Braised fertility duck

Serves 6
Prep time 35 minutes
Cook time 2 hours 15 minutes

1 fresh duck, approximately 2.5kg, cleaned and deboned
100ml soy sauce
10 salted egg yolks (or 5 yolks, each cut into half)
75g lotus seeds
75g canned or boiled gingko nuts
225g lily buds
10-12 chestnuts
small handful dried barley
2 stalks spring onion
cooking oil
5 slices ginger
2-3 bay leaves
2-3 dried amomum fruits
2 star anise
1 cinnamon stick
2-3  black cardamom
dash of corn starch, for thickening

• Rub the entire duck with soy sauce and stuff with salted egg yolks, lotus seeds, gingko nuts, lily buds, chestnuts, barley and spring onions.
• Heat up a wok with cooking oil to a temperature of 180-200°C. Deep fry the duck till golden brown. (If you don’t have a large enough wok, thread the bird through a steel hook and ladle the hot oil onto the skin till it turns golden brown).
• Rinse the fried duck in water to remove any excess oil. Strain away excess water, place the duck into a steamer and add scatter ginger and remaining herbs and spices on top.
• Steam for approximately 2 hours till soft and fall-apart tender. Pour remaining juices in a pan and cook over high heat with a dash of corn starch till reduced and thickened.
• Drizzle over the duck, tear open to reveal the stuffed ingredients and serve.

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