Duck Congee (Yatohtu)

Ingredients

• 1 whole Fat duck
• 3 qian (錢, ~1.5 grams) Salt
• 0.5 jin (斤, ~600 grams) Rice wine (huangjiu or similar)
• as needed Chinese yam (山藥), crushed
• as needed Ginger, minced
• as needed Shiitake mushroom (香蕈)
• as needed Scallion, chopped
• as needed Cornstarch or similar thickener (粉縴)

Instructions

1. Poach a fat duck in water until eight-tenths cooked through. Allow it to cool, then remove the bones and tear the meat into irregular, natural-shaped pieces—neither square nor round.
2. Return the duck to the braising liquid (the cooking water from the initial poaching). Add salt and rice wine. Pound the Chinese yam to a pulp and add it to the pot as a natural thickener. Braise gently until the yam fully dissolves and the texture becomes silken.
3. As the braising nears completion, scatter in minced ginger, shiitake mushroom, and chopped scallion. If you prefer a thicker, more concentrated broth, stir in cornstarch slurry at this stage.
4. Alternative: taro (芋) may replace the Chinese yam with excellent results.