I'm the Culinary God-Chapter 759 - 336: Two Different Ways to Make Ginger Duck! All Efforts for a Coincidental Encounter! [Seeking Monthly Ticket]_3

Chapter 759: Chapter 336: Two Different Ways to Make Ginger Duck! All Efforts for a Coincidental Encounter! [Seeking Monthly Ticket]_3

Moreover, with a monthly income of tens of thousands, one can’t spend it all. One must also save up to buy a house. So, after doing the math, it seemed wiser to stick with a two-dimensional wife who doesn’t require gifts for the time being.

Once I have enough money, it won’t be too late to find a partner.

After eating and drinking their fill, everyone took their luggage and left. Those in need of rest did so, and those in need of sleep caught up, all in preparation for work the next day.

Not long after everyone had dispersed, Xie Baomin parked his Cayenne in a spot in front of the store. After getting out of the car, he took two heavy plastic bags out of the trunk. After greeting Shu Yun and the others, he carried the bags upstairs and strode into the second-floor kitchen.

"Senior Brother, did you bring the ducks?"

"I did. Get a basin to soak them in. The ducks for Ginger Duck shouldn’t be blanched, so we need to soak them to draw out the excess blood."

Having said that, Xie Baomin took the slaughtered ducks out of the bags.

The moment Lin Xu saw the ducks, he was stunned. "How come they’re so big? Are these geese?"

Xie Baomin said with a smile, "These are Muscovy Ducks, which means ’foreign ducks.’ It’s the same concept as with sweet potatoes and tomatoes, signifying something foreign."

Lin Xu fetched a large stainless steel basin, filled it halfway with water, and started soaking the Muscovy Ducks, which were not much smaller than geese.

As he placed the ducks into the basin, he marveled, I don’t know if a foreign monk can chant scriptures well, but foreign ducks sure are big.

And even though they’re big, the meat is quite tender; it feels soft to the touch.

Xie Baomin said, "If they were ducks raised by a farm family, you wouldn’t even need to soak them. But for those from breeding farms, it’s best to soak them to remove the excess blood."

He had bought five ducks that day. Normal-sized ducks would definitely not have been enough. But these ducks were quite large; five of them filled a large basin to the brim.

After putting them in, he began to prepare the ginger. After instructing his apprentice last time, he had specifically bought some old ginger to keep as seed ginger. This old ginger had been growing in the ground for several years, was rich in fiber, and very spicy.

"How much do we need, Senior Brother? I’ll have them start scraping the skin off."

Looking at the prepared old ginger, Xie Baomin laughed and said, "The ginger used for Ginger Duck doesn’t need to be peeled. Ginger skin has the effect of eliminating internal heat and dryness, which is perfect for counterbalancing the heat brought on by the ginger."

Oh? That’s a new concept. Well, that makes preparing the duck much easier!

"Just wash them and slice them directly. For each duck, you’ll need a large bowlful, like the ones we use for serving rice and soup. The flavor of this dish relies entirely on ginger, so it’s better to have too much than too little."

In addition to the ducks and old ginger, to make Ginger Duck delicious, one must also use Sesame Oil, preferably black Sesame Oil. Using Sesame Oil can add a pleasant aroma to the duck meat, while also effectively masking any gamey smell.

As they were busy, Lin Xu remembered his mother-in-law’s words and curiously asked, "Senior Brother, what’s the difference between the ’wet’ and ’dry’ versions of Ginger Duck?"

"The difference isn’t that big; it’s mainly the order in which the sauce ingredients are added. For the ’dry’ duck, you fry it first. Only after it’s well-fried do you pour in a small amount of sauce, which makes the duck fragrant and delicious. As for the ’wet’ duck, you skip the frying process altogether. You stew the duck in the sauce from the start, making the meat softer and more tender."

Is it that simple?

Lin Xu planned to learn the technique properly.

All the ginger was sliced. Then the ducks were cleaned: the fine down was removed from the skin, the duck’s tail—where the odor is stronger—was cut off, and the skin and body cavities were patted dry.

Next, Xie Baomin taught Lin Xu how to prepare the sauce. Into a bowl, he put two teaspoons of salt, two teaspoons of sugar, one tablespoon of Soy Sauce, half a tablespoon of Dark Soy Sauce, and finally two large spoonfuls of Rice Wine. He mixed everything evenly to create the Ginger Duck sauce.

"This is the amount for one ’dry’ duck. If you’re making a ’wet’ duck, just replace the two spoonfuls of Rice Wine with a whole bottle of Rice Wine."

It was getting late, so they started cooking. For five ducks, five large clay pots were lined up on the stove. Cooking duck in a clay pot makes the meat taste even better.

As the clay pots heated, he added a small bowl of black Sesame Oil into each, followed by two-thirds of the prepared ginger slices. He first fried them over low heat to release the spicy fragrance of the ginger.

Then, he added the whole ducks. He then spread the remaining ginger slices over the ducks, covered the pots, and began to braise them over low heat.

"Aren’t you going to cut them up, Senior Brother?"

"Not yet. In the initial stage of this dish, the duck needs to be cooked whole. This allows the flavors of the ginger and Sesame Oil to better penetrate the meat. If we cut it up now, the pieces would be pressed together and wouldn’t absorb the flavors as well."

Xie Baomin prepared four ’dry’ ducks and one ’wet’ duck.

The ’wet’ duck method is simpler: place black Sesame Oil in the bottom of the pot, cover it with ginger slices, add the duck, pour in the sauce, and finally add Rice Wine until it just covers the duck. After adding everything, just cover the pot and let it braise.

Because it’s simpler, many restaurants now use the ’wet’ duck method to prepare this dish.

He fried the ’dry’ ducks for fifteen minutes, then opened the lids, carefully turned them over, and swapped the ginger slices at the bottom of the pot with those that had been on top of the ducks. By this time, the undersides of the ducks had turned golden brown but hadn’t burned, likely due to their high fat content. After turning them, he fried them for another fifteen minutes, then poured in the sauce and continued to braise.

"This method is easier than I thought," Lin Xu remarked. He had originally thought it would be difficult, but watching his Senior Brother work, he felt he could manage it even without mastering any special techniques.

Xie Baomin said with a smile, "This is a traditional home-style dish from the Southeast Coast. During the cold and damp autumn and winter seasons, people there eat a lot of old ginger to ward off the cold and warm their bodies. That’s how the Ginger Duck dish came into being."

While the apprentice brothers were chatting, at the entrance of Yingchun Street, a black Alphard slowly pulled over to a parking space on the side of the road.

"Mr. Yan, Tsinghua University’s gate is just ahead. Shall we wait at the entrance?"

"No need, this is fine."

Not long after, Professor Cui’s leisurely figure appeared, approaching from the intersection in the distance.

Yan Lin watched the figure outside, his usually stern face softening with a hint of warmth. Going to such lengths, pushing back a pile of important meetings, just to create this chance encounter with you!

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The second update is here. This Chapter has 5,050 characters. Brothers, I need your Monthly Tickets! It’s raining now, and as long as the power doesn’t go out tonight, I’ll definitely get the third Chapter out!