Casserole of Duck with Dumplings Recipe

(Vit Tim An Voi Banh Hap)

Ingredients : Serves 4-5

1 teaspoon

1/4 teaspoon each

30 ml

4 x 2.5cm

100 g

225 g

Dumplings

225 g

225 ml

450 g

100 g

175 g

1/4 teaspoon

2 x 2.5cm

30 ml

1/4 teaspoon

15 ml

1 tablespoon

Duck about 2.25kg

Minced peeled root ginger

Salt and black pepper

Dry sherry

Slices root ginger, peeled

Large whole spring onion

Sliced ham

Can bamboo shoots, cut into 1 inch pieces

Plain flour

Boiling water

Pork, minced

Shrimps, peeled and deveined

White cabbage, finely chopped

Salt

Slices root ginger, peeled, minced

Spring onion, finely chopped

Light soya sauce

Dry sherry

Sugar

Sesame oil

Cornflour dissolved in 3 tablespoons water

Black pepper

Plain flour

Method :

Remove the fat from the cavity of the duck, discard the parson's nose and trim off any excess neck skin. Rinse and drain the duck. Mix the ginger, salt and black pepper and rub well into the duck, inside and out. Leave to stand for 1 hour.
Place the duck in a large casserole, add the sherry, ginger slices and spring onion, cover and bring to a slow boil over moderate heat.
Turn down the heat, skim off any scum adding enough liquid so that the duck doesn't burn and adjust the heat so that it simmers as its gentlest. Cover and leave for 3 hours.
Make the dumplings by mixing the flour and boiling water in a large bowl, a little at a time, with a wooden spoon. Do not concern yourself with what it looks like at this stage.
Chop the pork to loosen it and put it in a second bowl. Slice the shrimps lengthways and then cut them into 1/4 inch pieces. Mix with the pork.
Cut the white cabbage leaves lengthways into narrow strips and then cross-cut to dice them. Mince and mix with salt and leave for 5 minutes. Squeeze dry and add to the meat mixture with the rest of the ingredients except the flour. Stir until smooth and pasty. Divide the mixture into 16 portions.
Knead the dough for a few minutes until it is soft and smooth, dusting with flour if necessary. Roll it out into a 40cm long sausage and cut with a sharp knife into 1 inch pieces. Dip the cut sides in flour, press into small round cakes with the palm of your hand and roll out into round wrappers 4 inch across.
Lay a wrapper in the palm of one hand and put a portion of filling in it with the other. Spread with a table knife to within 1 cm of the edge. Gather the wrapper up and press the ends to make a little basket. Press the back of a knife deep into the basket about 10 time to form indentations, which help to hold the filling in place. You should have 16 dumplings. Put them on a plate and steam over a medium high heat for 20 minutes. Set aside.
Skim off the fat from the casserole after it has been cooking for 3 hours and discard it. Scatter in the ham, bamboo shoots and the dumplings. Cover and simmer for another 5-10 minutes. Add salt to taste.
Serve in the casserole. Guests help themselves by tearing the bird apart with chopsticks. If they are not sufficiently proficient, you could chop it in the kitchen, put the pieces back into the casserole and bring it back to the boil before serving at the table. Ladle into individual soup bowls.