My Mother's Recipe

 The Teo Chew Duck commonly known as `Lor Ark`.

Mum's forte is this dish. Every Lunar festival her children crave for it and consume it for 3 meals a day; be it breakfast, lunch or dinner. So, today I took it upon myself to try and cook it. I thought I too have to pass this recipe down to the next generation and my girls had better learn it. It is easy to get this dish in Singapore and Malaysia. But when you are overseas, it is good to know how to prepare it or you will never get a chance to taste it at all.

So, here it goes.

 Mum says 2 items are essential for this dish; five spice powder and the galangal or lengkuas

 (ginger family).

 Marinate the bird overnight with salt and five spice powder.

 Add 2 to 3 spoonfuls of sugar to some oil and stir it until it caramelizes.

Next switch off the fire.

Cover the wok and add water. This may cause the heated oil to fly all all over. 

The cover is essential to prevent any disaster.

 Next, you add thick , black caramel sauce and some five spice powder ; stirring it for a while.

 Then place the marinated bird into the mixture over a small fire. 

Keep covering the bird with the sauce and add bay leaves to accentuate the taste.

 Keep stirring the sauce over the duck for about an hour till duck is cooked and evenly covered with the dark caramel sauce. 

You may add pork belly strips to enhance it further.

 Remove the cooked duck and place it on a plate. 

Add galangal pieces into the bishop of the bird and let it cool.

 Meanwhile, boil some eggs.

Fry some tou fu pieces.

 Put in the eggs, toufu and pork belly individually till evenly coloured.

The dish is almost ready.

Chop the duck into smaller pieces and simmer it over a small fire till tender. Add in the eggs and toufu and the dish is ready to be served.

 Enjoy your meal.

The old belief is still true.

 A recipe may be given but it is the cook that makes the difference.

Try the recipe and pray for the best.

This teo chew recipe can be improved through many attempts.

Practice does make perfect.