A reader recently requested this Chinese duck soup, and as it happens, it’s been sitting on my ever-growing recipe list for a while now. There’s always a sense of urgency when one of you asks for something specific! With the chilly weather and a frozen duck sitting in my freezer, the timing finally felt right to get this one done.
About Old Duck Soup (lǎo yā tāng – 老鸭汤)
The original version of this soup is called 老鸭汤 (lǎo yā tāng), which literally translates to “Old Duck Soup.” It originated in Anhui province (安徽), part of what’s known as Hui cuisine (徽菜).
Traditionally, it’s made with a 3-year-old duck known locally as 麻鸭 (má yā). These mature ducks are actually quite lean with very little fat.
These days, you’ll find versions of Old Duck Soup beyond Anhui. Sichuan has their own take on it, and we Shanghainese typically make ours with baby taro, Jinhua ham, and salted bamboo shoots for Chinese New Year. To me, this is definitely a special occasion soup!
Preparation Tips
I trimmed off quite a bit of the fat and fatty skin from my duck, and I recommend you do the same if yours is on the fatty side. (Save that duck fat to render for another use—it’s liquid gold!)
I also took a few extra steps to minimize any gamey flavor:
- Remove the duck tail—it’s the most pungent part of the bird
- Add aromatics like Sichuan peppercorns, star anise, and dried orange peel. These not only tame any strong flavors, but also add wonderful depth to the soup. I used a very small amount (you won’t taste them directly). If your spices are particularly fresh and potent, use half the quantity I call for.
Feel free to substitute or add other vegetables: winter melon, taro, and Chinese yam all work beautifully in place of or alongside the daikon.
Cooking time depends on the age of your duck—anywhere from 60 to 90 minutes. Older ducks need longer cooking times. The ducks sold in most supermarkets are young birds, so I cooked mine for about 60-70 minutes until tender.
Chinese Duck Soup: Recipe Instructions
Rinse and clean the duck inside out. Remove and discard the tail, and trim off excess fat and fatty skin. (You can save the fat to render down for other use). Also do your best to remove any remaining feathers. Cut the duck into large chunks.
Add the duck pieces to a soup pot with enough water to cover. Bring to a boil over high heat, and boil for 1 minute, stirring to make sure all the pieces are evenly blanched. Drain the duck pieces in a colander, and rinse the duck pieces clean. Rinse out the pot as well.
Bring 4 quarts of water to a boil (or skip this step if you prefer a clear broth instead of a milky one).
The Keys to Achieving Clear or Milky Broth
Here’s a key tip about the water: If you want a clear soup, use cold water. But if you prefer a milky white soup (which I love!), add boiling water and keep the soup at a vigorous boil for a short time at the beginning of the cooking process.
While that’s happening, pre-heat your wok over high heat until it starts to smoke. Add the oil, and brown the duck pieces for about 15 minutes. Start with high heat, then reduce the heat once the pieces brown. This step is especially important for fattier ducks. Rendering down any fat under the skin will help you avoid an oily soup.
Turn off the heat and strain out the fat into a heat-proof bowl. Save it for other dishes. Increase the heat back to high, and pour in half of the water (cold water for clear soup or boiling water for milky soup) into the wok. Bring the soup to a boil and carefully transfer everything to a large soup pot along with the rest of the water (again, cold for clear soup, or boiling for milky soup).
Place over high heat, and add the ginger and white parts of the scallion. Bring to a boil.
For a clear broth, reduce the heat to medium, and add the Sichuan peppercorns (if using), star anise, and dried orange peel. Cover and let the soup simmer for 45 minutes.
For a milky broth, cover and boil vigorously for 15 minutes. Then reduce the heat to medium-high, and add the Sichuan peppercorns, star anise, and dried orange peel. Cover and simmer for 30 minutes.
Add the daikon, wood ear, and shiitake mushrooms. Bring back to a boil, cover, and simmer for another 30 minutes over medium heat. In the last 5 minutes of cooking, add the goji berries.
Before serving, salt to taste (don’t be shy with the salt, as we haven’t added salt up to this point) and add the scallion greens. Serve with white pepper powder on the table so everyone can season to taste.
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Recipe
Chinese Duck Soup
Ingredients
- 4 1/2 pound whole duck
- 4 quarts water (plus more for blanching the duck)
- 2 teaspoons neutral oil (such as vegetable, canola, or avocado oil)
- 5 large slices ginger
- 2 scallions (chopped, white and green parts separated)
- 1 teaspoon Sichuan peppercorns (optional)
- 1 star anise
- 1 small piece dried mandarin orange peel
- 1½ pound daikon radish (cut into large chunks)
- 15 g dried wood ear (soaked, rehydrated and washed)
- 20 g dried shiitake mushroom (rehydrated—soak in hot water for 2 hours)
- 2 tablespoons dried goji berries (optional)
- salt (to taste)
- White pepper powder (to serve)
Instructions
- Rinse and clean the duck inside out. Remove and discard the tail, trim off excess fat and fatty skin, and remove any remaining feathers. Cut the duck into large chunks. Add the duck pieces to a soup pot with enough water to cover. Bring to a boil over high heat, and boil for 1 minute, stirring to make sure all the pieces are evenly blanched. Drain the duck pieces in a colander, and rinse them clean. Rinse out the pot as well.
- Bring 4 quarts of water to a boil (or skip this step if you prefer a clear broth instead of a milky one).
- While that’s happening, pre-heat your wok over high heat until it starts to smoke. Add the oil, and brown the duck pieces for about 15 minutes. Start with high heat, then reduce the heat once the pieces brown.
- Turn off the heat and strain out any fat into a heat-proof bowl. Increase the heat to high, and pour half the water (cold water for clear soup or boiling water for milky soup) into the wok. Bring the soup to a boil and carefully transfer everything to a large soup pot along with the rest of the water (again, cold for clear soup, or boiling for milky soup).
- Place over high heat, and add the ginger and white parts of the scallion. Bring to a boil. For a clear broth, reduce the heat to medium, and add the Sichuan peppercorns (if using), star anise, and dried orange peel. Cover and let the soup simmer for 45 minutes. For a milky broth, cover and boil vigorously for 15 minutes. Then reduce the heat to medium-high, and add the Sichuan peppercorns, star anise, and dried orange peel. Cover and simmer for 30 minutes.
- Add the daikon, wood ear, and shiitake mushrooms. Bring back to a boil, cover, and simmer for another 30 minutes over medium heat. In the last 5 minutes of cooking, add the goji berries.
- Before serving, salt to taste (don’t be shy with the salt, as we haven’t added salt up to this point) and add the scallion greens. Serve with white pepper powder on the table so everyone can season to taste.
