Ori-baeksuk (Whole Boiled Duck Soup)

Ori-baeksuk lives or dies by the boil. A hard boil makes the duck tight and the broth cloudy with grease. A quiet simmer loosens the meat from the bone and lets the garlic, jujube, ginseng, and mountain herbs do their work without shouting over the bird.

People call this a tonic soup, and that is true enough, but don't let the word make you careless. The herbs are not decoration. They tame the duck's gaminess, round the broth, and keep the richness from feeling heavy. My teacher would trim the fat around the tail twice, once before washing and once after stuffing, because duck gives more than it should if you leave every bit behind.

This is not a weeknight soup unless you start early. Soak the sweet rice, clean the cavity, tie the duck, simmer it gently, and salt only at the table. That last part matters. If you salt the pot heavily, the broth turns flat as it reduces; if each person seasons their own bowl, the duck still tastes like duck. 손맛 is real. I still measure it, so it can be handed on.