For a hearty meal at a typical Singapore hawker food center, you can always dig in to a good plate of Braised Duck Rice. In Singapore, there are two types, the Roast Duck or Braised Duck. However, the important criteria of a good and delicious duck meat is in the tenderness of the meat – it must not be too hard yet still has a little resistance when it is chewed.
The broth that is used to cook the duck includes spices like cinnamon and the bones of braised ducks. These bones give the broth added sweetness. The ducks are then placed in the broth and will be cooked until it is able to absorb the full flavor of the broth. A good braised duck comes with the expert experience and skill of a great hawker. Most hawkers would sell roast or braised duck in whole for customers. Some people may just buy the whole duck which the hawker would cut into pieces for special occasions such as dinner gatherings.
At times, duck rice can be ordered to come with braised eggs, braised tau kua (hard beancurd), and some with pork dishes. Though most duck rice is served with the normal plain white rice, in Singapore, the best braised duck rice is served with yam rice (brown in color) with pieces of yam and dried shrimps in it. For some, another important criteria of a delicious duck rice would be the gravy that is poured over the rice and the chilli sauce. Without those, it would be deemed as “incomplete” to them.
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