Spiced Glazed Duck Food

SPICY DUCK SAUCE

Steps:

• Mix 1/2 cup duck sauce, 3 tablespoons horseradish, 1 tablespoon apricot preserves, 2 teaspoons rice vinegar, 1/2 teaspoon sesame oil, and salt to taste.

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.

HONEY-MUSTARD GLAZED DUCK

Steps:

• About an hour before cooking, take the duck out of the fridge to come to room temperature. Heat oven to 140C/ 120C fan/gas 1. Pull out and discard any large lumps of fat from inside the duck, then rub it all over with some salt, the oil and five-spice powder. Sit the duck in a roasting tin, then roast for 2 hrs.
• For the glaze, mix the honey, soy, Sherry and mustard in a bowl. When the duck has had its time, remove it from the oven, pour off any fat from the tin and baste generously with the glaze. Turn the oven up to 190C/170C fan/gas 5 and roast the duck for a further 20 mins until sticky and bronzed. Remove the duck to a clean dish to catch any juices and allow it to rest for at least 20 mins before serving.
• To make a simple gravy, pour the juices from the roasting tin into a jug or bowl and leave to settle. Use a ladle to remove the fat from the juices, then tip the juices back into the saucepan and reheat to serve.

ASIAN-SPICED DUCK BREASTS WITH GINGER-CHILI GLAZE

Steps:

• Heat grill to medium-high. Score the skin-side of the duck with a knife in a lattice pattern, being sure not to cut through to the flesh. Season each breast with salt and pepper on both sides.
• Rub the skin side of each breast with a few tablespoons of the rub and place on the grill, rub side down, and grill until slightly charred and the skin begins to get crispy, about 4 to 5 minutes. Turn the breasts over, brush with some of the glaze and continue grill to medium-rare doneness, another 3 to 4 minutes. Remove the duck from the grill and brush with more of the glaze. Let rest for 5 minutes then slice 1/4-inch thick on the diagonal. Place the grilled green onions on a platter and top with the sliced duck breast. Serve with warm tortillas.
• Combine all ingredients in a small bowl.
• Heat oil in a small saucepan over medium heat. Add ginger and garlic and cook until soft. Add the chili paste and cook for 1 minute. Whisk in the honey and soy and cook until just combined and the honey has melted. Let cool before using.

SPICY LACQUERED DUCK

Steps:

• Combine first 9 ingredients in medium bowl; whisk to blend. Place duck in jumbo resealable plastic bag. Pour in soy mixture. Seal bag; turn to coat duck. Refrigerate 2 days, turning occasionally.
• Preheat oven to 400°F. Drain duck well; discard marinade. Arrange duck, breast side up, on rack set on rimmed baking sheet. Pat duck dry inside and out with paper towels. Roast duck 45 minutes. Turn duck over. Roast until tender and glazed deep brown, about 15 minutes longer. Insert long wooden spoon into main cavity of duck and tilt, allowing juices to drain onto baking sheet. Transfer duck to platter. Let rest 15 minutes before serving.

PEKING DUCK WITH HONEY AND FIVE-SPICE GLAZE

Steps:

• Combine honey, soy sauce, sugar and 1/2 teaspoon five-spice powder in a small saucepan. Stir over low heat until sugar dissolves, about 3 minutes.
• In a large saucepan, bring 4 quarts water to a boil. Meanwhile, remove giblets and neck from duck cavity and discard (or reserve for another use). Cut off excess fat from cavity and neck area, then cut off tail. (This helps balance the duck vertically over the beer can.)
• Using your fingers, carefully separate the skin from the breast meat through the bottom of the breasts and work your fingers upward to separate the skin from the meat (be careful not to tear skin). Next, separate the skin from the backbone through the neck and working your way down until you reach the legs. (Scissors are helpful, but be careful to avoid piercing the skin.) Transfer duck to a rack set in the sink.
• Using a ladle or measuring cup, pour half of the boiling water evenly over top of the duck. Flip duck and pour the remaining water evenly all over second side. Tilt duck to drain all water from the cavity, then pat dry with paper towels.
• In a small bowl, combine the remaining 1/2 teaspoon five-spice powder with 1 teaspoon salt, the black pepper and 1 tablespoon of the glaze. Rub the mixture inside the cavity. Stand duck vertically by inserting beer can into cavity and place in a roasting pan or on a rimmed baking sheet.
• Using a pastry brush, brush the remaining glaze all over the duck and sprinkle evenly with remaining 2 teaspoons salt. Place duck in the refrigerator, uncovered, until the skin feels dry and leathery, 24 hours.
• Heat oven to 450 degrees with rack in bottom third of oven. Remove duck from refrigerator, and add 1 1/2 cups water to the pan. Wrap wing tips and tips of drumsticks with foil to prevent burning, then loosely tent duck with foil. Roast for 15 minutes. Decrease temperature to 350 degrees and roast, tented with foil, until skin is mahogany and an instant-read thermometer inserted into the thickest part of the thigh registers 165 degrees, 1 hour to 1 hour 15 minutes more, adding more water to the pan if needed.
• Leaving duck on the can, transfer duck vertically to a cutting board and let rest for 15 minutes. Carve the crispy skin from the back and legs of the duck, and slice into strips.
• Carefully remove duck from the beer can and return to cutting board. Carve off the breasts and legs; thinly slice the breasts and shred dark meat.
• Carefully strain pan juices into a small bowl and pour off all the fat. In another small bowl, whisk together the hoisin, sesame oil and up to 1/4 cup of the pan juices to form sauce.
• To serve, spread 1 tablespoon prepared sauce on each tortilla. Top each with some scallions, cucumbers, duck meat and crispy skin. Roll up and enjoy warm.

