At the weekend, I finally set off in search of the fabled Nanning preserved lemon duck. Cunningly, I went to Nanning where I called my aforementioned Zhuang friend who called an ex-high school classmate whose grandfather happened to be the founder of Nanning's first preserved lemon duck restaurant.
Well, he didn't found a preserved lemon duck restaurant, but he did open a hole in the wall, two table restaurant. Later, his daughter, introduced lemon duck to the menu and the place really took off. Today, they have seven outlets throughout Nanning and they ain't hole in the wall. This is the one I ate at.
We were ushered into this elegantly decorated private room and were served tea as we waited for our guests.
Finally, we ordered food for five people (including grandson) and were served:
Duck's Blood and Chinese Chive Soup
This was described on the menu as "A Little Red". It is mixed "wild" vegetables with preserved eggs. I'm told the "wild" vegetable is grown in greenhouses.
Shui Jiao. (Dumplings in Soup)
"Old Mother's Fish" (Steamed Bass)
Papaya and Red Clams
And, of course, the star of the show - Preserved Lemon Duck.
Everything was excellent, but it's the duck I came for. It was sensational. They offered a choice of three different breeds of duck, but grandson recommended the cheapest - Pekin Duck - the same beast traditionally used for Peking Duck.
The dish is duck, infused with the scent and flavor of lemon, but a deep rich flavor. The lemon is so obvious but never overwhelmed the duckiness. Apart from the duck and preserved lemons, identifiable ingredients were ginger and whole garlic cloves.
So it was time to interrogate grandson (who admitted that he had eaten this dish almost every day of his 24 years and never tires of it.) How to make it!
He carefully explained the process.
Take a duck. Stuff it with the ingredients.
"What ingredients?"
The ingredients for the duck.
Then roast the duck with the ingredients. There are many ingredients.
Cook the preserved lemons separately with the ingredients for preserved lemons.
Chop the duck into small pieces and add the lemon at the last minute.
Serve.
Ingredients?
Yes, many ingredients.
I was clearly getting nowhere!
He did later point out that it is difficult for them to expand much more as there is a shortage of "ingredients" and that it takes an absolute minimum of three months to make the preserved lemons.
I understand their reluctance to give away their "secret" to passing foreigners (or anyone else.) They are not the only lemon duck restaurant in Nanning, but the were the originals and are regarded still as the best. I will be back.
P.S. When we asked for the bill, we were told it had been "lost". Grandson had cancelled it!
From memory the duck was ¥20 (about $3 US, £1.60, €2). Other dishes were. around the ¥18-25 mark. Very reasonable.
