• 1 duck, plucked, cleaned and gutted—slip the knife down the rib cage on each side of the breast bone in order to lift off the breast meat (with the wing attached) in one piece; cut off the legs, discard the feet and the tail (which is smelly) and cut the carcase into large pieces; wash all the pieces and salt everything
• 1 fully grown coconut, split open—grate the meat and squeeze three extractions of coconut milk from it, keeping the first extraction separate from the other two
• 20 slices of young galingale
• 1 rice-bowl (i.e. 7 to 8) shallots—remove any dried or withered leaves and peel them
• ½ rice-bowl (i.e. about 12) peeled cloves of garlic
• spring onion leaves, chopped
• fresh coriander leaves, chopped
• ground black pepper, salt and fish sauce

Put the salted pieces of duck and the sliced galingale into a pot. Put it on the fire. Stir until the duck meat has shrunk a little, then add fish sauce. Next, add the second and third extractions of coconut milk, followed by the peeled shallots and garlic. Boil gently until the coconut milk has been reduced and the duck meat is well cooked. Then take out the slices of galingale, all but a few.

Now add the first extraction of coconut milk. Leave it on the fire until the cream separates. Taste and check the saltiness. Pour the soup into a dish. Garnish it with the spring onion, coriander and ground black pepper, then serve it.