Crispy Duck Food

CRISPY DUCK PANCAKES

Steps:

• The duckHeat oven to 180C/160C fan/gas 4. Mix the honey and five-spice in a bowl, then brush all over the duck. Transfer to a roasting tin and roast for 25-30 mins until bronzed. Cool for 10 mins, then shred the meat and finely slice the skin.
• Plum sauceWhile the duck is cooking, put all the plum sauce ingredients in a saucepan and simmer gently over a medium heat for 15 mins or until the plums are soft and the sauce is thick. Using a stick blender, blend until smooth.
• PancakesWhile the sauce is cooking, put the flour, 125ml boiling water and a pinch of salt in a bowl and mix together until it forms a dough. When cool enough to handle, knead for 5-10 mins. Divide it into 10 little balls and roll each one out as thin as you can. Brush a frying pan with the oil and cook each pancake over a medium heat for 20 secs each side or until cooked but not browned.
• To serveSpread a pancake with a little plum sauce. Top with the shredded duck, a few pieces of cucumber and spring onion.

CRISPY ROAST DUCK

Steps:

• Remove the duck's giblets and wash them. Cut off any greenish parts from the livers and discard, then roughly chop the rest. Quarter the crops (the gullet), slicing any very red flesh away from the white sinew, which should be discarded. Put all bits and pieces into a large roasting tin.
• Cut off the parson's nose from each duck and add to the tin. Remove the wings: hold and pull on a wing, turning the skin back so you can see inside to where the wing is attached to the shoulder bone. Cut between the bones to release the wing, then cut around it from the skin side to remove it. Repeat with all wings and add them to the tin.
• Turn one of the ducks on to its breast. Cut down each side of the backbone, using a very sharp, sturdy kitchen knife and/or game scissors. Remove the backbone, then turn the duck the other way up and cut down each side of the breastbone, keeping the blade close to the bone so you don't cut away any breast meat. Put all the bones into the tin and repeat with the other ducks.
• Remove any lumps of fat from inside the duck and set aside. Cut off any flappy bits of skin and discard. Wash the duck halves then pat very dry. Prick the skin all over, especially the thick, fatty areas, then sprinkle with fine sea salt.
• Preheat the oven to 230C/Gas 8/fan oven 210C. Arrange the duck halves skin-side up on a rack set inside a large roasting tin. Roast for 11⁄4-11⁄2 hours, or until the skin is crisp and dark golden. You will need to drain off the fat that accumulates once or twice: pour it straight into the tin if you're going to roast potatoes, otherwise into a heatproof bowl.
• Leave the duck to rest for 10-15 minutes, serve with the gravy and veg (see 'Goes well with' recipes, right).

CRISP ROAST DUCK

Steps:

• Put oven rack in middle position and preheat oven to 425°F.
• If necessary, cut off wing tips with poultry shears or a sharp knife. Remove and discard excess fat from body cavity and neck, then rinse duck inside and out. Prick skin all over with a sharp fork. Fold neck skin under body, then put duck, breast side up, on a rack in a 13- by 9- by 3-inch roasting pan.
• Pour boiling-hot water over duck to tighten skin.
• Cool duck, then pour out any water from cavity into pan.
• Pat duck dry inside and out, reserving water in pan, then rub duck inside and out with kosher salt and pepper.
• Roast duck, breast side up, 45 minutes, then remove from oven.
• Turn duck over using 2 wooden spoons, and roast 45 minutes more.
• Turn duck over again (breast side up), tilting duck to drain any liquid from cavity into pan. Continue to roast duck until skin is brown and crisp, about 45 minutes more (total roasting time: about 2 1/4 hours).
• Tilt duck to drain any more liquid from cavity into pan. Transfer duck to a cutting board and let stand 15 minutes before carving. Discard liquid in roasting pan.

CRISPY WHOLE ROAST DUCK

Steps:

• Completely defrost the duck in the refrigerator for 1-2 days, if using frozen. Once defrosted, rinse and pat dry. For best results, let the duck sit uncovered in the refrigerator overnight. This will help to dry and crisp the skin.
• Use a sharp knife to score the skin on the duck's breast in a diamond pattern, trying to cut only the skin without reaching the breast meat below. Cut off excess fat and poke the bird all over with a knife. Only prick the skin, don't hit the meat.
• Season the duck all over with salt, including the cavity. Stuff the cavity with garlic, shallots, lemon, apple and prunes. Use 2-3 toothpicks to sew the skin around the cavity opening tightly together, to keep the inside moist during roasting. Cross the legs and tie them together with a cooking twine. Fold the wings under the duck.
• Place the bird on the roasting pan and cook at 300 F for 1 hour, breast side up. After 1 hour, remove the bird and prick the skin all over again. Flip the duck breast side down and roast for another hour. Continue doing this process of poking and flipping the bird every hour for 3 hours.
• Prepare the glaze by combining the glaze ingredients in a medium pan. Simmer until thickens, about 10 minutes. Remove from heat and set aside.
• After 3 hours, remove the duck from the oven, poke once more, turn up heat to 400 F and blast for 15 minutes, breast side up. Then brush with glaze and finish for another 5-7 minutes.
• Rest. Carve. Enjoy!

