Fujian Jiang Mu Ya

Jiang Mu Ya is a deeply comforting Fujianese tonic dish, traditionally eaten in autumn and winter to warm the body and dispel internal cold. Mature duck is braised low and slow with an extravagant quantity of old ginger ("mother ginger" — 姜母), sesame oil, and Fujian red rice wine, producing a broth that is simultaneously pungent, rich, and deeply restorative. The dish is a staple of Taiwanese cooking as well, carried over by Fujian immigrants.

Serves: 4

Ingredients

• 1 whole duck (approximately 1.8 kg / 4 lbs), jointed into 10–12 pieces
• 200g (7 oz) old ginger (姜母), unpeeled, smashed with the flat of a cleaver and cut into thick slices
• 120 ml (½ cup) sesame oil
• 250 ml (1 cup) Fujian hong qu rice wine (red yeast rice wine), or substitute Shaoxing wine
• 60 ml (¼ cup) soy sauce
• 1 tbsp (15 ml) dark soy sauce
• 1 tsp (5 ml) sugar
• 500 ml (2 cups) water or unsalted chicken stock
• 4 dried shiitake mushrooms, reconstituted, stems removed
• 10 dried red jujubes (dates)
• 1 tbsp (15 ml) sesame paste (optional, for extra richness)

Instructions

1. Blanch duck pieces in boiling water for 3 minutes to purge impurities. Drain and rinse.
2. Heat sesame oil in a large clay pot or heavy casserole over medium heat. Add ginger slices and fry, stirring, for 3–4 minutes until fragrant and beginning to colour at the edges. Do not rush this step — the ginger must perfume the oil.
3. Add duck pieces; brown on all sides, turning every 2–3 minutes, about 10 minutes total. The sesame oil will smoke lightly — this is normal and desirable.
4. Pour in rice wine; let it bubble and partially evaporate for 2 minutes. Add soy sauces, sugar, water or stock, shiitake, and jujubes.
5. Bring to a simmer, cover tightly, and braise on the lowest heat for 50–60 minutes until the duck is very tender and the broth is reduced and glossy. Stir in sesame paste if using; simmer 5 more minutes.
6. Serve directly from the clay pot over steamed white rice, with the braising broth spooned generously over each bowl.

Cook's Notes: Old ginger with fibrous, papery skin gives the most pronounced flavour — avoid young smooth-skinned ginger. The dish mellows and deepens overnight; leftovers are even better the next day. Diners are encouraged to nibble on the braised ginger slices.