Itek Sio
Braised Duck in Thick Tamarind Gravy
Before my mother became a Christian, as a dutiful daughter-in-law, she would prepare
dishes to offer at the ancestral altar. From a child’s eyes, I associated itek sio with ancestral
worship. I suspect it was an appropriate dish because it could be left out in the open for a
longer time and kept for days without refrigeration because of its preservative ingredients
which included tamarind, sugar and spices. We also had itek sio during Chinese New Year.
The thick, dark gravy is sweet yet tangy and when done well, the duck will have a pretty
glaze. Interestingly, and for reasons I never got to ask my mother, she also added pork. This
dish can be made about two days in advance. I find that the longer it keeps, the tastier it is.
makes 8 to 12 servings
½ a duck
450 g or 1 pound pork (belly pork)
120 g or 4 ounces ground coriander
(ketumbar), toasted until fragrant
90 g or 3 ounces sugar
½ tablespoon salt
1 tablespoon white pepper powder
1 tablespoon white vinegar
2 tablespoons thick black soy sauce
90 g or 3 ounces tamarind, soaked in
1 cup hot water
Oil for frying
140 g or 5 ounces shallots, peeled and
pounded fine
1 bunch coriander leaves (cilantro)
1. Rinse the duck and pat dry. Using the tip of a paring
knife, make about 20 insertions into the skin of the duck.
Because duck is very fatty, these cuts will release excess oil
while cooking. Cut the duck into serving pieces.
2. Slice the strip of pork into 1.5 cm or ½ inch pieces.
3. Marinate the pork and duck with the ground coriander,
sugar, salt, pepper, white vinegar and thick black soy
sauce. Leave to season for at least 6 hours.
4. When ready to cook, heat a wok and add the oil. Fry the
shallots until fragrant, being careful not to burn them.Add
the duck and pork. Use tongs to turn the pieces so meat is
cooked on all sides. Use a ladle to scoop out excess oil.
5. Strain the tamarind juice and discard the seeds and
fibre. Add the tamarind juice. After it has boiled briefly,
bring the heat down to a simmer and cover the wok until
the gravy thickens. While the dish simmers, scoop gravy
over the duck and pork frequently to keep them moist. This
will also help a nice glaze to develop on the duck and pork
skin. Simmer until the gravy thickens.
6. When ready to serve, garnish the dish with chopped
coriander leaves.
If you find duck too gamey for your liking, you could also
substitute with chicken. In that case, it would be called ayam sio.
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