Saturday 19 November 2016

Crispy Aromatic Duck.

I like to use a these little bags to put my dry spices in https://www.amazon.com/Regency-Spice-Bouquet-Garnis-Drawstring/dp/B000YE2OMO
They are also widely available in Asian stores, and very cheap. Also, will cut back on the mess.

I got a whole young duck, and chopped it into four parts, to fit in my pot for boiling.

The spices that I stuffed in the bag were:

Star Anise: 5 pieces
Sechuan peppercorns: 1 Tablespoon
Cloves: 1 teaspoon
Cinnamon sticks: 5 short pieces
Bayleaf: 2 pieces
Fennel: 1 Tablespoon
Dried whole chillies: 5 pieces

In addition, I also put in the pot:

Rice wine: 1 cup
Soft brown sugar: 1/2 cup
Ginger: 1 large knob, sliced
Soy sauce: 1/2 cup
Garlic: 8 cloves
Salt: 1 Tablespoon

Topped the whole pot with water, brought it to a boil, then simmered it on gentle heat for 1 hour and 45 minutes.

Took the duck pieces out, let them cool down for an hour, then popped them in the fridge overnight covered with paper towels to absorb as much moisture as possible.

The next evening, I deep fried the pieces in a large wok on high heat till they crisped up. It is very spattery due to the duck's high fat content, so be careful, use a mesh screen. I like to use peanut oil for this purpose, but I find Canola also OK. You only need about a cup or two if you are prepared to turn the duck pieces half way through.

I tried using the grill before for this later step, due to the spattering but I did not achieve the desired texture. You can experiment. If you are not that bothered about the crispiness, you can just heat it up in a steamer, or EVEN a microwave (!!)

For serving, I steamed Asian pancakes. I bought them frozen in an Asian store, they are specifically designed for such dishes. They are called "Roasted Peking Duck Wraps".   It takes about 4 minutes to steam a whole stack containing ten pancakes. For best results use a bamboo steamer and high heat.

When they are done, smother them with a dollop of Hoishin sauce, top with thinly sliced spring onions, and Cucumber, and the duck meat shredded down with a fork from the bones.

Roll it up like a mini burrito, and enjoy!



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