Chao Hot Vit Bac/Bach Thao (Vietnamese Rice Porridge with Preserved/Century/Thousand-year Duck Egg)

I eeked out one more dish from my roast duck by boiling the carcass and making chao hot vit bac/bach thao (Vietnamese rice porridge with preserved/century/thousand duck egg). I know, I know, this is a Chinese dish too. :P (Any of my readers know if the bac refers to the north ie. Chinese-style? I know that bach is for century and thao refers to herb, or preservation method.)




Preserved duck eggs aren't actually a century or even a thousand years old, but they sure look it eh? They're actually preserved with a mixture of clay, ash, salt, and lime. Modern methods don't require them to be coated in mud and buried in jars anymore. Think of that final scene in Amy Tan's "The Hundred Secret Senses."

The preservation leaves the albumen translucent and gelatinous, the yolk takes on a creamy, almost cheese-like quality.

I like to boil the duck carcass until the meat virtually falls off the bones, and the bones themselves turn the broth milky white. I prefer my porridge a bit on the thick side, so obviously add more liquid or less rice if you want a looser porridge. I add the chopped preserved duck eggs at the end so they don't become too mushy.






Chao Hot Vit Bac/Bach Thao (Vietnamese Rice Porridge with Preserved/Century/Thousand-year Duck Egg)

For a 5-quart pot, you'll need:

1 duck carcass
2 cups rice
2-3 preserved duck eggs, chopped
Rau ram (Vietnamese coriander) for garnish
Salt, to taste

Place duck carcass in 5-quart pot and fill with water. Add a tsp or so of salt. Let boil, and then turn the heat down to medium-low and let simmer for about an hour until the broth turns milky and the meat easily falls off the bone. Remove the duck from the pot. The pot should be only half full of broth at this point. Shred any extra meat from the bones and put it back into the pot.

Add 2 cups of rice and let simmer for about 20 minutes until the rice grains cook and swell up. Add the chopped preserved duck eggs, stir, and let simmer for another 10 minutes.

If the porridge is too thick, add more water. If it's too thin, leave the lid off the pot and let simmer until it thickens to your liking. Add salt to taste.

Top with rau ram to serve.

Enjoy!

Who else made rice porridge with preserved duck egg?
Amy of Nook & Pantry made century egg congee.

My other rice porridge recipes:
Chao (Vietnamese Rice Porridge)
Chao/Congee/Jook Thit Heo Bam Hot Vit Bac Thao (Vietnamese/Chinese Rice Porridge with Ground Pork and Preserved Duck Egg)
Chao Ga (Vietnamese Chicken Rice Porridge)
Chao Oc (Vietnamese Rice Porridge with Clams)

Also, by reader request, I've created a tag for just my Vietnamese recipes.