It's been a while since I last made this dish and I ended up adjusting it because I roasted the duck in a pan that was too large for the duck and a lot of the tasty sauce boiled off during baking. When I took the duck out of the oven to baste it a second time, I had to deglaze the pan with some red wine and added another cup of water to the pan for the final hour of baking. I think my dad uses a 2-quart oblong casserole dish with a 3/4" rack inside.
Total cook time should be roughly 1.5 hours, but with taking the duck out to baste and pour off the oil, the cooking/prep time can easily be 3 hours. Plan ahead if you are using the oven to make other things.
This spice ratio is a family recipe; which, in our family means that my dad created it out of experimentation and someone bothered to write it down. No one has the time to grind a custom five-spice powder anymore; any store-bought mixture of Chinese five-spice powder will do.
Ingredients
1 whole duck, giblets removed
2 tbsp organic granulated sugar
3/4 tsp kosher salt
3/4 tbsp five spice powder
6 tbsp light soy sauce
3 tbsp Chinese rice cooking wine
+ 1 cup of water (for 2nd basting)
+ 1/4 c to 1/2 c wine (for deglazing the roasting pan)
Directions
Preheat oven to 425 degrees F.
Tear out a sheet of aluminum foil that is long enough to cover the entire duck. Poke holes in it with the tines of a fork.
1. If using a frozen duck, thaw completely before roasting. If using fresh duck, wash the duck inside and out with water and remove all the giblets from inside. If you intend to trim the excess fat, do not discard it. Place the excess fat and giblets on the bottom of the roasting pan under the rack. The fat will melt during baking and can be used in any lard-based recipe. Place in baking dish.
2. Combine spices and wine in a bowl. Using a spoon, pour the sauce over the duck. Flip the duck and baste the other side of the duck. It shouldn't matter which side is up for the first or second bastings, it should just be the opposite side... ehh if that makes any sense.
3. For example, if the duck goes in breast-side up then for the second basting, the duck should be turned so that it is breast-side down. The goal here is to get both sides of the duck roasted to a gorgeous golden brown.
Roast for:
20 mins, breast side up
45 mins, remove duck from oven, baste with pan juices, breast side down
60 mins, remove duck from oven, baste, cover with aluminum foil
4. Remove from oven when the duck breast or thigh meat measures 165 degrees F with a meat thermometer. Let rest for 15 minutes before carving. Serve warm (with steamed bao, if using).
(Sweet) Steamed Bao
This week I made this twice: once with salt and again without. The unsalted bao ("bread") tasted better. One thing to note about this bread recipe is that leftover rounds of dough can't be left out (even in a food storage container) overnight. The dough will rise and deflate again, and if there isn't enough room, the balls of dough will stick to each other making it a terrible (but edible) mess.
One batch of dough yielded 12 bao. It'll be a good base recipe when get around to making sweet black bean steamed buns. The smooth consistency of the black bean brownies will make a good addition to this future recipe.
To make cake flour: Substitute 2 tbsp cornstarch per cup of flour for flour. An easy way to measure this out is to first put the cornstarch in a two-cup measuring cup and fill it up with all purpose flour. For this recipe, put in 4 tbsp cornstarch and fill the rest of the two-cup measuring cup with flour to make two cups of cake flour.
Ingredients
1 pkg active dry yeast (2 1/4 tsp)
1/3 c warm water (110 degrees F)
1/4 tsp organic granulated sugar
2 c cake flour
1/4 c organic granulated sugar
3 tbsp dry milk powder
2 tbsp olive oil
1/2 c warm water (110 degrees F)
1/4 tsp baking powder
1/4 tsp sea salt (optional)
Directions
1. In a small bowl, proof yeast in 3 oz warm water (110 degrees F) with 1/4 tsp sugar. After 10 minutes if the yeast hasn't turned foamy, it is probably dead or the water was too hot. There is a tiny bit of baking powder in the recipe, but if your yeast is dead, the dough won't rise properly.
2. In a larger mixing bowl, combine flour, sugar, olive oil, milk powder, and water. Mix well, but don't overwork the dough. Add in the yeast water. Mix again. Gently knead the dough by hand and form it into a ball. Cover the mixing bowl with a clean kitchen towel and let rise for an hour.
3a. Knead the risen dough until it is smooth and elastic. The dough will be sticky at this point, and a little bit of flour can be added while kneading. Roll out dough into a log or to 1/2" thickness with a rolling pin. Separate the dough into equal portions and roll each portion into a ball, if making steamed bao.
3b. This recipe is the same for making steamed bao for roast duck, and balls can be rolled out to a 2" diameter, 1/4" thick circle. Brush some vegetable oil on half the circle and fold it in half. Set aside on a 4" square parchment paper. Repeat until done.
