How to Make Vietnamese Duck Hotpot with Sau

Prepare the Duck

Clean the duck thoroughly, removing any remaining feather stubs to avoid an unpleasant odor. It’s recommended to remove organs like the lungs and spleen, as they can create foam and darken the duck meat during cooking.

Rub the duck with coarse salt, both inside and outside, then rinse well. If available, rub the duck with a mixture of rice wine and crushed ginger to further eliminate any gamey smell.

Once cleaned, let the duck drain thoroughly and chop it into bite-sized pieces.

Prepare the Other Ingredients

Peel and clean the shallots, garlic, and ginger. Trim the outer layers of the lemongrass, then crush and mince it. Rinse the chili peppers and cut them into sections.

Rinse the sau fruits and score them with a knife to release their sour flavor during cooking.

Wash and roughly chop the green onions and Vietnamese coriander. You can also keep the scallion whites to dip into the hotpot along with the vegetables.

Peel the taro, wash, and cut it into slices about 2.5 cm thick. To enhance the flavor and prevent the taro from breaking apart during cooking, lightly fry the taro slices before setting them aside.

For the mushrooms and vegetables to accompany the hotpot, rinse them in salt water and let them drain. Popular vegetables for this dish include water spinach, Malabar spinach, cabbage, and mustard greens.

Blanch the vermicelli noodles briefly in boiling water to remove any sourness, then drain.

Cut the tofu into pieces. If using fried tofu skin, cut it into small squares and arrange it on a plate.

Marinate the Duck

Marinating the duck beforehand enhances the flavor. For 1.2-1.3 kg of duck, marinate with 1 tablespoon of coarse salt, 1 tablespoon of soy sauce, 1 tablespoon of oyster sauce, 1 tablespoon of cooking oil, 1 tablespoon of sugar, 1 tablespoon of fish sauce, 1/3 tablespoon of MSG, 1/2 tablespoon of ground pepper, and a little minced shallot, garlic, ginger, lemongrass, and chili.

Make Duck Hotpot Dipping Sauce

While the duck is marinating, prepare the dipping sauces. Popular options include salt-pepper-lime chili sauce, fish sauce with garlic and chili, or soy sauce with garlic and chili, depending on your preference.

Salt-pepper-lime chili sauce: Mix 3 teaspoons of seasoning salt, 1/2 teaspoon of ground pepper, a few slices of chili, and juice from half a lime. If using coarse salt instead of seasoning salt, crush it finely and add a bit of sugar to balance out the saltiness.

Fish sauce with garlic and chili: Mix 3 tablespoons of fish sauce, 1 tablespoon of chili sauce, 1 tablespoon of sugar, and 3 tablespoons of water. Stir well to dissolve the sugar, then add minced garlic and chili.

Soy sauce with garlic and chili: Mix 3 tablespoons of soy sauce, 1 tablespoon of sugar, and 5 tablespoons of water. Stir, then add minced garlic and chili.

For duck, you can also add a bit of minced fresh ginger to the sauce for extra warmth and flavor.

Cook Duck Hotpot with Sau

Heat 2 tablespoons of cooking oil in a pot, then sauté the remaining shallots, garlic, ginger, and lemongrass until fragrant. Add the marinated duck and stir-fry until the meat firms up.

Once the duck is browned, add the sau fruits and pour in enough water to make the broth. For two people, use about 4 liters of water.

Bring the broth to a boil over high heat, then lower it to a simmer and cook the duck for about 30 minutes. Skim off any foam and leave the lid off to keep the broth clear.

After 30 minutes, the duck should be tender and well-seasoned. Add the taro and cook for another 15 minutes. Scoop out 2/3 of the sau fruits, leaving 4-5 fruits in the pot for presentation. Mash the sau in a separate bowl, then return the mashed fruit to the pot to enhance the sourness.

Finally, adjust the seasoning with salt, fish sauce, and sugar. The hotpot broth should have a slightly sour, mild taste. Be careful not to over-season the broth, as it will be served with dipping sauces and may become too salty as it simmers. Keep this in mind when balancing the flavors.

When ready to eat, transfer the broth to a hotpot and serve with vermicelli, noodles, vegetables, and other ingredients for dipping.