Itek Tim :: 咸菜鸭汤

Asam gelugor.

All that talk about SALTED VEGETABLES AND DUCK SOUP. Apparently this is a great summer soup in Chinese culture. Not that I care. I'd be drinking nothing else but gazpacho in the humidity and heat.

Anyway, it's itek tim to me. Something the kitchen churns up regularly whenever we have leftover Peking duck from the restaurants. As it happened, we have two Peking ducks in the freezer. Took one out to boil it up for dinner. It's not my favorite soup. But I'll have a tiny bowl for taste and memories. The others at the dining table would polish off the whole pot.

If this soup has to be done with a raw duck, I don't quite like just blanching it. Don't like handling raw meats. If I have to, then the duck will be first lightly roasted with vegetables. Easier to remove fats then. When leftover Peking duck is available, it saves so much time. Duck can stink quite badly and takes a combination of ingredients and a few hours of simmering on the stove to rid it of that underlying stench. Would need the soup to be tangy and sourish in order to contrast beautifully with the salted mustard greens. Be generous with the sour plums and pieces of dried asam gelugor (also asam keping). Tomatoes work. You could add tofu too. I like adding one chilli padi for a bit of bite. Adding a drop of brandy before serving is optional.

The man isn't too interested in boiling Chinese soups. Hahaha. Yes, I don't really cook, but I do like clear soups ALOT. I dislike eating the contents after. Quite familiar with how to boil soups. Easiest thing to do. One pot, all ingredients in. Don't think there's a written recipe. It's one of those instances when we close our eyes and remember what our grandmothers used to do in the kitchen.