Steamed Duck Food

STEAMED AND ROASTED WHOLE DUCK

Steps:

• To reduce the fat and produce a crispy skin, begin by trimming the excess fat from the neck and body.
• Rinse the duck, inside and out, and pat dry thoroughly with paper towels.
• Combine the Chinese five-spice, sugar, and salt in a small bowl.
• Rub the spice mixture all over the duck, inside and out.
• Salt and five-spice powder makes a fragrant dry marinade, which draws some of the moisture from the duck so that the spices penetrate.
• Stuff the duck cavity with the aromatics: the ginger, garlic, green onions, and tangerine peel.
• Fold the wing tips back under the duck and tie the legs together with kitchen string.
• Poke the duck breast a few times, piercing the skin.
• Place a roasting pan on the stovetop over 2 burners and fill with 2-inches of water, turn the heat to medium.
• Set a V-rack insert inside the pan and lay the duck on the rack, breast-side up.
• Cover tightly with aluminum foil.
• Steam the duck for 45 minutes, checking the water level periodically.
• Steaming the duck first melts away some of the fat and shrinks the skin.
• In a small saucepan combine the vinegar, honey, and soy sauce over low heat.
• Bring to a boil and simmer and stir for 15 minutes until sauce thickens.
• The duck will be lacquered with the sweet glaze, which caramelizes during roasting, making the skin crisp and brown.
• Preheat the oven to 375 degrees F.
• Take the foil off the duck, remove the rack with the duck, and pour out the water and all the fat that has rendered out.
• Put the rack with the duck back inside the roasting pan.
• Baste the duck with the vinegar mixture, until all the skin is completely coated in the glaze.
• Stick the whole thing in the oven.
• Roast the duck for 1 hour, basting periodically with any remaining glaze to set in a deep mahogany color.
• Tent the breast with some foil if it gets too dark.
• The legs will wiggle easily when it's done.
• Carve and serve.

CHINATOWN STEAMED AND ROASTED DUCK

Steps:

• Duck is notoriously a fatty bird, to diminish the fat and produce a crispy skin, begin by trimming the excess fat from the neck and body. Rinse the duck, inside and out, and pat dry thoroughly with paper towels. Combine the Chinese five-spice, sugar, and salt in a small bowl. Rub the spice mixture all over the duck, inside and out. Salt and five-spice powder makes a fragrant dry marinade, which draws some of the moisture from the duck so that the spices penetrate. Stuff the duck cavity with the aromatics: the ginger, garlic, green onions, and tangerine peel. Fold the wing tips back under the duck and tie the legs together with kitchen string. Poke the duck breast a few times, piercing the skin.
• Place a roasting pan on the stovetop over 2 burners and fill with 2-inches of water, turn the heat to medium. Set a V-rack insert inside the pan and lay the duck on the rack, breast-side up. Cover tightly with aluminum foil. Steam the duck for 45 minutes, checking the water level periodically. Steaming the duck first melts away some of the fat and shrinks the skin.
• In a small saucepan combine the vinegar, honey, and soy sauce over low heat. Cook and stir for 5 minutes until thick. The duck will be lacquered with the sweet glaze, which caramelizes during roasting, making the skin crisp and brown.
• Preheat the oven to 375 degrees F.
• Take the foil off the duck, remove the rack with the duck, and pour out the water and all the fat that has rendered out (this is great to use in other dishes like fried rice.) Put the rack with the duck back inside the roasting pan. Baste the duck with the vinegar mixture, until all the skin is completely coated in the glaze. Stick the whole thing in the oven. Roast the duck for 1 hour, basting periodically with any remaining glaze to set in a deep mahogany color. Tent the breast with some foil if it gets too dark. The legs will wiggle easily when it's done. Carve and serve.

