The taste of homemade stir-fry is unforgettable.

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1 Hunan Wind Chicken

Main Ingredients and Seasonings

  • Fatty hen: 1250 grams
  • Salt: 40 grams
  • Sichuan peppercorns: 20 pieces
  • Cooking wine: 50 grams
  • Green onions: 15 grams
  • Ginger: 15 grams
  • White sugar: 25 grams

Cooking Method

  1. Preparation: Fast the chicken for 12 hours to clear the intestines, then slaughter it, remove feathers, drain the blood, and make an incision under the right wing. Insert a finger into the anus to sever it, then remove the entrails through the incision. Cut off the second segment of the wing tips and clean the abdominal cavity.
  2. Marinating: Lightly toast the Sichuan peppercorns and mix with salt, white sugar, and cooking wine. Rub the mixture thoroughly over the chicken. Place the remaining salt inside the chicken cavity and shake it to coat evenly. Place the rubbed chicken in a container and keep it at around 15 degrees Celsius, turning it daily for 7-8 days. Remove and pat dry. Spread the wings out and insert a hollow bamboo tube into the anus to allow airflow, then hang the chicken in a high, ventilated place until completely dry.
  3. Steaming: After marinating, soak the chicken in saltwater for half an hour, then rinse the inside and outside thoroughly. Add green onions, ginger, and cooking wine, and steam the chicken until fully cooked. Let it cool.
  4. Serving: Remove the bones, shred the chicken into strips or pieces by hand, and arrange on a plate. Toss with seasonal greens and drizzle with sesame oil.

Key Techniques

  1. Selection: Choose a fatty hen with thick meat, as a lean chicken will be left with only skin and bones after drying.
  2. Season: The best time for preparing wind chicken is in winter, and it tastes better after aging through summer.
  3. Salt Control: Do not oversalt the chicken, as excessive salt can overwhelm the fresh flavor.
  4. Storage: Wind chicken can be stored for up to a year without spoilage. Avoid direct sunlight and moisture during drying.

Flavor Characteristics
Wind chicken is a traditional Southern delicacy, with Hunan’s version being the most renowned. It has a slightly yellowish white color, a fresh and fragrant taste, and serves as a distinctive cold dish.

2 Braised Three Chicken Parts in Vinegar

Main Ingredients and Seasonings

  • Raw chicken gizzards: 250 grams
  • Raw chicken wings: 250 grams
  • Raw chicken feet: 200 grams
  • Yellow vinegar: 50 grams
  • Dried red chili: 2.5 grams
  • Wet starch: 25 grams
  • Shaoxing wine: 50 grams
  • MSG: 1 gram
  • Chopped green onions: 10 grams
  • Salt: 5 grams
  • Minced ginger: 10 grams
  • Cooked lard: 75 grams

Cooking Method

  1. Preparation: Split the chicken gizzards into two pieces, remove the tendons, and clean thoroughly. Make a few horizontal cuts in the thick parts and then cut into two smaller pieces. Chop the chicken wings at the joint to divide them into two segments. Remove the skin and tips from the chicken feet. Blanch the gizzards, wings, and feet in boiling water to remove the odor, then rinse once in cold water and drain. Place them all in a clay pot.
  2. Marinating: Finely chop the dried red chili and add to the clay pot with the chicken parts. Add yellow vinegar, Shaoxing wine, salt, and minced ginger. Steam in a basket for 1 hour until tender, then remove.
  3. Braised: Heat the cooked lard in a wok over medium heat until it reaches 60% heat. Add the chicken parts and their original juice, braise for 2 minutes, then add MSG and chopped green onions. Thicken with wet starch, then transfer to a plate.

Key Techniques

  • Braising: This technique is divided into red and yellow braising, both typically using soy sauce. However, this dish uses vinegar and dried red chili, giving it a light yellow color and a distinct sour and spicy flavor, reflecting local characteristics.