4. Heat a pot with a steamer rack inside to boiling. The amount of water in the pot should be just below the height of the steamer rack. If using bamboo steamer baskets, make sure that the boiling water doesn't touch the bottom-most basket. Place prepared dough (with the parchment paper) into the baskets. If you don't want to be scalded by the hot steam, you could turn off the heat, insert the steamer basket, cover the pot, then crank the heat again. Steam bao for 10 minutes. When done, immediately remove from pot and baskets. Peel off the parchment paper and serve.
One batch of dough yielded 12 bao. It'll be a good base recipe when get around to making sweet black bean steamed buns. The smooth consistency of the black bean brownies will make a good addition to this future recipe.
To make cake flour: Substitute 2 tbsp cornstarch per cup of flour for flour. An easy way to measure this out is to first put the cornstarch in a two-cup measuring cup and fill it up with all purpose flour. For this recipe, put in 4 tbsp cornstarch and fill the rest of the two-cup measuring cup with flour to make two cups of cake flour.
Ingredients
1 pkg active dry yeast (2 1/4 tsp)
1/3 c warm water (110 degrees F)
1/4 tsp organic granulated sugar
2 c cake flour
1/4 c organic granulated sugar
3 tbsp dry milk powder
2 tbsp olive oil
1/2 c warm water (110 degrees F)
1/4 tsp baking powder
1/4 tsp sea salt (optional)
Directions
1. In a small bowl, proof yeast in 3 oz warm water (110 degrees F) with 1/4 tsp sugar. After 10 minutes if the yeast hasn't turned foamy, it is probably dead or the water was too hot. There is a tiny bit of baking powder in the recipe, but if your yeast is dead, the dough won't rise properly.
2. In a larger mixing bowl, combine flour, sugar, olive oil, milk powder, and water. Mix well, but don't overwork the dough. Add in the yeast water. Mix again. Gently knead the dough by hand and form it into a ball. Cover the mixing bowl with a clean kitchen towel and let rise for an hour.
3a. Knead the risen dough until it is smooth and elastic. The dough will be sticky at this point, and a little bit of flour can be added while kneading. Roll out dough into a log or to 1/2" thickness with a rolling pin. Separate the dough into equal portions and roll each portion into a ball, if making steamed bao.
3b. This recipe is the same for making steamed bao for roast duck, and balls can be rolled out to a 2" diameter, 1/4" thick circle. Brush some vegetable oil on half the circle and fold it in half. Set aside on a 4" square parchment paper. Repeat until done.
4. Heat a pot with a steamer rack inside to boiling. The amount of water in the pot should be just below the height of the steamer rack. If using bamboo steamer baskets, make sure that the boiling water doesn't touch the bottom-most basket. Place prepared dough (with the parchment paper) into the baskets. If you don't want to be scalded by the hot steam, you could turn off the heat, insert the steamer basket, cover the pot, then crank the heat again. Steam bao for 10 minutes. When done, immediately remove from pot and baskets. Peel off the parchment paper and serve.
Steamed Manila Clams
According to Wikipedia, among the natural predators of this humble clam are the dungeness and red rock crabs...which in turn would suggest that I could harvest manila clams in the same areas where people drop crab pots for these crabs. Mmmm, what a tasty thought.
In this recipe, the Chinese rice wine and dry sherry are a substitution for a dry white wine. Up to a half cup of white wine is typically used to steam most clams. Also, shallots can replace the green onions. Against a strong flavor like garlic, I can't taste the thyme in the broth.
Ingredients
1 1/2 lbs fresh manila clams, scrubbed clean
1 tbsp unsalted butter
1/4 c Shaoxing rice cooking wine
1/8 c dry sherry
2 garlic cloves, chopped
2 green onions, white part only, chopped
pinch of dried thyme
Directions
1. In a skillet (with a lid), melt butter over medium heat and add the cloves and onions. Saute until fragrant, about a minute.
2. Add clams and pour alcohol on top. Cover and let cook until the clams open, 5-8 minutes.
3. Scoop the cooked clams into a bowl and pour the broth over them. Serve hot.
In this recipe, the Chinese rice wine and dry sherry are a substitution for a dry white wine. Up to a half cup of white wine is typically used to steam most clams. Also, shallots can replace the green onions. Against a strong flavor like garlic, I can't taste the thyme in the broth.
