Chicken & Meat
Opor Bebek (Duck in Spiced Coconut Curry), Savory and Rich with Rustic Flavor
Prep
30 min
Cook
75 min
Servings
6
Level
Medium
Opor bebek is a bolder variation of opor made with duck, offering a savory taste with a slight gamey note, balanced by a rich yellow coconut curry sauce fragrant with kaffir lime leaves. The long simmering process makes the duck meat perfectly tender while allowing the spices to soak deep into the meat's fibers. This dish is perfect as a special weekend meal or for family gatherings when you want something different from the usual chicken opor.
🧂 Ingredients
🍽️ Servings: 6
Adjust the servings and the ingredient amounts & nutrition below update automatically.
- 1 whole bird (cut into 8-10 pieces) duck
- 500 ml thick coconut milk
- 500 ml thin coconut milk
- 2 tbsp lime juice
- 3 inch piece, crushed ginger
- 3 inch piece, crushed galangal
- 2 stalks, crushed lemongrass
- 3 leaves bay leaves
- 5 leaves kaffir lime leaves
- 8 shallots
- 5 cloves garlic
- 5 , toasted candlenuts
- 3 inch piece, lightly charred turmeric
- 1 tsp ground coriander
- 1 tsp whole peppercorns
- 1 tbsp, shaved palm sugar
- 2 tsp (adjust to taste) salt
- 4 tbsp for sautéing cooking oil
- 3 tbsp for garnish fried shallots
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👩🍳 Instructions
- 1 Wash the duck pieces thoroughly, rub with lime juice and a little salt, and let sit for 15 minutes. Then rinse again under running water to remove any strong odor.
- 2 Boil the duck in enough water along with some of the ginger and lemongrass for about 30 minutes to tenderize the meat and reduce its distinctive smell. Discard the cooking water and drain the duck.
- 3 Grind the shallots, garlic, candlenuts, turmeric, coriander, and peppercorns until completely smooth.
- 4 Heat the cooking oil and sauté the ground spice paste together with the ginger, galangal, lemongrass, bay leaves, and kaffir lime leaves until fragrant and cooked through, about 5-7 minutes over medium heat.
- 5 Add the pre-boiled duck pieces into the sautéed spices, stirring well until the spices coat the surface of the meat evenly.
- 6 Pour in the thin coconut milk first, stir gently, and cook over low to medium heat, stirring occasionally so the coconut milk doesn't curdle.
- 7 Once it comes to a boil and the meat starts to become tender (about 25-30 minutes), add the palm sugar and salt, then adjust the seasoning to taste.
- 8 Pour in the thick coconut milk, and cook over the lowest heat while continuously stirring gently for 15-20 minutes until the sauce thickens and becomes glossy with oil. Avoid letting it boil over vigorously so the coconut milk doesn't curdle.
- 9 Once the meat is completely tender and the sauce has thickened perfectly, turn off the heat. Let it rest for a moment so the flavors can soak in even more.
- 10 Serve the opor bebek warm, topped with fried shallots. It pairs perfectly with steamed white rice, lontong (compressed rice cake), or ketupat (woven rice cake).
💡 Tips
• Boiling the duck first before cooking it in coconut milk is essential to tenderize the meat and remove its distinctive gamey smell.
• Use low heat when adding the thick coconut milk to prevent it from curdling, and stir occasionally in one consistent direction.
• If you want a thicker, richer sauce, you can add a little rice flour dissolved in water into the sauce near the end of cooking.
• Opor bebek tastes even better when cooked a day ahead and reheated before serving, as the flavors have more time to develop and soak into the meat.
📊 Nutrition Facts / serving
410
Calories (kcal)
28 g
Protein
30 g
Fat
9 g
Carbs
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