Braised and Glazed Crispy Duck

A new puppy in the household has meant a lot of quick and easy meals this last couple of weeks! However, in between plays in the garden, we cooked this slow braised duck which made a great weekend supper and would be ideal to share with friends.

Whole duck is braised in a spiced asian braising liquor which is then reduced and used to glaze the duck before roasting and is used as a serving sauce. Much more satisfying than the usual takeout crispy duck!

Best served with Chinese pancakes or thin flatbreads, sliced cucumber and spring onion.

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Braised and Glazed Crispy Duck
Serves 4

Ingredients:

1 Whole Duck (Around 2.4kg), 2 Small Onions (Peeled and Chopped), 1 Hot Red Chilli (Sliced, Seeds In), 2 Carrots (Peeled and Roughly Chopped), 2 Cinnamon Sticks, 2 Star Anise, 2 Oranges (Quartered), 1 1/2tbsp Fresh Root Ginger (Roughly Chopped), 150ml Madeira, 75ml Port, 2tbsp Soy Sauce, 150ml Hoi Sin Sauce, 2tbsp Honey, 1l Brown Chicken Stock

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Method:

1) Place a deep metal roasting tin on the stove over a medium heat. Sear the duck on all sides until well browned and set aside. Add the onion, chilli, carrot, cinnamon, star anise and ginger to the tin and fry until browned (stirring frequently).

2) Next, add the orange segments, Madeira and port to deglaze the tin and allow to reduce by half. Add the soy sauce, hoi sin sauce, honey and chicken stock and bring to the boil – stirring well until combined. Place the duck in the braising liquor and cover the tin tightly with kitchen foil. Turn the heat down low and simmer gently for 2 hours.

3) Once braised, remove the duck from the braising liquor and set aside. Strain the liquor into a clean pan and reduce by two thirds to a fairly thick consistency (you may need to add a little cornflour to thicken). Remove from the heat and set aside.

4) Pre heat your grill on high. Place the duck on a roasting tray and brush well all over with the reduced braising liquor. Place under the grill and grill for around 5-8 minutes or until the skin is well browned and crisp.

5) Once crisp, shred the meat from the bone. Serve with some of the reduced braising liquor as a sauce, some pancakes and sliced cucumber and spring onion.

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Enjoy!

Cola Braised and BBQ Glazed Ribs

Super tender and sticky sweet ribs – perfect for summer grilling.

Pork belly ribs are slow braised in cola before being basted with homemade BBQ sauce and grilled over a high heat.

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Cola Braised and BBQ Glazed Ribs
Serves 4

Ingredients:
1 Rack of Pork Belly Ribs, 2 Cans of Cola, 8tbsp Tomato Ketchup, 8tbsp Soft Brown Sugar, 2tbsp Worcestershire Sauce, 2tbsp Sweet Chilli Sauce, 1tsp Paprika, 2tbsp Sesame Seeds (Toasted)

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Method:

1) Preheat your oven to 160c. Place the ribs in a roasting tray and cover with the cola. Cover the roasting tin tightly with kitchen foil and braise for around 2-3 hours or until the ribs are tender.

2) Once braised, transfer the ribs to a clean container to marinade and discard the cooking liquor. Make the marinade by combining the tomato ketchup, soft brown sugar, Worcestershire sauce, sweet chilli sauce and paprika in a bowl and mix well. Cover the ribs with the marinade and transfer to the fridge for at least 2 hours or preferably overnight.

3) Before serving, preheat your oven to 220c. Cook the ribs in a shallow baking tray for 30 minutes until golden. Alternatively, grill the ribs on a hot bbq. Sprinkle with sesame seeds before serving.

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Braised Lamb Meatballs, Sumac Rice

I am a big fan of meatballs and this dish of lightly spiced lamb meatballs braised with peas, preserved lemon and dried figs is great for a sharing supper.

Sumac rice is the best accompaniment to these meatballs and is equally good with other lamb dishes.

