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!

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Sweet and Sour, Chilli Pork

A great version of the classic Chinese sweet and sour pork. Stir fry pork is marinated with lemongrass and ginger and served with a sweet and sour sauce with a big hit of chilli. Quick and easy to prepare.

Great served with egg fried rice.

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Sweet and Sour, Chilli Pork
Serves 4

Ingredients:

For the Pork: 700g Stir Fry Pork, Juice and Zest 1 Lemon, 1 Red Chilli (Chopped), 2 Garlic Cloves (Chopped), 3 Lemongrass Stalks (Core Chopped), 2″ Fresh Ginger (Finely Chopped), 6 Spring Onions (Julienned)

For the Sauce: 1 Bottle Chilli Dipping Sauce (Not Thai Sweet Chilli Sauce), 1tbsp Sesame Oil, 75ml Dry White Wine, Juice and Zest 2 Lemons, 100g Pineapple (Cut into small chunks), 2tsp Sugar

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Method:

1) Combine the pork with the other ingredients (except the spring onion) in a shallow dish, cover with cling film and transfer to the fridge to marinade for at least four hours. Keep the spring onions to one side.

2) Make the sauce by combining all of the ingredients in a small saucepan. Bring to the boil and simmer for 5 minutes until thickened slightly and the wine has cooked out. Season to taste with sea salt. Keep warm.

3) Place a wok over a high heat and add a little oil. Stir fry the pork with the marinade for around 5 minutes or until cooked through. Add the spring onions and the sauce to the wok and stir well to combine.

4) Serve the pork and sauce with egg fried rice or noodles.

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Enjoy!

Lemon Fried Chicken

A refreshing take on the takeaway classic. Crispy fried chicken breast is served with a rich lemon sauce spiked with fresh ginger.

Soggy batter and gloopy sweet sauces are banished in this recipe which is great served with homemade egg fried rice.

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Lemon Fried Chicken
Serves 4

Ingredients:

For the Chicken: 2 Chicken Fillets, 200ml Milk, 200g Plain Flour, 2tsp Paprika, Sea Salt, Cracked Black Pepper

For the Sauce: Juice and Zest 3 Lemons, 2″ Fresh Ginger (Peeled and Finely Chopped), 2tbsp Light Brown Sugar, 200ml Vegetable Stock, 1tbsp Cornflour, Cracked Black Pepper, Sunflower Oil

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Method:

1) Remove the inner fillets from the chicken fillets and cut each fillet in half on the horizontal. Cut each portion into two. Place all of the chicken in a small tub and cover with the milk. Allow to stand for 30 minutes.

2) Meanwhile make the sauce. Add the cornflour to a little water in a small bowl and mix to combine, set aside. Place the lemon juice and zest, ginger, light brown sugar and vegetable stock in a saucepan. Place the saucepan over a medium heat and bring to the boil. Stir continuously and slowly add the cornflour mixture until a thick pouring consistency is achieved. Season with cracked black pepper – you may need to add a little extra sugar to taste. Keep warm (add a little water if the sauce thickens).

3) Place a large non-stick frying pan over a medium-high heat, add enough sunflower oil to cover the pan by 1cm. Combine the plain flour and paprika in a large shallow dish and season well with sea salt and cracked black pepper, mixing well to combine. Remove each chicken piece from the milk and dredge in the flour mixture. Shallow fry all of the chicken in the hot oil for around 4 minutes each side or until golden brown, crisp and cooked through (you may need to do this in batches).

4) Drain the chicken on some kitchen towel and serve with the warm lemon sauce. Great served with egg fried rice.

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Enjoy!

Pork with Pineapple, Lime and Chilli Sauce

Forget Chinese takeaway – this is real sweet and sour pork! The usual glutinous and sickly sweet sauce is replaced by one which is spicy and vibrant with a big kick of fresh lime.

Pork fillet is rolled in a blend of crushed peanuts and Chinese five spice before being roasted in the oven. The nuts offer great texture whilst the anise note of the five spice works perfectly with the sweet and sour sauce.

This dish is great paired with egg fried rice and steamed pak choi.

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Pork with Pineapple, Lime and Chilli Sauce
Serves 4

Ingredients:

For the Pork: 2 Pork Fillets (Fully Trimmed), 75g Plain Peanuts, 3tsp Chinese Five Spice, 1tsp Sea Salt, 2tbsp Groundnut Oil

For the Sauce: 260g Tinned Pineapple (And Juice), 75ml Fresh Pineapple Juice, 2tbsp Dry Sherry, 1tbsp Soy Sauce, 3 Limes (Juice and Zest), 1/2tsp White Pepper, 1 Red Chilli (Sliced), 2tsp Cornflour (Mixed with Water)

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Method:

1) Pre heat the oven to 200C. Crush the peanuts together with the five spice and salt in a food processor to a fine crumb. Roll the pork fillets in the crumb – ensuring they are well covered.

2) Place a large frying pan over a high heat. Fry the pork fillets in the groundnut oil for 2-3 minutes each side until sealed (ensure the nuts do not burn). Transfer the pork to the oven and cook for around 25 minutes or until cooked to your liking.

3) Meanwhile make the sauce. Place all of the ingredients except the chilli and cornflour in a blender and blend until smooth. Pass through a sieve into a saucepan and place over a medium heat. Allow the mixture to boil for 5 minutes before adding the sliced chilli. Slowly thicken with cornflour whilst over a low heat until the sauce reaches the desired consistency. Check the seasoning (white pepper and soy sauce) and keep warm.

4) When the pork is cooked, remove from the oven and allow to rest for 10 minutes. Slice the pork and serve with a generous amount of sauce.

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Enjoy!

Slow Cooked Duck Pancakes

I haven’t had much time for cooking these last couple of weeks as I have been sitting my law finals. Thankfully I have now been unshackled and I can spend a great deal more time in the kitchen!

This classic recipe is usually only destined for the table when ordering takeout. However, its simplicity means we should be cooking it at home more often for a healthier and fresher tasting dish.

A great way to use up leftover duck or as a sharing starter, using pre-bought sauce and pancakes makes this recipe even simpler. The duck is twice cooked, meaning you can start the recipe a day ahead to minimise the cooking time.

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Slow Cooked Duck Pancakes
Serves 4-6

Ingredients:
1 Whole Duck (or leftover meat on the bone)
Salt
Five Spice Powder
1/2 Cucumber (Finely Sliced)
8 Spring Onions (Finely Shredded)
Good Quality Hoisin Sauce
Pre-made Pancakes

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Method:

1) Preheat the oven to 170C. Salt the duck and roast in the oven for 1 1/2 hours. Remove and allow to cool and chill if cooking a day in advance or move onto step two if serving the same day.

2) Turn the oven up to 220C. Dust the duck liberally with five spice powder and return to the oven for 30-40 minutes until the skin is golden brown.

3) Remove the duck from the oven when ready and allow to cool slightly. Shred the meat from the carcase and serve with warmed pancakes, hoisin sauce, cucumber and spring onions.

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Enjoy!