Ingredients
1 whole fat duck (2000 g / about 4.4 lbs), 50 g cooked pork fatback, 1 egg, 10 g cooked lean ham, 100 g fresh cilantro
Seasonings
15 g each of scallions and ginger, 3 egg whites, 50 g each of flour, sesame seeds, and cornstarch, 1.5 g MSG, 20 Sichuan peppercorns, 1 g ground Sichuan pepper, 25 g Shaoxing wine, 10 g sesame oil, 8 g salt, 1000 g (about 4 cups) peanut oil (about 100 g will be absorbed), and 5 g sugar.
Instructions
1. Marinate the cleaned duck with Shaoxing wine, salt, sugar, Sichuan peppercorns, and bruised scallions and ginger for about 2 hours, then steam in a steamer until 80% cooked; remove and let cool, first cut off the head, wings, and feet, then debone the duck body completely, slice the meat from the thicker parts of the legs and breast into shreds; mince the ham; cut the fat pork into fine shreds; in a bowl, beat the eggs with flour, 10 g (about 1 tbsp) of potato starch, and 50 g (about 1/4 cup) of water to make a batter; wash and trim the cilantro.
2. Spread a layer of egg batter over the duck skin, then lay it flat in a greased baking pan. Mix the shredded pork fat and duck meat into the remaining egg batter, add MSG, and stir well. Spread this mixture evenly over the inner side of the duck skin, then deep-fry in oil until golden brown. Remove and place on a serving plate.
3. Beat the egg whites until frothy, then mix in 40 g (about 1/3 cup) of cornstarch to form a fluffy batter; spread this evenly over the duck meat, then sprinkle with sesame seeds and diced ham. In a wok, heat peanut oil to 350°F (180°C), gently place the sesame-coated duck into the oil and deep-fry, ladling hot oil over the top as it cooks, until the bottom turns golden brown. Pour off the oil, sprinkle with Sichuan peppercorn powder and drizzle with sesame oil. Remove and cut into 5 cm (2-inch) long by 2 cm (3/4-inch) wide strips, arrange neatly on a plate, and garnish with fresh cilantro.
Note: The container for the egg whites must be completely clean, free of any oil, salt, alkali, or raw water. Use a whisk to beat them in one direction without stopping, all at once, until they form stiff peaks—when a chopstick inserted stands upright without falling. This dish combines fluffy, crispy, tender, and savory qualities all in one.