Mama Snow Cooks and More

I documented my mom’s (Mai Hoang Oanh) recipe for Vietnamese vịt nấu chao. Vịt nấu chao is a rare authentic cuisine that is rarely found available at Vietnamese restaurants in United States, but is more common in Vietnam. This cuisine is a braised duck soup in fermented bean curd, then transferred into a hot pot or shabu to cook the taro and essential greens which include water spinach and “cải bè xanh” mustard greens.

• Prep time: 2 hour
• Cook time: between 60-90 minutes
• Servings: 10-12 adults

Ingredients:

Duck marinade:

• 2 small 10.5 oz jar fermented tofu
• 6 large shallots minced
• 3 Tbsp minced garlic
• 4 Tbsp sugar
• 2 tsp salt
• 1 tsp fresh ground black pepper
• 2 tsp chicken powder
• 2 tsp ginger powder or 2 Tbsp fresh minced ginger
• 1/2 cup white cooking wine
• 1 teaspoon MSG (optional)

Note: Mom’s recipe does not contain ginger for the marinade but I added that into my version.

Vịt nấu chao Broth:

• 2 large ducks
• 4 can chicken broth
• 2 cans 14-oz coconut juice (nước dừa xiêm)
• 2 quart water
• 2 cans Coco Rico
• 6 shallots
• 6 garlic cloves
• 2 cubed fermented beancurd - smashed
• 1 bag dried bean curd skin
• Water Spinach (rau muống)
• 2 lb taro (khoai môn)
• Chinese large leaf gai choi / mustard greens (cải bè xanh)
• optional: 4 lemongrass stalks (bruised)

Serve with rice vermicelli noodle or thin egg noodle.

(Insert image of noodle bags)

Dipping Sauce for Vịt Nấu Chao: The dipping sauce for this particular hot pot is a combination of fermented bean curd (Chao), sugar, and lime juice. Chili paste is optional. Measurements also vary depending on the brand of fermented bean curd jar being used due to different salty level. I will document recipe here next time since my friend’s mom made it today.

(insert dipping sauce picture)

Direction:

1. Prep duck marinade: I peeled and minced the garlic and shallots in a Kitchen Aid chopper. Then I mixed all the marinade ingredients together. This is the time to add the fresh ginger if I don’t use ginger powder.

2. Rinse duck to remove excess blood. Butcher the duck with a cleaver. Pictures showed how my mom and husband chopped the duck for me. I am the last person any one would want to chop ducks. ? Note: Discard the head, chop off the butt (phao câu) and discard that part because it can make the broth stink.

3. Marinate duck for two to three hours and store in fridge. I added ginger powder and 1/4th cup white wine into the marinade.

4. Prep the broth. Soak the dry bean curd skin for about an hour and cut the pieces into 2-inch segments. Peel and chop taro into half-inch thick pieces. Mince the garlic. Slice the shallots. Wash the water spinach and Chinese mustard greens and cut it into segments. Set aside.

5. In a big stock pot, brown the minced garlic and sliced shallots with a little oil.

6. Dump the marinated duck meat into the pot.

7. Pour in Coco Rico soda, young coconut juice, chicken broth, and water.

8. Bring the pot to a boil and turn to medium heat. Set timer to 60 minutes. Skim out the scum and scoop out the thick layer of duck fat. The fat was almost two quarts full. After skimming out the scum and fatty liquid, taste the broth to to make adjustments. It was a bit sweet rather savory so I had to add two more smashed fermented beancurd into the broth and some more water and chicken broth. Braise the duck on medium low heat for at least 60 minutes or until meat is tender.

Final seasoning of the broth during this step by tasting the broth and adding more fermented bean curd, water, or chicken broth if needed to your taste preference. Broth needs to have a savory flavor, not too salty or too sweet. Cooking time varies from stove and pot size. I ended up adding two more smashed cubes of fermented bean curd and water since the broth was slightly on the sweeter scale.

I know the meat is tender when I can easily pierce through the thick cut duck meat with a chopstick.

9. While cooking the duck meat, fill a medium pot with water and cook the taro on simmering heat for about 15 minutes. Scoop the taro out and then add it into the hot pot later. (My friends said if I have time, I should air fry the taro in advance next time.)

10. Transfer vịt nấu chao into a hot pot (shabu pot). Add the taro pieces and soaked bean curd skin into the hot pot. Cook the greens and dry bean curd in the hot pot. I hope my Vietnamese foodies enjoy this vịt nấu chao recipe that my mom and friends taught me.