Flavor Characteristics
This dish combines three different parts of the chicken, each with unique flavors and textures, making it ideal for pairing with alcohol. The vinegar-braised preparation enhances the crispness of the gizzards, the smoothness of the feet, and the tenderness of the wings, highlighting a pronounced sour and spicy taste. It is a renowned specialty of Hunan cuisine.

3 Sesame Crisp Duck

Main Ingredients and Seasonings

  • Fat duck (1 duck) – 2000 grams
  • Sesame seeds – 50 grams
  • Cooked pork fat – 50 grams
  • Cooked lean ham – 10 grams
  • Cilantro – 100 grams
  • Egg – 1
  • Egg whites – 3
  • Shaoxing wine – 25 grams
  • Salt – 8 grams
  • White sugar – 5 grams
  • MSG – 1.5 grams
  • Sichuan peppercorns – 20 grains
  • Sichuan pepper powder – 1 gram
  • Green onions – 15 grams
  • Ginger – 15 grams
  • Dry starch – 50 grams
  • Flour – 50 grams
  • Sesame oil – 10 grams
  • Peanut oil – 1000 grams (approx. 100 grams used)

Cooking Method

  1. Marinate the cleaned duck with Shaoxing wine, salt, white sugar, Sichuan peppercorns, and crushed green onions and ginger for about 2 hours. Steam until 80% cooked, then remove and cool. Cut off the head, wings, and feet. Debone the duck, and cut the meat from the thick parts of the legs and breast into strips. Mince the ham and cut the pork fat into thin strips. Beat the egg in a bowl, add flour, 10 grams of dry starch, and 50 grams of water to make a batter. Wash and clean the cilantro.
  2. Coat the duck skin with a layer of batter. Place it on a greased flat plate. Mix the duck meat strips and pork fat strips with the remaining batter and MSG, and spread it evenly on the inner side of the duck skin. Fry in hot oil until golden brown, then place on a flat plate.
  3. Whip the egg whites until frothy, add 40 grams of dry starch, and mix to create a snow-like batter. Spread this batter over the duck meat, sprinkle with sesame seeds and minced ham. Heat peanut oil to 60% hot, fry the sesame-coated duck, pouring oil over the top until golden brown. Drain the oil, sprinkle with Sichuan pepper powder, drizzle with sesame oil, cut into 5 cm long, 2 cm wide pieces, and arrange neatly on a plate. Garnish with cilantro.

Key Tips

  • The container for the egg whites should be clean and free of oil, salt, alkali, and water. Whisk continuously in one direction until it forms a frothy snow-like texture, and a chopstick inserted can stand upright.

Flavor Profile

Sesame Crisp Duck is a renowned innovative dish from Hunan. It emphasizes craftsmanship and ingredient pairing, resulting in a visually appealing, soft, crispy, tender, and fragrant dish that is widely popular among guests.

4 Duck Skin Pancakes

Main Ingredients and Seasonings

  • Roast duck (1 duck) – 1500 grams
  • Scallion whites – 100 grams
  • Flour – 200 grams
  • Fermented flour paste – 100 grams
  • Sesame oil – 50 grams
  • White sugar – 50 grams

Cooking Method

  1. Add 100 grams of cold boiled water to the flour, mix, knead into a dough strip, and divide into 32 dough pieces. Press each piece flat and roll into small round pancakes with a diameter of 7 cm. Brush one side of each pancake with sesame oil, stack them in pairs with the oiled sides together, and roll into round pancakes with a diameter of 14 cm. Cook on a griddle until both sides bubble and emit a fragrant aroma. Remove from the griddle, separate into two thin pancakes, stack on a plate, and steam until fully cooked.
  2. Mix the fermented flour paste with white sugar, 25 grams of sesame oil, and 50 grams of water. Steam the mixture until cooked, then stir into a smooth paste to make the sweet flour paste. Divide into two small dishes. Wash the scallion whites and cut into 5 cm long segments, and place them in two small dishes.
  3. Cut off the roast duck’s neck. Slice down from under the wings to the vent to remove the skin, then remove the skin from the back and abdomen. Cut the skin into pieces 3 cm long and 2 cm wide. Arrange neatly in the center of a plate. Cut the duck head and tail in half and place them on the edges of the plate. Serve the duck skin with the scallion and paste dishes.

