Ingredients

The following ingredients have 4 Servings
  • 4 duck breasts, about 250gm each
  • 250 gm caster sugar
  • To serve: steamed jasmine rice
  • 1 tbsp vegetable oil
  • 15 garlic cloves, peeled
  • 750 ml light soy sauce
  • 200 gm rock sugar
  • 125 ml Shaoxing wine
  • 100 gm dried liquorice root (see note)
  • 10 cloves
  • 100 gm galangal
  • 5 star anise
  • 5 cardamom pods
  • 5 spring onions
  • 25 gm (3cm piece) ginger, peeled and sliced
  • 2 cinnamon quills
  • 1 tbsp Sichuan pepper
  • Thinly peeled rind of ½ orange
  • 8 birdseye chillies
  • 5 garlic cloves, peeled
  • 2 lemongrass stalks (white part only), coarsely chopped
  • 25 gm (3cm piece) ginger, peeled and coarsely chopped
  • 1 onion, coarsely chopped
  • 125 ml (½ cup) vegetable oil
  • 5 fresh curry leaves
  • 2 tbsp paprika
  • ½ tbsp Malaysian curry powder (see note)
  • 250 ml (1 cup) chicken stock
  • 1 cup shredded coconut, toasted
  • Juice of 1 lemon

Instruction

  • For the master stock, heat vegetable oil in a large stockpot over medium-high heat, add garlic and cook until golden (2-4 minutes). Add all ingredients and 1.5 litres of water, bring to the boil, reduce heat to medium-low and simmer 1 hour. Remove from heat and set aside.
  • Meanwhile, heat a frying pan over high heat, add duck breasts skin-side down and fry until skin is crisp and golden brown, then turn and sear on other side until golden brown (5-7 minutes). Rest on paper towels for 15-20 minutes. Add duck to master stock, bring to the simmer and cook until meat is tender and cooked through (1-1½ hours). Remove duck from stock and slice across the grain into 4cm pieces. Set aside.
  • Stir sugar with 200ml water in a small saucepan over medium-high heat until sugar dissolves, then bring to the boil and cook without stirring until a dark caramel forms (8-10 minutes), then remove from heat.
  • For rendang paste, blend chillies, garlic, lemongrass, ginger and onion in a food processor to a paste, adding a little water if mixture is too thick. Heat oil in a frying pan over low heat and fry curry paste, stirring continuously, until fragrant (2-3 minutes). Add curry leaves, paprika and curry powder, stir to combine, add chicken stock, coconut and ½ cup of dark caramel or to taste (you may not need it all). Stir to combine, reduce heat and simmer until curry has thickened (45 minutes to 1 hour). Add duck, season to taste with salt, stir in lemon juice and serve over rice.