Kiam Chye Ark (Salted Mustard Greens & Duck Soup)
This is a soup with strong flavours. It's salty, sour, and umami with the unique taste of duck. Want something different from the usual chicken and pork, that's easy and idiot-proof? Kiam chye ark is a great choice. You just prep 4 ingredients, put them in a pot, then let 'em simmer away for 1.5 hours. It's a doddle, and it's delicious.
- Prep time
- 10 min
- Cook time
- 1 hr 30 min
- Yield
- 6 servings
- Difficulty
- HARD
Ingredients
- 220 g kiam chye (salted mustard greens, 咸菜)
- 1 medium-size tomato (120 g)
- 1/2 duck ( 1.1 kg)
- 2 big pickled plums (30 g) (use 3-4 pieces if plums are small)
- 1 tbsp brandy (optional)
- ground white pepper to taste
Instructions
- 1
Rinse kiam chye thoroughly. Cut bite-size, slicing thicker leaves at an angle to make thin slices about 2 mm thick. Add enough hot water to just cover. Soak 5 minutes. Drain, without squeezing dry, reserving soaking liquid.
- 2
Wash tomato and cut into 6 wedges.
- 3
Chop off duck's rear end if it's still hanging around. Trim skin and fat but leave less fatty skin on the drumstick, thigh and wing. Chop into six pieces (drumstick, thigh, wing, and 3 pieces of breast meat). Blanch in boiling water. Rinse and remove any lingering feathers with a pair of tweezers.
- 4
Put duck and 180 g kiam chye in a pot, tightly packed. Break skin of pickled plums by squeezing or cutting. Add to duck and kiam chye.
- 5
Add enough boiling water to cover ingredients by 5 cm, about 1.8 litres (7.2 cups). Bring back to a boil over high heat. Reduce heat to very low. Simmer very gently, covered, for 45 minutes.
- 6
Taste and, if not too salty, add remaining kiam chye to taste.
- 7
Tuck tomato pieces around the pot. Continue simmering very gently till duck is tender, another 45 minutes or so. There should be enough liquid to cover duck and vegetables by about 3 cm. Add more water as necessary, or increase heat to boil rapidly, uncovered, till soup is reduced to desired level.
- 8
Taste and if necessary adjust seasoning with reserved kiam chye water . Add brandy if using, then cover and simmer 1 minute. Serve with ground white pepper to taste.