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How to Make Blood Duck

Blood Duck (Extra Spicy).jpg)

Blood Duck (Mildly Spicy).jpg)

Blood Duck is a famous traditional specialty from Wugang, Hunan. It is fragrant, crispy, and delicious. Thanks to the addition of vinegar-coagulated duck blood, not only are the duck bones tender and crisp, but the ginger and chili peppers also become sweet and mild rather than spicy. Beginners can typically complete this dish in about 2 hours.

Estimated Cooking Difficulty: ★★★☆☆

Essential Ingredients and Tools

  • Fresh young duck meat
  • Fresh duck blood (collect the blood while slaughtering the duck by adding vinegar; stir clockwise with chopsticks to prevent coagulation)
  • Ginger
  • Garlic cloves
  • Green onions (scallions)
  • Chili peppers
  • Alcohol (Baijiu, beer, or rice wine are all acceptable)
  • Light soy sauce
  • Cooking wine
  • Salt
  • Chicken bouillon powder

Measurements

Per serving (recommended for 2-4 people):

  • Fresh young duck meat: 2000g
  • Fresh duck blood: 250ml
  • Ginger: 6 slices (add 1-3 more slices if you prefer stronger ginger flavor)
  • Garlic cloves: 6
  • Green onions: 2 stalks, chopped and set aside
  • Chili peppers: 1000g （choose green chilies, wire chilies, or beauty chilies based on preference; add 5-8 more bird's eye chilies or 朝天椒 if you like it spicier; chop and set aside）
  • Alcohol (choose one):
  • High-proof Baijiu: 50ml + Water: 150ml
  • Beer: 200ml
  • Rice wine: 200ml
  • Light soy sauce: 10ml
  • Cooking wine: 30ml
  • Salt: 8g
  • Chicken bouillon powder: 5g

Instructions

  • Cut the fresh young duck meat into approx. 3cm cubes. Add cooking wine and ginger slices to remove the bloodwater.
  • Heat a wok, add approx. 100ml of cooking oil, and bring to a high heat until the oil is hot. Add the marinated duck meat and stir-fry continuously.
  • When the duck meat changes color completely (turns white to the naked eye), add the alcohol, then pour in 200ml of boiling water. The water should just cover the duck meat. Cover the wok and simmer on medium heat for 15 minutes.
  • Once the water boils, uncover the wok, add the ginger and garlic, stir-fry briefly, cover again, and continue heating for 10 minutes.
  • Uncover the wok, add the chili peppers, and stir-fry continuously until the peppers soften visibly. Add the fresh duck blood. At this stage, stir-fry constantly to ensure every piece of duck meat and every slice of chili is coated with the duck blood (this is the essence of Blood Duck).
  • Stir-fry until the duck blood turns black visibly. Add salt, chicken bouillon powder, and green onions. (Those who enjoy Shan Hu Jiao You/Sichuan pepper oil can add 3-6 drops at this stage.) Stir-fry one or two more times.
  • Remove from heat, plate, and serve.

Additional Notes

  • During cooking, monitor the water level and adjust the flame size to prevent the pot from drying out and sticking.
  • When adding the fresh duck blood, stir-fry and stir continuously to prevent the blood from clumping and coagulating into large chunks.

If you find any issues or have suggestions for improvement after following this guide, please submit an Issue or Pull request.