Fried Itik . . . Anyone?

In one of my trips up north together with some college buddies, we passed by a small stall at the side of the road that sold fried “itik” or fried duck. The word “itik” is a Tagalog word that has the same etymological origin as the Malay “itik” and both of these words simply means duck. This stall, Jehan’s Fried Itik, apparently had several branches all over the province of Tarlac, as well as Nueve Ecija, Pampanga, Zambales, La Union and Bagiuo City in Benguet.

The preparation for the dish is quite simple but time-consuming. First thing to do is to simmer the “itik” in water mixed with some simple ingredients  (salt, ginger and celery stalk) for one and a half hours or until it (the “itik”) becomes tender. After simmering, drain and dry the cooked “itik” on a paper towel. The second and last step is to deep-fry the “itik” until golden brown. After this, serve with whatever sauce that you like to dip the dish into (I prefer the old-fashioned “suka with asin” or vinegar with a dash of salt).

We bought a couple of servings of the fried “itik” just to keep our hunger at bay while traveling to our destination way up north.