Peranakan · soup
Itek Tim (Duck and Salted Mustard Green Soup)
Itek Tim (Duck and Salted Mustard Green Soup) reads umami 5.1, richness 5.0 and sourness 4.4 on Palate's 0–10 flavor X-ray — a Peranakan soup, about 2 hr 33 min. Measured from the recipe itself: ingredients and technique.
The flavor X-ray — six axes, 0–10
- Umami & Savory — 5.7 / 10
- Sweet & Fruity — 3.4 / 10
- Sour & Bright — 4.5 / 10
- Bitter & Earthy — 1.1 / 10
- Rich & Fat — 5.0 / 10
- Aromatic & Spice — 4.1 / 10
The measured notes (of 18)
Umami 5.1 · Richness 5.0 · Sourness 4.4 · Salinity 4.2 · Heat 3.5 · Allium 3.2 · Warm Spice 3.0 · Fruity 2.7 · Sweetness 2.5 · Funk & Ferment 1.1 · Bitterness 1.0 · Herbaceous 1.0 · Floral 0.8 · Earthy 0.6 · Citrus 0.6
What's in it (10)
- duck — 100 g
- kiam chai — 300 g
- sour plums — 600 g
- tomatoes — 200 g
- peppercorns — 30 g
- fresh ginger — 40 g
- brandy — 30 g
- water — 2500 g
- salt — 5 g
- fresh red chili pepper — 200 g
Time & effort: about 2 hr 33 min · effort: involved
Nutrition (per 100 g, engine-estimated): 16.5 kcal, 0.6 g protein, 1.1 g fat, 0.8 g carbs
Dietary: Contains meat — engine-derived; double-check anything allergy-critical.
How it's cooked (8 steps)
- Blanch the duck pieces in boiling water for 5 minutes, then drain and rinse them under cold water, scrubbing away any scum. This step is what keeps the finished broth clear rather than muddy, and Nyonya cooks do not skip it.
- Taste a shred of the soaked mustard greens. They should be pleasantly sour and salty; if they still make you wince, soak them another 20 minutes. Kiam chai is the whole point of itek tim and no fresh green stands in for it, because its sourness is lactic and its salt is deep in the leaf.
- Put the duck, ginger, crushed white peppercorns and water in a large pot. Bring to a boil, skim thoroughly for the first 10 minutes, then reduce to a bare simmer and cook 60 minutes uncovered.
- Add the mustard greens, sour plums and whole chillies and simmer 45 minutes more, until the duck is completely tender and the broth has taken on a pale amber colour and a distinct sour edge.
- Skim the fat cap from the surface with a ladle; there will be a great deal of it and the soup should end up clean rather than rich.
- Add the tomatoes and simmer 8 minutes until they slump. Stir in the brandy and the salt, taste, and simmer 2 minutes more. The brandy is not decoration: it is a Straits Chinese habit that lifts the duck and rounds the sourness, and it should be barely identifiable in the finished bowl.
- Serve very hot in bowls, a piece of duck and plenty of greens in each. This is an everyday soup rather than a feast dish, eaten with rice and one or two salty dishes alongside.
- Substitutions: 4 pieces dried tamarind slice can stand in for the sour plums.
Dishes with a similar flavor shape
- Pique Macho — Bolivian
- Memelas con Asiento y Quesillo — Mexican · Oaxaca
- Cajun Pork Tenderloin with Pepper Jelly Glaze — Southern
- Cincinnati-Style Chili over Spaghetti — American
- Chinese Chicken — Chinese
Keep reading: what umami, richness, sourness mean in the flavor lexicon · the world's cuisines, by flavor.
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Every number above is Palate's engine-measured estimate, computed from this recipe's ingredients and techniques — not human-tasted ratings or reviews.