Steamed Waxed Duck (Lap Ngap Pei) with Ngaku (Arrowhead, Saggitaria Saggittifolia) & Tofu Recipe – A Festive Dish for Chinese New Year

The dry food stuff vendor whose stall I frequent in the Kepong Baru market recommended that I try the lap ngap (waxed duck) that he has in stock. He happily sold one waxed duck thigh with drumsticks intact at RM4.70 to me. Yup, you can get good bargain for the food stuff in this wonderful and busy wet market. I also bought some Ngaku (Arrowheads) to cook with the waxed duck. The Waxed duck which is imported from China is rather tough and very salty. It is cured in salt and dried in the open for weeks, exposing to the cold and dry China’s winter breeze. To get rid of the salt, you can wash it thoroughly in water or just soak it for a short while. I cut out the meat into small pieces so that it will be easier for my kids to eat it. The Chinese like to cook ngaku with waxed duck because it will absorb all the salt and flavour of the duck resulting in a crunchy savoury potato like ngaku. Ingredients Waxed duck thigh (Lup Ngap Pei), 1 pc Ngaku, 3 pcs, remove skins and cut each of it into four Old Ginger, 1”x2”, cut into slices Soft Tofu, 5 to six pieces Arrange all the ingredients in a steaming tray. Steam in high heat for 30 minutes or longer if you want he duck meat to be tenderer. Another way is to put the whole steaming tray on top of rice that is almost cooked (this is energy savings way, LOL). You can garnish it with fresh spring onions before serving. Taste good with white rice or porridge! Happy Chinese New Year Everyone!