Wednesday, February 3, 2010

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!

26 comments:

Unknown said...

I am totally fascinated at how creative chinese cooking is..simple yet appropriate for the ingredients involved to bring out the best. Great to be here.. always happening la hehehe..Gong Xi Fa Cai my friend. Thank you for sharing..love food with tofu anytime (some goes in the mouth b4 cooking LOL)

manglish said...

i see....is this a cantonese dish?

Reanaclaire said...

hi pete.. i also bought some nga ku.. this evening i will cook with some pork and fu yee.. stewed them up.. see how it taste.. maybe i eat with porridge since not much appetite to eat rice yet...

Pete said...

Umi: Thks for the greetings! Happy holidays to u!

Manglish : I really not sure leh but the style is like Cantonese way of cooking.....I makan only, he he he!

Sonia ~ Nasi Lemak Lover said...

This good to eat with white rice.

Pete said...

Claire : Pork and fu yee, nice....love the crunchy ngaku. Take care, good to eat something soft. Hope you get well soon.

Sonia : Salty but nice....LOL!

My Little Things Corner said...

This is good, sure you eat a lot of rice on that meal...hahaha.
Gong Xi Fa Cai

Merryn said...

Tak pernah try this before..

cleffairy said...

*sigh* I never knew how nga ku really looks like before it's cooked until Smallkucing showed em in her blog. *pengsan*

Pete, why they call the duck waxed ah? Becoz the ducks no bulu ah? =.=

smallkucing said...

It's one of my favourite dish :D

suituapui said...

Waxed duck! My mother loves that! Bought two drumsticks for her the other day - RM6.90 each here...

Unknown said...

I am lost here guys,my mom Hainanese,cant remember mom ever cooked this dish for us....

i guess this is a must for cantonese on CNY,isnt it?

take care bro, keep in touch

mNhL said...

Is lap ngap very very tough?

Anonymous said...

have never eaten nga ku cooked this way before. i enjoy munching on fried nga ku.

Al said...

My gosh Pete! You're showing me food that I have never seen and heard before! Waxed duck?

AL

mommy to chumsy said...

This is one of my fav food! err...but never tried it with tofu before though :D

Pete said...

MLTC : Yes, very tasty....all the oil and saltiness....yum yum!

Merryn : Good leh, try it!

Cleff : Ha ha, no bulu, different kind of duck.....LOL! I guess they call it waxed duck because very oily!

Smallkucing : Same gang! LOL!

STP : Wah, Rm6.90 but still ok lah!

Eugene : I guess it must be Cantonese food

MNHL : Quite tough....have to cut into pieces before steamming, easier to eat

Mei Teng : Ngaku cooked this way quite nice....taste like potato

AL : Ha ha, they actually didn't wax the duck....but it is called this way because very oily! LOL!

Mommy : Tofu helps to balance the excess oil...nice!

smallkucing said...

Not la, Cleff. Theduck waxed their leg daily so that have sexy legs. Thus called waxed duck la :p

Cheryl said...

This is a new dish to me. I have never had duck before though.

Pete said...

Smallkucing : No wonder my waxed duck hairless lah! ha ha ha!

Cheryl : Duck meat is nice but a little too oily! LOL!

xin said...

hey u know what? i think u should seriously open a cooking class for husbands!!!

Pete said...

Xin : I think so, but I wonder how the response from all the husbands out there would be like?

smallkucing said...

i think Xin's suggestion is good. When the wife mogok or busy at least the hubi can make pizza for himself and the kids :)

Pete said...

smallkucing : Ha ha ha, wife mogok but not many hubs want to handle kitchen stuff leh.

xin said...

i think i'd be happy to pay for the lesson fees for my husband to cook for me everyday.

Pete said...

Xin : heh heh heh, all the husband out there cannot give reason not to cook already leh......wife want to pay for cooking lesson....LOL!