Chao vit is a delicious Vietnamese duck congee recipe that’s light, refreshing, and hearty. It’s soul-soothing, nourishing, and simple to make! I love serving it with cilantro, scallions, fried shallots, and a drizzle of nuoc mam!
1 Start by rubbing the duck legs and wings with 1 slice of ginger. Next, pour 3 tablespoons of mirin over the duck and rub it in. Let this stand for 15 minutes. Doing so will remove any underlying odors.
2 In the meantime, char the onion on the stovetop until most of it is blackened. You can also broil the onion.
3 To a large pot with boiling water, add the duck legs, duck wings, grilled onion, remaining slices of ginger, 2 tablespoons mirin, and 1 teaspoon of salt.
4 Bring to a boil then skim off the scum on the top. Cover and simmer on medium-low for 45 minutes.
5 While the duck is cooking, wash the rice until the water runs clear. Next, drain well and set aside.
6 In a pan, heat neutral oil over medium-low heat. Add minced garlic and saute for 30 seconds to 1 minute, making sure not to brown them.
7 Toss in the drained rice and toast for about 10 minutes or until golden. Remove from heat and set aside for later.
8 After 45 minutes, remove the duck wings and legs and set aside to cool. If you’re making my Vietnamese duck salad to serve with this congee, transfer the duck legs into an ice bath after removing them. Otherwise, you can place them with the duck wings.
9 Scoop out the aromatics then add the toasted garlic rice into the broth.
10 Cover and simmer over low heat until the rice is soft and tender. This should take about 45 minutes. Stir the pot occasionally to prevent the rice from sticking to the bottom.
11 While the rice is cooking. Tear the meat off the duck wings and legs. Instead of shredding the meat off the duck lugs, you can also chop them into bite-sized pieces and serve on the side with the congee.
12 When the congee has thickened up, add the duck meat to the pot and season with salt to taste.
13 To serve, garnish with scallions, cilantro, fried shallots, and white pepper.
Nuoc Mam Dipping Sauce
15 For an extra flavor boost, you can prepare this duck dipping sauce and either dip the duck or drizzle it over the congee.
16 In a small bowl, combine chili flakes, sugar, chopped Thai chili peppers, minced garlic, fish sauce, and lime juice. Mix well then serve.