SPICED MOLASSES DUCK BREAST SALAD

Steps:

• Whisk salad dressing/marinade ingredients together in a bowl. Reserve 1/2 cup and strain for salad dressing. Marinate duck breasts in remainder of dressing/marinade, refrigerated, for at least 6 hours but no longer than overnight.
• Preheat oven to 375 degrees F.
• Heat large saute pan over medium high heat and cook duck breasts on skin side first until most of fat is rendered, about 3 minutes. Turn duck breasts and sear flesh side for 1 minute. Finish in oven and cook until medium rare, about 2 minutes. Let rest for 15 minutes.
• Clean and tear curly, separate Belgian endive leaves, and clean cress. Toss greens with most of the dressing, figs, and pecans. Cut duck breasts into 6 slices. Place greens in a mound in center of individual plates and arrange the sliced duck breasts around the outside. Drizzle any extra dressing around the plate.

ASIAN-SPICED DUCK BREASTS WITH GINGER-CHILE GLAZE (GRILLED)

Steps:

• For the rub: combine all rub ingredients in a small bowl or jar with a tight fitting lid (the rub keeps well for months stored at room temperature in a jar with a tight-fitting lid).
• For the glaze: Heat the oil in a small saucepan over medium-high heat. Add the ginger and garlic and cook, stirring, until softened, about 5 minutes; do not brown. Add the chile paste and cook, stirring, for 1 minute. Whisk in the honey and soy sauce and simmer for just a minute, until the honey has melted. Let cool to room temperature. (The glaze can be made a few days in advance, covered, and kept refrigerated. Bring to room temperature before using).
• For the duck: Heat your grill to medium. Set aside a few tablespoons of the glaze for brushing the cooked duck.
• Using the tip of a sharp knife, score the skin of the duck breasts in a crisscross pattern, being sure not to cut through to the flesh. Season with salt and pepper. Rub the skin side of each breast with a few teaspoons of the spice rub.
• Put the breasts skin side down on the grate (use the cooler part of the grill if cooking with charcoal) and grill until the skin begins to crisp, 6 to 8 minutes. Turn the breasts over, raise the heat to high or move to the hotter part of the grill, brush with the glaze, and grill, brushing often with the glaze, until medium-rare, 3 to 4 minutes more.
• Remove the breasts from the grill and brush with the reserved glaze. Let rest for 5 minutes, then cut each breast into 1/2 inch thick slices. Serve immediately, sprinkled with scallions.

FIVE-SPICE DUCK BREASTS WITH VEGETABLE STICKS

Steps:

• Cut all the vegetables into to thin sticks, about the same size as the beans. Drop the beans into a pan of boiling water and bring back to the boil.
• Add the carrots and the red pepper and cook for 1 minute. Drain, rinse under cold water, and then dry on kitchen paper.
• Lightly score the skin of each duck breast into a diamond pattern with the tip of a sharp knife, taking care that you don't cut through the meat.
• Heat a dry frying pan until it is quite hot. Add the duck breasts, skin-side down, reduce the heat to medium and cook them for about three to four minutes until the skin is crisp and golden brown.
• Turn the breasts over and cook them for another five minutes, or a little longer if you don't like your duck too pink. Meanwhile, mix together the five-spice powder, honey, sweet soy sauce, balsamic vinegar and chili.
• Pour away all of the excess fat from the pan. Add the honey mixture and leave it to bubble away, turning the duck breasts now and then, until they are nicely glazed.
• Meanwhile, heat the oil in a wok or another frying pan, add the garlic, ginger and vegetables and stir-fry for one to two minutes until they are cooked but still crunchy. Season with some salt and pepper.
• Pile the vegetable sticks into the centre of two warmed plates. Slice each duck breast on the diagonal and carefully sit it on top of the vegetables.
• Spoon over any remaining glaze and serve immediately.