Key Tips

  • Cutting the duck head and tail in half and placing them on the edges of the plate signifies that the duck skin has been fully sliced.

5 Duck Meat with Sauce

Main Ingredients and Seasonings

  • Roast duck meat – 500 grams
  • Rehydrated bamboo shoots – 100 grams
  • Fresh red pepper – 50 grams
  • Green garlic – 50 grams
  • Soy sauce – 15 grams
  • Sweet flour paste – 10 grams
  • Salt – 1 gram
  • Wet starch – 15 grams
  • MSG – 0.5 grams
  • Sesame oil – 10 grams
  • Cooked tea oil – 50 grams

Cooking Method

  1. Cut the roast duck meat into 1 cm cubes. Cut the bamboo shoots into similarly sized pieces. Slice the green garlic into 1.5 cm segments. Remove the stem and seeds from the red pepper, wash, and cut into 1.5 cm pieces.
  2. Heat a wok over high heat, add the cooked tea oil, and heat to 70% hot. Add the duck meat and stir-fry until golden brown. Then add the bamboo shoots, red pepper, sweet flour paste, and salt, and stir-fry together. Add the green garlic, soy sauce, and MSG, then thicken the sauce with wet starch. Transfer to a plate and drizzle with sesame oil.

Key Tips

This is a cooked stir-fry dish. The duck meat cubes should be slightly larger, and there should be no coating or batter. The dish should have a thick, rich sauce that tightly clings to the main ingredients and side ingredients, giving it a distinctive aroma.

6 Duck Frame Tofu Soup

Main Ingredients and Seasonings

  • Roast duck frame – 1 piece
  • Tofu – 4 pieces
  • Green onion segments – 15 grams
  • Salt – 1.5 grams
  • Black pepper powder – 0.5 grams
  • MSG – 0.5 grams
  • Chicken broth – 750 grams
  • Duck fat – 10 grams
  • Cooked tea oil – 10 grams

Cooking Method

  1. Cut the duck frame into 1.5 cm square pieces and slice the tofu into 2 cm square pieces.
  2. Heat a wok over high heat, add the cooked tea oil, and heat to 70% hot. Add the duck frame pieces and stir-fry until fragrant. Pour in the chicken broth and bring to a boil. Transfer to a clay pot and simmer over low heat for 10 minutes. Add the tofu pieces and bring to a boil again. Add salt and MSG, transfer to a soup bowl, sprinkle with green onion segments and black pepper powder, and drizzle with duck fat.

Key Tips

You can add more chicken broth if desired. Boil over high heat until the soup turns milky white for a fresh and delicious flavor.

7 Duck Fat Steamed Eggs

Main Ingredients and Seasonings

  • Cooked duck fat – 25 grams
  • Salt – 1.5 grams
  • Fresh eggs – 4
  • Soy sauce – 10 grams
  • Chicken broth – 2000 grams
  • MSG – 0.5 grams

Cooking Method

  1. Crack the eggs into a bowl and beat them well. Add chicken broth, salt, MSG, and cooked duck fat, stirring thoroughly to mix evenly.
  2. Steam the mixture in a steamer for 10 minutes. Remove and drizzle with soy sauce before serving.

Key Tips

Use medium heat for steaming. Release steam intermittently to avoid creating air bubbles and achieve a smooth texture.