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Braised Lamb Meatballs, Sumac Rice
Serves 4

Ingredients:

For the Meatballs: 750g Minced Lamb, 1 Small Onion (Finely Diced), Large Handful Parsley (Finely Chopped), 2 Garlic Cloves (Crushed), 3/4tsp Ground Allspice, 1/2tsp Ground Cinnamon, 75g Dried Cranberries, 1tsp Sea Salt, 1tsp Cracked Black Pepper, 1 Egg Yolk (Beaten), 200ml Vegetable Stock, 200g Freshly Shelled Peas, 2tsp Preserved Lemon Rind (Chopped), 3 Dried Figs (Finely Chopped), Large Handful Fresh Dill, Mint and Coriander (Chopped)

For the Rice: 300g Basmati Rice, 460ml Water, 25g Unsalted Butter, 2 Cinnamon Sticks, 3tsp Ground Sumac, 1tsp Sea Salt, 1tsp Cracked White Pepper

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Method:

1) Combine the minced lamb with the onion, parsley, garlic, allspice, cinnamon, cranberries, sea salt, black pepper and egg yolk in a large bowl. Mix well with your hands until fully combined. Divide into equally sized meatballs.

2) Place a large, heavy based pot (a Le Creuset casserole is perfect) on the stove top over a medium heat. Cook the meatballs in a little neutral oil until well browned all over – around 10 minutes. Add the vegetable stock, peas, preserved lemon and figs to the pot, stirring well to combine with the meatballs. Bring the mixture to a simmer and braise the meatballs in the stock for around 10 minutes or until fully cooked and the peas are tender. When ready, add the fresh herbs and stir well to combine.

3) Meanwhile prepare the rice. Melt the butter in a large pan over a medium heat. Add the rice, cinnamon sticks and season with the salt and white pepper, stirring until fully coated in butter. Add the boiling water and turn the heat down low. Cover and cook for 15 minutes. After 15 minutes, turn off the heat, remove the lid and cover with a thin tea towel before replacing the lid. Allow to rest for 10 minutes. Before serving, stir through the ground sumac with a fork to fluff the rice.

4) Serve the meatballs and braising mixture with the sumac rice and a good spoonful of natural yogurt.

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Beef Short Rib and Fillet

Meltingly tender red wine braised short rib served with seared dry aged beef fillet and buttered beans.

Slow braising makes for the perfect short ribs and this recipe uses the braising stock to make a rich black pepper sauce.

Best served with silky smooth cauliflower purée.

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Beef Short Ribs and Fillet
Serves 4

Ingredients:

For the Short Ribs and Sauce: 3 Short Ribs, 2tbsp Olive Oil, 350ml Red Wine, 500ml Beef Stock, 2 Shallots (Sliced), 2 Celery Stalks (Sliced), 2 Bay Leaves, 2 Garlic Cloves (Bashed), 4 Thyme Sprigs, Cracked Black Pepper, 2tbsp Redcurrant Jelly

For the Fillet and Beans: 2 Fillet Steaks, 4tbsp Unsalted Butter, 2 Shallots (Finely Sliced), Large Handful Fine Beans (Halved), Sea Salt, Cracked Black Pepper

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Method:

1) First cook the short ribs. Place a large casserole on the stove top over a medium heat and add the olive oil. Sauté the shallot, celery, bay leaves, garlic and thyme for 10-15 minutes until soft. Add the red wine and bring to the boil. Add the short ribs and stock and combine with the other ingredients and bring to the boil.

2) Transfer the short ribs to a slow cooker and cook on low for around 6 hours or until tender and falling from the bone. Alternatively cook in a low oven (around 130c) for 4-6 hours or until tender and falling from the bone. When cooked, remove the meat from the stock and set aside. Strain the stock into a clean pan.

3) Reduce the stock over a high heat until reduced by around 3/4 or until thickened and rich. Add the redcurrant jelly and heat until fully dissolved. Add a liberal amount of black pepper to the sauce and season to taste with sea salt. Keep warm.

4) Meanwhile, season and sear the steaks in a griddle pan over a high heat in a little neutral oil and baste with 2tbsp of the butter near the end of cooking. Cook the steak to your liking. Allow the steaks to rest for at least 10 minutes.

5) Whilst the steaks are resting, sauté the shallot in the remaining butter in a large saucepan over a medium heat until soft but not brown. Add the green beans, cover and cook over a medium heat (stirring occasionally) until soft (around 8 minutes). Season the beans to taste with sea salt.

6) Reheat the short rib in a hot oven before serving. Slice the fillet and serve with a good chunk of short rib. Spoon the sauce over the short rib and serve with the sauté beans and shallot. Best served with cauliflower purée.

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Enjoy!