The characteristic flavor of this famous dish comes from Sichuan peppercorns which, despite their name, are unrelated to either black pepper or chilies. They have a slightly numbing effect on the palate known as mala that in Sichuan cuisine balances the heat from the chilies. Many versions of this dish include ground pork however I have chosen to use instead a bit of the crispy duck skin left over from rendering duck fat. If you prefer a vegetarian meal, just leave them out.
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Ingredients |
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1 teaspoon |
5 milliliters |
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Sesame oil |
1 teaspoon |
5 milliliters |
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Water |
as needed |
as needed |
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Oil |
1 tablespoon |
15 milliliters |
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Garlic, minced |
3 cloves |
3 cloves |
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Dried fermented black beans |
1 tablespoon |
15 milliliters |
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Rendered duck skin, chopped |
½ ounce (2 tablespoons) |
15 grams |
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Chili soy bean paste |
1 tablespoon |
15 milliliters |
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Chinese rice wine or dry sherry |
1 tablespoon |
15 milliliters |
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Ground Sichuan peppercorn |
1 teaspoon (or more) |
5 milliliters (or more) |
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Chili powder |
½ teaspoon (to taste) |
3 milliliters (to taste) |
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Chinese firm tofu, cubed |
6 ounces |
170 grams |
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Cornstarch |
1 tablespoon |
15 milliliters |
Mix the soy sauce and sesame oil into ½ cup (125 ml) of water and set aside.
Heat oil in a wok then stir fry garlic and fermented black beans until fragrant. Add the duck skin and cook until crispy. Mix in the chili soy bean paste. Add the rice wine and let the alcohol evaporate for a few seconds then stir in the soy sauce mixture, the ground Sichuan peppercorns, and chili powder to taste. Bring to a boil then reduce heat to low.
Put the tofu cubes into the sauce being careful not to break them up. Simmer for about 3 minutes or until warm through. Stir the corn starch into a bit of water to form a paste. Use the paste to thicken the liquid in the wok to your taste.
Serve hot with steamed white rice.
One does not normally think of beer in connection with duck but since I had the remains of a five liter mini keg of Newcastle Brown Ale I thought it worth investigating. The combination, it turns out, is not uncommon in Chinese cooking. But surprisingly I also found it at a Web site specializing in Italian fare from which I adapted this recipe. However, in place of the spinach in the original I served the duck with a wild rice pilaf and pureed rutabaga—recipes follow. Oh, and don’t forget a glass of the beer.
Note: to get dinner to come out at the same time, get the rice into the oven first, then put the rutabagas to boil, and finally cook the duck.
2 duck breasts
Beer
Salt and pepper
Flour (rice flour for gluten-free)
Duck stock
Score the skin as indicated in the master recipe and immerse the breasts in beer. Marinate in the refrigerator for at least an hour or up to overnight. Remove from the marinade, pat dry with paper towels, and season on both sides with salt and pepper. Cook as in master recipe.
While the duck breasts are resting prepare the gravy. Pour all but about 1 tablespoon of the fat from the skillet (save for another use). Over medium heat stir in the flour and combine to make a roux. Cook gently for about 2 minutes then add ½ cup of beer. Deglaze the pan as the alcohol boils out of the beer. Stir about ½ cup of duck stock and bring to a boil to thicken. Taste and adjust the seasoning. Add a bit more stock if needed to make a light gravy.
¾ cup wild rice
½ carrot
2 or 3 shallots
2 or 3 mushrooms
1 tablespoon duck fat or oil
1½ cups duck stock
Salt and pepper
Preheat oven to 325°F. Rinse the rice in cold water and set aside to soak while you prepare the rest of the ingredients.
Cut the carrot and shallots into brunoise, i.e. ⅛-inch (3 mm) cubes. Slice the mushrooms thinly.
Heat the duck fat in a heavy, oven-proof pot with a tightly-fitting lid. Sweat the carrots and shallots until soft but not browned. Add the mushrooms, sprinkle with a bit of salt, and sauté until soft and lightly browned. Drain the rice and add to the pot along with the stock. Bring to a boil, cover, and bake in the oven for about 40 to 45 minutes. Season and fluff with a fork before serving.
1 rutabaga
Duck fat or butter
Salt and pepper
Bring a pot of water to a boil. Peel and cube the rutabaga. Boil until pierced easily with a small knife, about 30 minutes. Drain, add about a tablespoon of the fat rendered from the cooking breasts, and mash smoothly. Season with salt and pepper to taste.
The next time you buy a duck do not be tempted to take the easy way out by roasting it in one piece because with this bird the sum of the parts is ever so much more than the whole. Here is an approach to turning a duck into a fine meal while adding some fine ingredients to the refrigerator and freezer. You can find more information including instructional videos at the Maple Leaf Farms Web site.
If you are skilled at cutting up a chicken, disassembling a duck will pose no problems. First remove the legs where the thigh attaches to the body. Leave the thigh and drumstick together. Then remove the wings. Now, with the breast up, cut along the sternum and down along the ribs to remove one breast. Repeat of the other side. Finally remove as much of the loose skin as possible from the back and set aside to render but leave the skin on the breasts and legs. Chop or cut the back into convenient size pieces for making stock.
