Foodies who love spicy food are definitely no strangers to duck necks!
Duck neck, also known as marinated duck neck, is one of the famous traditional snacks of the Han people in Hunan, Hubei, Sichuan, and other regions. There are numerous common ways to prepare duck necks, including marinated board duck, which includes marinated duck wings, marinated duck necks, marinated duck knees, marinated duck feet, marinated duck tongues, marinated beef, marinated board fish, marinated tofu skin, marinated lotus root, and more...
The duck neck is a perfect blend of fresh, fragrant, and spicy flavors! You'll want to have more and more! That's what I call a thrilling spiciness! Want to learn the secret recipe to make it yourself? Today, I'm sharing the secret of making it with all the moms~ This is a delicious dish that is perfect for snacks and late-night meals. As a main course, it's also an incredibly appetizing side dish. Cough, cough, the drool is already flowing (¯﹃¯), hurry up and learn how to make this mysterious dish.
Ingredients:
Duck necks, scallions, ginger, cooking wine, salt, dried chili peppers, star anise, Sichuan pepper, cassia bark, fennel, cardamom, cloves, sand ginger, Sichuan peppercorns, green cardamom, bay leaves, MSG
★Detailed Steps★
1. Thaw the duck necks and soak them in water;
2. Prepare 10g of scallion and 10g of ginger;
3. Add cooking wine and 20g of salt, and marinate for 12 hours or more;
4. Bring a pot of water to a boil, and blanch the marinated duck necks;
5. Cut the dried chili peppers into sections, and briefly soak the star anise, Sichuan pepper, cassia bark, fennel, cardamom, cloves, sand ginger, Sichuan peppercorns, green cardamom, and bay leaves in water;
6. Heat the spice water and simmer for a while until the color comes out, then strain out the solids and keep the liquid;
7. Heat oil in a pan, when it reaches 3成热 (about 75°C/165°F), add red chili peppers, 10g of ginger, and 10g of scallion and stir-fry briefly;
8. Add the spice water and pour in the fresh broth;
9. Add 20g of salt and 3g of MSG, bring to a boil, then simmer over low heat for about 2 hours;
10. Put the duck necks into the boiling brine, and simmer over medium-low heat for another 10 minutes;
11. Let the duck necks continue to steep in the broth for 20 minutes, then remove, let them cool, and cut into pieces to serve;
Editor's Notes
▍When selecting duck necks, fresh meat should have a lustrous surface and a natural aroma. It should be resilient to the touch, with lean meat being bright red and fat being white. The color should be even, and the surface slightly dry or moist but not sticky. Poor-quality meat is either very dry or extremely wet, dull, and not resilient, with a yellowish tinge. Spoiled meat is dull in color, the indentation from a finger press does not bounce back, the cut surface is sticky, and it may have an off-odor. If it's from an animal that died before slaughter, the meat will be dark red with purplish patches, and there will be dark red blood clots in the blood vessels.
▍Dietary Restrictions: Duck should not be eaten with rabbit, bayberry, walnut, soft-shelled turtle, fungus, walnut, garlic, or buckwheat. Duck neck is a specially prepared food, so it should not be left out for too long as it can spoil.
▍Nutritional Value: Duck necks are satisfying to chew, spicy on the tongue but not harsh on the stomach, and they don't cause internal heat. Duck necks themselves are high in protein and low in fat, and have effects such as replenishing qi and tonifying deficiency, lowering blood lipids, and improving skin beauty. However, it's still important to eat them in moderation.
▍Duck necks are generally quite spicy, so they are not suitable for everyone. If you have a sensitive stomach, it's best to eat them sparingly as they can irritate the stomach, hinder digestion, and in some cases, even lead to diarrhea. Therefore, you should not eat too many duck necks.