A reader recently requested this Chinese duck soup, and as it happens, it’s been sitting on my ever-growing recipe list for a while now.There’s always a sense of urgency when one of you asks for something specific! With the chilly weather and a frozen duck sitting in my freezer, the timing finally felt right to get this one done.  About Old Duck Soup (lǎo yā tāng – 老鸭汤) The original version of this soup is called 老鸭汤 (lǎo yā tāng), which literally translates to “Old Duck Soup.” It originated in Anhui province (安徽), part of what’s known as Hui cuisine (徽菜).  Traditionally, it’s made with a 3-year-old duck known locally as 麻鸭 (má yā).These mature ducks are actually quite lean with very little fat.

These days, you’ll find versions of Old Duck Soup beyond Anhui.Sichuan has their own take on it, and we Shanghainese typically make ours with baby taro, Jinhua ham, and salted bamboo shoots for Chinese New Year.To me, this is definitely a special occasion soup! Preparation Tips I trimmed off quite a bit of the fat and fatty skin from my duck, and I recommend you do the same if yours is on the fatty side.

(Save that duck fat to render for another use—it’s liquid gold!) I also took a few extra steps to minimize any gamey flavor: Remove the duck tail—it’s the most pungent part of the bird Add aromatics like Sichuan peppercorns, star anise, and dried orange peel.These not only tame any strong f

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