Crispy Duck With Fire Roasted Plum Sauce Food

CRISPY DUCK WITH FIRE-ROASTED PLUM SAUCE

Steps:

• The day before you're ready to cook, pop all of the marinade ingredients into a dish, add the duck legs, turn them to coat, then cover with clingfilm and chill in the fridge until needed.
• To cook the quinoa, place into a saucepan, cover with 450ml water, add a large pinch of sea salt and bring it to the boil.
• Cover and simmer for 20 minutes, until the quinoa has unfurled but still retains a bit of crunch.
• To make the plum sauce, set a griddle pan over a high heat. Halve, destone and pop the plums in a bowl and sprinkle 1 tablespoon of the sugar over the cut sides.
• Griddle them for 2 minutes on each side, or until slightly charred and very soft.
• Return the plums to the bowl with the rest of the sugar and mash, then add the star anise and set aside (if your plums aren't soft enough to mash, pop them in a pan over a low heat and simmer them with the star anise, a splash of water and a little extra sugar to taste, stirring until they collapse into a sauce). Set aside.
• To cook the duck, remove the legs from the marinade (reserve this) and pop them onto a griddle pan to cook very slowly over a medium-low heat for 40 minutes, until the meat is tender with a crisp skin, turning often and brushing with the reserved marinade.
• Drain the quinoa and set aside. Toast the nuts in a dry frying pan, then roughly crush. Pick and roughly chop the herb leaves. Slice the white and pale green parts of the spring onions, then shred the green part.
• Stir most of the crushed macadamias and herbs through the quinoa (reserving some to serve) with the white and pale green chopped spring onions and rice wine vinegar, as well as the honey, soy and oil.
• Serve the duck with the quinoa salad and fire-roasted plum sauce, with the shredded spring onion greens and reserved macadamias and herbs sprinkled on top. Finish with a few edible flowers, if you have them.

ROAST SPICED DUCK WITH PLUMS

Steps:

• Heat oven to 160C/140C fan/gas 4. Toast the star anise and coriander seeds in a dry pan until aromatic. Tip the toasted spices into a spice grinder with 2 tsp sea salt and grind into a fine powder (or crush using a pestle and mortar). Put the spice salt in a bowl, add the sugar, mix well and set aside.
• Lightly score the skin of the duck in a criss-cross pattern and heat the oil in a large casserole. Using a pair of tongs to turn it, brown the duck well on all sides, pour off the excess fat, then sit the duck breast-side up and season all over with the sugar and spice mix. Pack the plums around the outside, then scatter over the bay and pour over the vinegar and stock.
• Roast in the oven for 2 hrs or until the duck is golden and the plums have broken down. Turn the oven right up for 10 more mins to crisp up the skin. Take the duck out of the pan to rest for 10 mins and spoon the excess fat off the plums. Carve the duck and serve with a good spoonful of plums.

ROASTED DUCK BREAST WITH PLUM SAUCE

Steps:

• For the sauce, fry the shallot in the oil for 5 mins or until softened but not coloured. Add the plums and sugar, stirring for a few mins until the sugar has dissolved. Add the red wine and stock, then simmer for about 15 mins, stirring occasionally, until softened and slightly thickened. Keep warm or leave at room temperature for up to a day before reheating to serve.
• Meanwhile, heat the oven to 180C/ 160C fan/gas 4. Score the skin of the duck breasts with a sharp knife and season well with salt and pepper. Heat a non-stick frying pan and place the duck breasts in, skin-side down. Fry for 6-7 mins, then turn and add the thyme, star anise and butter. Allow this to melt, basting the duck with the juices, then transfer everything to a small roasting tin and finish in the oven for 5-6 mins for pink or 10-12 mins for well done.
• When the duck is ready, baste again with the juices, then rest for 5 mins while you finish everything else.
• To serve, thinly slice each duck breast on a chopping board. Arrange on each plate along with a spoon of the Creamed potatoes, some of the plum sauce and the Buttered spinach.

