How to Make Vietnamese Duck Stew with Dried Bamboo Shoots

Prepare the duck

To clean the duck and remove any odor, rub it with coarse salt and ginger wine. If you don’t have ginger wine, you can use regular rice wine, mash fresh ginger, or use vinegar or lemon juice. Besides ginger wine, custard apple leaves are also effective in cleaning and deodorizing the duck.

After rubbing with salt and wine, rinse the duck thoroughly and cut it into bite-sized pieces. You can also boil the duck, debone it, and slice it into pieces to serve with noodles, similar to how pho is served. The duck broth can also be used as a soup base for noodles.

If using duck blood pudding, clean it, let it dry, then cut it into thin slices or pieces as desired.

When using duck blood pudding, it's best to boil it separately as it can discolor the broth, making it cloudy. Add water and a few slices of fresh ginger to a pot, and bring it to a boil before adding the blood to cook. To avoid spongy or dry blood pudding, cook it on a low boil. Stir gently with chopsticks to prevent sticking to the bottom of the pot.

Boil the blood pudding for about 11-12 minutes over low heat. Once cooked, remove and place it in a bowl, pouring just enough cooking water to cover the surface to keep it moist and tender.

Prepare other ingredients

Dried bamboo shoots need to be soaked in water until soft. If you plan to make duck stew with dried bamboo shoots, chicken stew with bamboo shoots, or stir-fried dishes using dried bamboo, it’s best to soak the bamboo the day before to allow it to soften. Change the soaking water 3-4 times to clean the bamboo.

Once softened, trim off the hard and tough ends of the bamboo shoots, tear them into strips, rinse them again, and then boil them.

Place the bamboo in a pot, cover with water, and add a pinch of salt. When boiling bamboo, do not cover the pot.

After boiling for 5 minutes, drain and rinse the bamboo. Replace the water and boil 2-3 more times to clean the bamboo thoroughly, then drain.

Finely chop the shallots, garlic, and ginger, and crush or chop the chili as desired.

Soak and wash the herbs and seasonings in salt water, then finely chop the herbs.

For duck dishes, apart from green onions, rice paddy herb and Vietnamese coriander (ngò gai) pair well. However, be cautious not to use too much rice paddy herb as it has a strong aroma and a slightly bitter taste. After cleaning, discard the tips of rice paddy herb as they can carry parasites from its aquatic environment.

Blanch the noodles in boiling water, then drain. Do not blanch the noodles in the duck broth, as it will make the broth sour.

Marinate the duck

Marinate the duck meat with:

• 1/2 tablespoon seasoning powder
• 3 tablespoons fish sauce
• 1 teaspoon MSG
• 1/2 teaspoon ground pepper

Mix well, then add a bit of the chopped shallots, garlic, ginger, and chili to marinate with the duck for added aroma. Let the duck marinate for 20-30 minutes.

Make the dipping sauce

While the duck is marinating, you can prepare a dipping sauce to enhance the flavor of the duck:

• 1.5 tablespoons sugar
• 2 tablespoons fish sauce
• 1 tablespoon chili sauce
• 1.5 tablespoons lime juice
• 3.5 tablespoons water

Stir well until the chili sauce and sugar dissolve, then add minced garlic, ginger, and chili.

Cook duck stew with dried bamboo shoots

Add 2 tablespoons of cooking oil to a pot and sauté the chopped shallots, garlic, ginger, and chili until fragrant. You can also drizzle in a bit of fish sauce as the mixture turns golden for a richer aroma.

Next, add the duck, increase the heat slightly, and stir-fry until the duck browns and becomes fragrant.

Once the duck is browned, add the dried bamboo shoots and stir-fry for another 2 minutes.

Then add water to create the broth. Approximately 3.5 liters of water should be enough for 5-6 servings.

Increase the heat until the broth reaches a rolling boil, then lower the heat to simmer. Skim off any foam and cook for about 30 minutes until the duck is tender and infused with flavor.

To keep the broth clear, skim off foam regularly and remove excess fat if desired. However, one of the appealing aspects of duck stew is the thin layer of golden fat floating on top, so don’t remove too much.

After 30 minutes, adjust the seasoning to taste, adding salt, seasoning powder, a bit of MSG, and fish sauce. If serving with noodles, season slightly more strongly.

After seasoning, cook for another 1-2 minutes, and the duck stew with dried bamboo shoots is ready to serve.

Place a serving of noodles in a bowl, add 3-4 pieces of duck, 2-3 pieces of blood pudding, and a handful of fresh herbs, then ladle the hot broth over the top. Stir the broth well before ladling to ensure even flavor.

Prepare a plate of fresh herbs on the side, and add a bowl of sweet and sour ginger fish sauce for dipping the duck if you prefer a stronger flavor, or serve with pickled chili bamboo shoots for extra heat.

If duck stew with fresh bamboo is light and sweet, duck stew with dried bamboo shoots is more fragrant, with a rich broth, tender duck, and crunchy bamboo shoots. It pairs wonderfully with noodles and isn’t too heavy on the stomach.