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.

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.

CRISPY ROAST DUCK

Steps:

• Preheat oven to 250 degrees F.
• Trim ducks: with a sharp knife, cut away excess fat and skin from both ends of ducks. (Render fat for another use or discard.)
• Salt cavity of each duck. Prick each duck all over with a fork, about 30 times. Place them on a rack set in a large roasting pan and roast 1 hour. Prick ducks all over and turn on one side. Repeat pricking ducks all over and turn onto second side. Repeat two more times. After four hours, increase heat to 350 degrees F.
• Continue to roast 30 to 90 minutes more, pricking and turning once, according to taste: 1) For very juicy, slightly crisp ducks: Roast 15 minutes, prick and turn, and roast 15 minutes more. 2) For juicy, crisp ducks: Roast 30 minutes, prick and turn, and roast 30 minutes more. 3) For slightly drier, very crisp ducks: Roast 45 minutes, prick and turn, and roast 45 minutes more.
• Remove ducks to a carving board and let them sit 15 minutes, loosely covered. Simply cut ducks in half and serve half a duck per person; or carefully remove breast and legs from bone, making sure to keep skin intact, and cut them into 1/2-inch wide pieces. Generously season with salt and pepper before serving.

FRAGRANT CRISPY DUCK

Steps:

• Prepare duck:
• Cut off wing tips with poultry shears or a sharp knife. Remove and discard excess fat from body cavity and neck, then rinse inside and out. Pat dry inside and out and press on breastbone to break it and flatten duck.
• Marinate duck:
• Heat peppercorn salt and five-spice powder in a dry skillet over moderate heat, stirring, until hot. Measure out 3 tablespoons and rub 1 tablespoon in body cavity and 2 tablespoons over outside of duck, including under wings and legs. Reserve remaining spiced salt for serving with duck.
• Put duck in a bowl and marinate, covered and chilled, 8 to 24 hours.
• Steam duck:
• Drain any liquid from cavity and put duck in glass pie plate. Rub rice wine over duck. Smash ginger and scallions with flat side of a large heavy knife, then put one third in duck cavity and scatter remainder over duck.
• Fill wok with enough water for rack to sit 1/2 inch above water and bring to a rolling boil. Wearing oven mitts, put pie plate with duck on rack over boiling water and cover wok with lid.
• Reduce heat to moderate and steam duck 2 hours, checking every half hour to siphon off fat and juices from around duck and in cavity with bulb baster and replenishing boiling water as necessary.
• Wearing oven mitts, remove pie plate from steamer. Discard ginger and scallions. Drain duck and cool in pie plate 15 minutes.
• Air-dry duck:
• Slide duck onto a rack set over a baking sheet (to catch juices) and pat dry with paper towels. Position duck in front of a fan and air-dry 2 hours, making sure air blows directly onto duck.
• Fry duck:
• Heat 2‚ inches oil in large wok or large pot until a deep-fat thermometer registers 375°F. Meanwhile, brush outside of duck with soy sauce, then dust with flour, gently knocking off excess.
• Dip mesh spoons in hot oil (to keep duck from sticking) before using them to gently lower duck into hot oil. Fry duck, spooning hot oil over top, 2 minutes. Carefully turn duck over and fry 1 minute more. With extreme care, remove duck from oil with mesh spoons, draining cavity, and transfer to paper towels to drain.
• Heat oil to 400°F and fry duck a second time, in same manner, until dark brown and crisp, 30 seconds to 1 minute on each side. Again with extreme care, remove duck from oil with mesh spoons, draining cavity, and transfer to paper towels to drain briefly.
• Presentation:
• Serve duck with small dishes of reserved spiced salt for dipping.

CRISPY DUCK

Steps:

• Combine all ingredients but the duck and the oil.
• Place half the mixture in a small bowl and refrigerate.
• Rub the remaining paste all over the bird, inside and out.
• Wrap in plastic wrap and refrigerate 12 hours minimum.
• Prepare a steamer and cook the bird for an hour.
• Remove duck from steamer and cool.
• Using reserved paste, recoat the whole bird, inside and out.
• Heat oil in deep fryer to 360.
• Fry duck until it is golden brown and the skin has crisped.
• Remove from oil and drain well.
• Serve with rice and a fruit chutney.