Flavor Characteristics

The “One Duck Four Dishes” is a signature dish from Xu Changxing Duck Restaurant in Changsha. Founded in 1902, the restaurant became famous for its oil chicken and roast duck. The restaurant’s roast duck, made from Huai ducks from Changde and Hanshou, is known for its tenderness and rich flavor, prepared using a special roasting oven. The “One Duck Four Dishes” menu features four distinct dishes made from different parts of the duck—duck skin, duck meat, duck frame, and duck fat—each prepared with unique ingredients and seasonings. The four dishes are:

  • Duck Skin Thin Pancakes: Served with thin pancakes and condiments, this dish is savory, sweet, crispy, and moist.
  • Duck Meat Sauce Cubes: Colorful and fragrant, with a slightly spicy flavor.
  • Duck Frame Tofu Soup: Light and fresh, it helps with digestion.
  • Duck Fat Steamed Eggs: Smooth and tender, this dish melts in your mouth and is a delightful end to the meal.

8 Steamed Roast Duck Pieces

Main Ingredients and Seasonings

  • Peking duck – 1
  • MSG – 2 grams
  • Rehydrated shiitake mushrooms – 50 grams
  • Pepper powder – 2 grams
  • Baby bok choy – 1000 grams
  • Green onions – 15 grams
  • Cooking wine – 50 grams
  • Ginger – 15 grams
  • Salt – 10 grams

Cooking Method

  1. Remove the large bones from the roast duck and cut it into pieces measuring 3.5 cm by 3 cm. Place the pieces in a bowl, add salt, cooking wine, smashed green onions, ginger, and water. Steam in a steamer for about 2 hours, until the duck is tender and falls apart.
  2. Clean the shiitake mushrooms and remove the stems. Prepare the baby bok choy by discarding the outer leaves and keeping the buds. Blanch in boiling water, then cool in cold water. Cut the remaining green onions into sections.
  3. In a pot, add the broth, shiitake mushrooms, and baby bok choy. Add salt and blanch. Meanwhile, remove the steamed duck pieces from the steamer, discard the green onions and ginger, and add MSG, pepper powder, shiitake mushrooms, bok choy buds, and green onion sections.

Key Tips

Ensure the amount of water added to the bowl with the duck is enough to cover the duck pieces. Too much broth can dilute the flavor.

Flavor Characteristics

Steamed roast duck offers a unique flavor. The dish features a clear and flavorful broth with tender and aromatic duck pieces.

9 Stir-Fried Duck Blood

Main Ingredients and Seasonings

  • Duck (male and female) – 1250 grams
  • Soy sauce – 10 grams
  • Young ginger – 100 grams
  • Salt – 30 grams
  • Garlic cloves – 50 grams
  • MSG – 1.5 grams
  • Small red chilies – 50 grams
  • Clear meat broth – 200 grams
  • Pickled Chinese pepper – 100 grams
  • Wet starch – 15 grams
  • Cooking wine – 15 grams
  • Cooked pork fat – 100 grams

Cooking Method

  1. Cut the blood vessels in the neck of the live duck to collect the blood in a bowl, stirring until it no longer coagulates. Remove the blood vessels, blanch the duck in boiling water to remove feathers, then gut the duck. After cleaning, remove the duck head and cut it into 3 pieces (one piece from the lower jaw to the neck, and the head cut in half). Cut off the tips of the duck’s feet, remove the wings, and discard the tail. Cut the duck meat into 2 cm square pieces.
  2. Clean the young ginger, peel and clean the garlic cloves, cut the pickled Chinese pepper into 2 cm long and 0.5 cm thick strips, and finely chop the red chilies.
  3. Heat the cooked pork fat in a wok over medium heat until it reaches 70% hot. First, fry the duck head, wings, and feet until cooked and then remove them. Add the duck pieces and stir-fry until the water evaporates, then add the duck blood and stir well. Add the cooking wine and salt, and stir-fry until the duck is 50% cooked. Add soy sauce, meat broth, young ginger, garlic cloves, pickled Chinese pepper, and chopped red chilies, and stir well. Simmer for 5 minutes, add MSG, use wet starch to thicken the sauce, and serve on a large plate. Arrange the head, wings, and feet around the duck pieces.

