about 45 minutes.
The liquid should be gently bubbling rather than boiling aggressively. Slow cooking gives the duck time to become tender while allowing the aromatics and fermented chilli paste to work their way into the meat.

Add the potatoes
After 45 minutes, add the potato chunks.
Continue cooking covered until the potatoes are completely tender and the duck is cooked through. Uncover and cook for 15 minutes.
The potatoes will absorb the duck fat and the spicy braising liquid as they cook. Their starch will also help the sauce thicken slightly.
If the liquid reduces too quickly before the potatoes are cooked, add a little more hot water.
You are looking for a rich, concentrated gravy rather than a soupy braise.

Finish
Once the duck and potatoes are tender, taste the sauce and adjust the salt if necessary.
Add a small splash of Chinkiang vinegar and a pinch of MSG, if using.
Simmer for another 2 minutes.
The vinegar should not make the sauce noticeably sour. It is there to cut through the richness and sharpen the other flavours.
Turn off the heat and scatter over the green parts of the spring onions.

What you're looking for
The duck should be tender and deeply flavoured without completely falling apart. The potatoes should be soft and creamy inside, having absorbed the duck fat and spicy braising liquid.
The sauce should be rich and concentrated, with a deep red colour and a thin layer of chilli oil floating on the surface.
Flavour-wise, you're looking for the classic Sichuan combination of heat, numbing pepper, fermented savouriness and a little acidity.

Serving
Serve hot over plain steamed rice.
Don't be shy with the gravy. Spoon the duck, potatoes and that red, oily sauce directly over the rice and let the rice absorb everything.