Ingredients
1 1/2 lbs fresh manila clams, scrubbed clean
1 tbsp unsalted butter
1/4 c Shaoxing rice cooking wine
1/8 c dry sherry
2 garlic cloves, chopped
2 green onions, white part only, chopped
pinch of dried thyme
Directions
1. In a skillet (with a lid), melt butter over medium heat and add the cloves and onions. Saute until fragrant, about a minute.
2. Add clams and pour alcohol on top. Cover and let cook until the clams open, 5-8 minutes.
3. Scoop the cooked clams into a bowl and pour the broth over them. Serve hot.
Chocolate Zucchini Bread
I can't say that zucchini is one of my favored vegetables, but it certainly tastes a whole lot better when it gets deep fried or baked up into a dessert bread.
Ingredients
1 1/2 c raw zucchini, grated
1 c all purpose flour
1/2 c olive oil
1/2 c organic granulated sugar
1/2 c light brown sugar
1/2 c Ghirardelli sweet ground chocolate and cocoa
2 large eggs
1 tsp vanilla extract
3/4 tsp baking soda
1/4 tsp baking powder
1/2 tsp kosher salt
Directions
Preheat oven to 350 degrees F.
1. Prepare a loaf pan by buttering it all, especially the corners and ridges, if using a Silpat loaf pan.
2. In a large bowl, mix together dry and wet ingredients.
3. Fill loaf pan with batter and bake for an hour, or use the toothpick method at 50 minutes to check if it is done.
Turkey Pot Pie (without potatoes)
This came out tasting pretty good, considering I didn't have any potatoes on hand. I should probably take a photo of the remaining pie before it gets eaten. I didn't use an egg wash on this because frankly, egg washes are a waste of an egg and I don't like my breads to look dark and shiny when they come out of the oven. This batch made two 16 oz pot pies, at least that's what my guess is. I was able to use one pie crust recipe to cover two 5" round cake tins.
Ingredients
2 c cooked turkey meat, cubed
6 oz half-and-half cream (can also substitute milk)
2 organic carrots, diced
2 organic celery ribs, diced
1/2 c frozen organic peas
1/2 c frozen organic corn kernels
2 tbsp all purpose flour
1 tsp each: dried thyme, dried parsley, garlic powder, salt
1/2 tsp freshly ground black pepper
1 savory pie crust for a 10" pie (see recipe)
Directions
1. In a small bowl combine salt, freshly ground black pepper, and dried herbs.
2. In a medium pot, melt butter over medium heat. Add carrots and celery. Cook for 8-10 minutes, or until the carrots can be easily pierced with a fork. Add spices and stir to combine. Add milk and flour. Stir while cooking until the flour has mixed in with the milk and vegetables. Remove from heat. Add peas and corn kernels. Mix to distribute ingredients evenly.
3. Cut the dough in half and roll out each half until it is at least five inches across, or just slightly larger than the diameter of your baking tin or ramekin. It's okay if there is excess dough hanging off the rim.
4. Divide the pot pie filling evenly between the two tins (or ramekins). Place the rolled out pie dough on top of the pie tin and use the tines of a fork to make crimping marks on the edge. Use a sharp knife to poke a few slits in the top to let the steam escape.
5. For easier handling, place both tins onto a baking sheet to put in the oven. Bake at 350 degrees F for 25 minutes, or until the top crust is lightly browned.
Ingredients
2 c cooked turkey meat, cubed
6 oz half-and-half cream (can also substitute milk)
2 organic carrots, diced
2 organic celery ribs, diced
1/2 c frozen organic peas
1/2 c frozen organic corn kernels
2 tbsp all purpose flour
1 tsp each: dried thyme, dried parsley, garlic powder, salt
1/2 tsp freshly ground black pepper
1 savory pie crust for a 10" pie (see recipe)
Directions
1. In a small bowl combine salt, freshly ground black pepper, and dried herbs.
2. In a medium pot, melt butter over medium heat. Add carrots and celery. Cook for 8-10 minutes, or until the carrots can be easily pierced with a fork. Add spices and stir to combine. Add milk and flour. Stir while cooking until the flour has mixed in with the milk and vegetables. Remove from heat. Add peas and corn kernels. Mix to distribute ingredients evenly.
3. Cut the dough in half and roll out each half until it is at least five inches across, or just slightly larger than the diameter of your baking tin or ramekin. It's okay if there is excess dough hanging off the rim.
4. Divide the pot pie filling evenly between the two tins (or ramekins). Place the rolled out pie dough on top of the pie tin and use the tines of a fork to make crimping marks on the edge. Use a sharp knife to poke a few slits in the top to let the steam escape.
5. For easier handling, place both tins onto a baking sheet to put in the oven. Bake at 350 degrees F for 25 minutes, or until the top crust is lightly browned.
Subscribe to:
Posts (Atom)