CRISPY DUCK

Steps:

• To make the marinade: Place the star anise, grated ginger, rice wine, peppercorns, salt, dark soy sauce, and light soy sauce, into a bowl, and stir to combine.
• Add the duck breasts to the marinade, cover the bowl with plastic wrap, and leave to marinate for 20 minutes.
• Preheat an oven to 400 degrees F.
• Heat a wok or pan over a high heat, and add the groundnut oil. Remove the duck from the marinade and place the duck into the hot wok or pan, skin-side down, and fry until the skin is brown and crisp, about 4 to 5 minutes. Transfer the duck to a sheet pan, skin-side up, and roast in the oven for 3 to 4 minutes, depending on how well done you would like your duck to be. While the duck is in the oven, prepare the apricot and plum sauce
• To make the sauce: Pour the water into a small saucepan, and bring to a boil. Add the plums, apricots, sugar, honey, cinnamon, star anise, and cook until the mixture has reduced to a sticky sauce. Remove the pan from the heat, and stir in the lime juice.
• To serve, place a duck breast onto a plate, pour over the sauce and serve with a salad.

CRISP-TENDER ROAST DUCK WITH CHERRY-ROSEMARY SAUCE

Steps:

• Preheat the oven to 300 degrees F.
• Rinse the duck inside and out and pat dry. Trim any excess fat from the neck and cavity, snip off wingtips and discard. Mix 1 tablespoon salt and 1/2 teaspoon pepper in a small bowl, and sprinkle the bird inside and out. Using a paring knife, make dozens of slits through the skin and fat (taking care not to pierce the meat) all over both sides and all parts of the bird.
• Put the duck breast-side up on a rack in a roasting pan and roast for 1 hour. Take the bird out of the oven, transfer to a platter and carefully drain the fat from the pan into a measuring cup (you'll end up getting 2 to 3 cups). Return the duck to the pan, prick with the knife again, turn it breast-side down and roast another hour. Repeat each hour, roasting the duck for a total of 4 1/2 hours.
• While the duck cooks, make the sauce: In a small saucepan, heat 1 tablespoon duck fat over medium heat and cook the shallots until soft, about 4 minutes. Add the garlic and cook until fragrant, 1 minute. Add the cherries, stock, preserves, honey and rosemary, and simmer until slightly thickened, about 10 minutes. Remove from the heat, add the lemon juice, swirl in the butter and taste for salt and pepper. Set aside until the duck is finished.
• After 4 1/2 hours of roasting, turn the oven temperature up to 350 degrees F, prick the duck skin one last time, salt the skin again and return bird to the oven, breast-side up. Roast for 30 minutes until the skin is nicely browned.
• Remove from the oven, tent with foil and let rest for 20 minutes. Gently reheat the sauce over low heat. Carve the duck, put the pieces on a serving platter and serve with sauce.

PULLED DUCK WITH PLUM SRIRACHA SAUCE

Steps:

• Preheat the oven to 150C/300F. Take a large roasting tin and place a wire rack inside.
• Pat the duck down with some kitchen paper to ensure the skin is dry.
• Score the skin of the duck in a criss-cross pattern (breast side) with a sharp knife. Be sure not to pierce the flesh.
• Place the duck - breast side up - on the rack in the roasting tin.
• Season with salt and pepper, and place in the oven for 3 hours 30 minutes. Turn the duck over every hour (I use a clean kitchen towel in each hand to turn the duck over).
• Whilst the duck is in the oven, make the plum sriracha sauce.
• Heat the oil in a medium sized sauce pan.
• Add the onion and cook on low-medium for 5 mins - until the onion is soft. Give it a stir every minute or so.
• Add in the ginger and garlic and cook for a further minute.
• Add in the rest of the ingredients, turn up the heat and bring to a gentle bubble. Turn the heat back down to medium and allow everything to bubble gently for 20 minutes. Give it a stir every so often.
• After 20 minutes, turn off the heat and blend the mixture in the pan using a hand blender. I like to give it just a few pulses so the sauce still has some texture. Leave to one side.
• After the duck has cooked for 3 hours 50 minutes, take it out of the oven and turn the oven temperature up to 190C/375F.
• Turn the duck so that it's breast-side-up again and brush 2 tbsps of the plum sriracha sauce all over the top of the duck (including the legs).
• Place back in the oven for 10 minutes until the glaze has gone dark brown and caramelised.
• Take the duck out of the oven. Leave to rest for 10 minutes, then place on a large plate and shred all the meat using two forks.
• Serve immediately with some of the plum sriracha sauce. I also like to serve it will some rice and greens.