Chinese · Authentic-ish Chinese
Crispy Aromatic Duck
415 kcal a serving, against 1861 for the traditional version. That is 1446 kcal off, or 78%, with 33.5g of protein. Serves 4. 35 minutes.
What the traditional version is
A whole duck, complete with its thick layer of subcutaneous fat, steamed with aromatics and deep-fried in heavily heated oil. The blistered skin and rich dark meat are shredded at the table, then wrapped in wheat pancakes with sugary hoisin sauce, raw cucumber and spring onions.
What changed, and what each change costs
A whole fatty duck and a deep fryer for skinless duck breasts roasted hard
Duck skin is glorious, but it's pure fat. Dropping it into boiling oil just compounds the issue. Skinless duck breast is a brilliantly lean muscle that dramatically raises your protein return.
What it costs you. You lose the shattering, glass-like skin. There's no clever kitchen trick to replicate deep-fried poultry skin without fat. What comes off the plate is the crunch. You get a massive drop in fat.
150g of thick commercial hoisin down to 60g, loosened with soy sauce and rice vinegar
Takeaway hoisin is loaded with sugar and thickeners. Cutting the volume and thinning it out with sharp vinegar and salty soy sauce keeps the fermented punch but stops you eating syrupy calories.
What it costs you. Call it a runny dressing that drips down your hands if you overfill the pancake rather than a thick, sticky paste anymore and you'll be about right.
Hours of steaming and frying for a high-heat oven roast
Steaming a whole bird takes hours of your time. Roasting skinless breasts at 220C gets the meat cooked and lightly charred on the edges in just 25 minutes.
What it costs you. The meat won't fall apart at the mere touch of a fork. You have to actively shred it with some force, and it has a firmer chew.
The numbers
| Per serving | Traditional | Lightened |
|---|---|---|
| Calories | 1861 | 415 |
| Protein | 42.4g | 33.5g |
| Fat | 160.2g | 14.1g |
| Saturated fat | 44.7g | 4.5g |
| Carbohydrate | 57.7g | 37.7g |
| Protein per 100 kcal | 2.3g | 8.1g |
Every figure is computed from the recipe's own weighed ingredient list against public food composition databases. The appendix in Authentic-ish Chinese prints the exact database row used for each ingredient, so any number here can be checked.
Allergens. gluten, soybeans, sesame, sulphites.
The method is in the book
This is the first compromise that might genuinely sting. Deep-fried duck skin is one of the greatest things a human can eat, and you emphatically don't get it here. What you get instead is an intensely savoury, highly spiced duck wrap that you can actually eat on a Tuesday. The sharp dressing cuts through the rich meat brilliantly. Accept the loss of the skin, enjoy the massive protein hit, and appreciate not feeling completely weighed down afterwards.
The quantities and the method for this dish are in Authentic-ish Chinese, along with 55 more. Buy the paperback