Key Tips

  1. Use the large, fast-growing Linwu ducks from Hunan, which are ideal due to their size, good meat quality, and high egg production. Ducks around 3 pounds are best.
  2. During slaughter, ensure the knife is always near the blood vessels to allow the blood to flow into the bowl. When scalding the feathers, turn the duck frequently and ensure even heating; overcooking can cause the skin to peel off, while undercooking can leave feathers.
  3. When stir-frying the duck meat, there will be some liquid released. First, pour off the liquid into a bowl, dry out the remaining water, then add oil and stir-fry over high heat until the meat turns yellow. Reintroduce the reserved duck blood to mix and cook over low heat until it forms clumps.

Flavor Characteristics

  1. Stir-Fried Duck Blood is a traditional dish from the southern Hunan region, often served during festive occasions and celebrations. It is widely enjoyed among the Dong people in Xintian, Ningyuan, Chenzhou, Guizhou, and the border areas of Hunan Province.
  2. Some regions add peanuts or chestnut meat as additional ingredients. Instead of using broth, some use wine, which eliminates the duck’s gamy taste, resulting in sweet, crispy, and tender meat that retains its flavor even the next day.
  3. The dish has a golden color, with duck blood appearing glossy and dark brown, showcasing a crispy and tender texture. It is rich, flavorful, and suitable as a side dish or paired with alcohol.

10 Duck and Vermicelli in Broth

Main Ingredients and Seasonings

  • Skinless duck meat – 150 grams
  • Green onions – 10 grams
  • Fine Hunan vermicelli – 30 grams
  • Ground pepper – 0.5 grams
  • Pork fat – 50 grams
  • MSG – 1 gram
  • Cooked ham – 15 grams
  • Salt – 1.5 grams
  • Egg whites – 4
  • Chicken essence – 5 grams
  • Chicken broth – 300 grams
  • Cooked pork fat – 500 grams
  • Wet starch – 50 grams

Cooking Method

  1. Clean the duck meat and pork fat, then chop into a fine paste. Cut the ham into small dice.
  2. In a large bowl, whip the egg whites with chopsticks until foamy. Add the duck meat and pork fat paste, mix well, then add the chopped green onions, MSG, wet starch, and cold chicken broth to make a thin mixture.
  3. Heat 75 grams of cooked pork fat in a wok over high heat until it reaches 60% hot. Add the thin mixture, stirring gently with a spoon. Once it starts to boil, sprinkle in the diced ham and ground pepper. Drizzle in chicken essence, then remove from heat and transfer to a large bowl.
  4. Heat another portion of pork fat in the wok over high heat until it reaches 70% hot. Add the vermicelli and fry briefly over high heat, then lower the heat and continue frying until the vermicelli turns a light golden color. Remove and place in another large bowl. Serve the hot vermicelli alongside the duck mixture. Pour the hot broth over the vermicelli just before serving, which should create a sizzling sound.

Key Tips

  1. Preheat the wok before cooking. Brush it with oil, pour out the excess oil, and then add the base oil for cooking.
  2. Stir the mixture until it reaches a thick, soup-like consistency.
  3. Fry the vermicelli and prepare the soup simultaneously to achieve the sizzling effect.

Flavor Characteristics

  1. Hunan vermicelli, also known as “Southern vermicelli,” is a specialty of Hunan made primarily from fava beans. It undergoes several processes including soaking, washing, drying, and roasting. The final product is white, durable, soft, and pleasantly chewy. Hunan vermicelli dishes are varied, with Duck and Vermicelli in Broth being a top-quality example.
  2. This dish features a visually appealing combination of white, red, and green colors. The fried vermicelli, once mixed with the broth, becomes soft and tender, resembling tofu. It is especially suitable for elderly people.