How to make delicious, nutritious Bitter Melon Braised with Duck Embryo
The Bitter Melon Braised with Duck Embryo dish boasts the rich taste of the young egg, the gentle sweetness of the bitter melon, the refreshing taste of Malabar spinach, the hint of coriander, and the spicy kick of ginger and chili. It is a well-known dish in Hue and Da Nang, loved by many people.
Ingredients
- 8 duck embryos
- 1 bitter melon ~ 700g
- Malabar spinach ~ 350g
- Coriander ~ 150g
- 3 bulbs of dried onions, 1-2 spicy chili peppers, 1 small ginger root
- Fermented shrimp paste
- Chili powder
- Seasoning: broth mix, fish sauce, MSG, seasoning powder, ground pepper
Ingredient Notes
- Choose young duck embryos and medium-sized bitter melon for a sweet, soft dish.
- If possible, use fermented shrimp paste + chili powder for an authentic Hue flavor. If not, feel free to season with familiar spices in your family, as long as it suits your taste. However, this dish requires a bit of spiciness to cover the egg's gamey taste.
Instructions
Preparation
Clean the fertilized duck eggs and put them in a pot, add enough water to cover the eggs.
Turn on the stove, set the flame to medium. When the water boils, turn down the heat and boil. Typically, the average cooking time for fertilized duck eggs is about 15 minutes (from the boiling point), then turn off the stove and let it sit for another 5 minutes before enjoying. This is just enough time for the fertilized duck eggs to cook thoroughly without getting dry, grainy, with the sweetest possible egg liquid inside.
Once the eggs are boiled, remove them, let them cool down, then peel off the shell. Remember to keep the sweet liquid inside the fertilized duck eggs.
Peel the gourd, wash it clean, and cut it into slices about 1-1.5cm thick. Cut the Malabar spinach into similar small pieces.
Pick clean the Vietnamese coriander, cut half into shreds, keep the other half whole for later serving.
Chop the dried onions. Smash half of the ginger, chop it into small pieces like the dried onions, slice the remaining half, add it to the Vietnamese coriander for serving.
Diagonally slice the chili, mix it with the shredded Vietnamese coriander.
Cooking fertilized duck eggs in gourd sauce
Add about 2 tablespoons of cooking oil to the pot, when the oil is hot, fry the dried onions and ginger until fragrant. If you can handle spicy, add a bit of chili powder.
If you have shrimp paste, add a tablespoon of it here. Saute on low to medium heat until the shrimp paste becomes aromatic.
Next, add the gourd, stir it around, then add the eggs. When the eggs and gourd are mixed together, add more water. You can estimate the water for about 4 people, about 1.5 liters of water.
Increase the temperature a bit, when the water boils, add the Malabar spinach. When the water boils again, season to taste, including broth mix, flavor enhancer, MSG, and fish sauce. Adjust the quantities to suit your taste.
After seasoning, cook for another about 30 seconds, then add Vietnamese coriander and chili. Stir well and turn off the stove.
You should eat fertilized duck eggs in gourd sauce when it's hot to fully appreciate the richness of the eggs, the gentle sweetness of the gourd, the refreshing taste of Malabar spinach, the aromatic Vietnamese coriander, and the spicy heat of the chili. Usually, people like to scoop it into a bowl or pot to retain the heat longer, making it tastier.
You can serve this dish with a side of pepper-lemon-chili sauce, Vietnamese coriander, and some shredded ginger for a more robust and warming flavor. It can be eaten alone or with rice, either way, it's very appetizing.