Preheat oven to 400°F and roast the back, neck, and wings for 30 minutes turning occasionally. Add to a pressure cooker along with 1 coarsely chopped onion, a chopped carrot, a cut-up celery stalk, and the giblets. Toss in a bouquet garnis containing a bay leaf, half a dozen whole black peppercorns, and a sprig each of parsley, sage, rosemary, and thyme. Fill the cooker with cold water according to the manufacturer’s instruction—in mine the total comes to 16 cups. Cook on high pressure for 45 minutes. When the pressure has subsided open the cooker, again according to the manufacturer’s instructions, strain and let sit until the fat rises to the top. Skim and reserve the fat.
If you do not have a pressure cooker, use a large stock pot and simmer for 3 or 4 hours. You can also skip the browning step if you prefer a white stock.
Besides being delicious, duck fat is a healthy alternative to butter. Duck fat contains 50.5% monounsaturated fats, 35.7% saturated fats, and 13.7% polyunsaturated fats compares to olive oil which is 75% monounsaturates, 13% saturates, and 12% polyunsaturates or butter with 21% monounsaturates, 51% saturates, and 3% polyunsaturates. There are two ways to render duck fat: in a fry pan and in water. The latter method, ironically, results in fat with less water and thus a longer shelf live. To render the fat simply put the duck skin and any loose fat into a heavy pot and cover with an inch of water. Bring to a boil and simmer until the water has evaporated and the fat is clear. Strain the fat into a suitable container and store in the refrigerator or freezer. Do not discard the bits of skin; make cracklings by frying them in a skillet with a bit of the duck fat.
Sprinkle the meat side of each leg with salt. Cover one leg with 3 or 4 cloves of crushed garlic. Place the other leg on top so that the pieces are meat-to-meat. Wrap tightly in plastic wrap and refrigerate for 1 or 2 days. Scrape off the salt and garlic then put the legs in a shallow baking dish. Place the dish in a 200° oven for about 3 hours or until the meat falls from the bones. Allow to rest until cool enough to handle then remove the meat from the bones in large pieces and place in a glass jar. Pour the rendered fat over the meat adding more if needed to cover by 1 inch. Store in the refrigerator for up to a month.
Here is the generic recipe for cooking duck breasts: Preheat the oven to 400°. With a sharp knife score the breasts at an angle cutting through the skin into the fat layer but not into the meat. The cuts should be about ¼ inch apart. Repeat at right angles to the first series of cuts. Season with salt and pepper. Heat a dry, oven-proof, non-stick skillet until very hot. Place the duck breasts in the skillet skin side down. Place in the hot oven and finish to taste, about 20 minutes for medium well. Rest for 10 minutes before slicing and serving.
In Spain and Portugal mussels are often prepared with sausage, either chorizo or chourico respectively. I have expanded the idea somewhat to create a tasty chowder that is a meal in itself. Note that I steam the mussels in a colander over the broth. If you do not have a colander that will fit over the pot you are using for the chowder, steam the mussels separately, reserving the liquid to use in place of the water. The cream is a Québécois fillip not usually found in the Mediterranean. Leave it out if you wish.
Ingredients |
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1½ pounds |
680 grams |
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Chourico or fresh chorizo |
½ pound |
250 grams |
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Saffron threads |
¼ teaspoon |
1 milliliter |
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Olive oil |
2 tablespoons |
30 milliliters |
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Onion, diced (1 medium) |
4 ounces |
120 grams |
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Garlic, minced (4 or 5 cloves) |
½ ounce |
15 grams |
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Pimentón (smoked paprika) |
1 teaspoon |
15 milliliters |
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Dry sherry |
2 tablespoons |
30 milliliters |
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Firm potatoes, diced |
1 pound |
450 grams |
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Water |
about 2 cups |
About 500 milliliters |
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Green beans, trimmed |
½ pound |
250 grams |
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Salt and pepper |
to taste |
to taste |
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Heavy cream (36%) |
½ cup |
125 milliliters |
Pick through the mussels and discard any with broken shells or that do not close when tapped. Rinse, debeard as needed, and set aside in a colander that will fit into the pot you are using for the chowder. Slice the chourico into ¼-inch (6 mm) discs. In a small bowl, pour boiling water over the saffron threads and set aside to bloom.
Place the pot over medium heat and add the oil. When warm add the chourio and cook until beginning to brown, about 5 minutes. Add the onion and sauté until translucent, another 5 minutes or so. Add the garlic and cook for about a minute or until fragrant. Sprinkle on the pimentón, add the saffron and its soaking water, then pour in the sherry using a bit of it to rinse the bowl the saffron was in. Cook down for a couple of minutes. Add the potatoes and water to just cover them. Bring to a boil then reduce the heat to a gentle simmer.
Place the colander of mussels into the pot and cover. Steam for about 15 minutes or until all the mussels have opened. Remove the colander from the pot and set aside over a large bowl to cool. Add the green beans to the pot, return to a boil, and let the chowder continue simmering uncovered.
When the mussels are cool enough to handle, remove the meats from their shells and add to the chowder along with any broth that has collected in the bowl. Stir in the cream and heat through. Check the seasoning again and serve hot.
