Duck and Kiam Chye Soup

Savoury, sour and soulful, this soup features in the food repertoire of more than one dialect group—the Teochews and Hokkiens both have their own versions, as do the Peranakan Chinese. It is a typical southern Chinese strategy to use pickled or preserved vegetables as a foil for rich meats. Here, the slow simmering mellows the robust tang of the salted vegetable (kiam chye) and the gamy duck, each flavour taming the other to achieve a deep and soothing result.