STEAMED DUCK

Steps:

• Place duck in a deep-sided heatproof dish to collect juices as the duck will release a large amount of fat and moisture during the steaming process.
• Place vegetables (onions - ginger root) inside the duck.
• Place a small plate that fits into steamer (with a 1-inch clearance) for steam to circulate. Spray plate with Pam and place duck on plate in steamer (you may need to cut duck into quarters to fit).
• Place a lot of water into bottom of steamer, bring it to a boil and steam duck for about 1 1/2 hours or until it reaches 180-degrees F using a meat therometer. (While duck is steaming check water in steamer as you may need to add more water during the cooking process).
• Preheat oven to 450-degrees F.
• Remove duck from steamer.
• Heat soy suce and honey together and then brush over duck.
• Roast duck for 20-30 minutes or until skin is brown and crisp.
• Cut into serving pieces to serve.

SEARED DUCK BREAST

Steps:

• With a sharp knife, score the fat of the duck breast in a crisscross pattern, being careful to not cut into the meat. Season the duck with salt and pepper. Warm a cast-iron or heavy-bottomed pan over medium-low heat and add enough oil to just coat the bottom of the pan.
• Place the duck breast fat-side down in the skillet to render off the fat, about 8 minutes. Once the fat has rendered out and the skin is golden brown and crisp, turn the duck breast over and add the butter, thyme and garlic. Turn up the heat to medium-high and, once the butter is foamy, begin basting the duck breast using a spoon. Continue basting until the duck breast reaches medium rare and measures 135 to 140 degrees F. on an instant-read thermometer, 2 to 3 minutes. Remove from the pan and let rest for 3 to 4 minutes before slicing.

MIGHTY DUCK WITH POTATOES

Steps:

• Combine 10 ounces of the orange juice concentrate with 1 can of warm water in a bowl (reserve the remaining concentrate for the glaze).
• Combine the orange juice, peppercorns, garlic cloves, thyme and 1/2 cup salt in a plastic container with a lid. Place the lid on the container and shake to dissolve the salt.
• Remove the pop-up thermometer, liver, gizzards and heart from the duck. Cut off the wing tips.
• Using kitchen shears, locate the spine at the base of the neck. Cut up the line of the backbone towards the neck cavity. Turn the duck and cut straight towards the rear cavity. Remove the backbone.
• Turn the duck over and cut straight down the middle of the breastbone, leaving 2 equal duck halves. To separate the legs from the breast, flip your halves over so the flesh side is facing up at you. Using the knife, make a crescent-shape cut between the leg and the breast.
• Line the inside of a plastic lexan or a pot with a zip-top bag. Place the duck quarters inside the
• bag and pour the brine over the duck. Seal the bag, ensuring that all the air is removed. Brine the duck for 2 to 2 1/2 hours in the refrigerator.
• Bring 1 1/2 inches to 2 inches water to a boil in a large pot. Place a colander into the pot and line the sides of the colander with the duck. Do not stack the duck quarters on each other. Cover and turn the heat to medium-low. Steam the duck for 15 minutes.
• Preheat the oven to 400 degrees F. Place a large cast-iron skillet in the oven to preheat on the center rack.
• Carefully remove the steamed duck (do not throw out the water) and lay it on a cutting board. Lay your knife flat against the skin and make 3 marks in one direction and then in the other, making an X. Make sure that you are cutting through the skin and not the meat. Score all pieces.
• Remove the skillet from the oven, add just the legs skin-side down and cook for 10 minutes.
• Remove the skillet from the oven and add the breasts skin-side down and cook 7 minutes more.
• Combine the maple syrup, red pepper flakes, remaining orange juice concentrate and a pinch of salt in a small saucepan and bring to a simmer over medium-high heat until the sauce just generously coats the back of a spoon, 3 to 5 minutes.
• Remove the skillet from the oven, flip the duck pieces over, brush with the glaze and return the
• skillet to the oven to brown the skin until crisp and a deep mahogany brown, 3 to 5 minutes more, or until the legs are 160 degrees F and the breasts register 140 degrees F. Remove the duck from the skillet to a wire rack set inside a baking sheet and loosely tent with foil.
• Meanwhile, steam the potatoes in the same water that you steamed the duck over medium heat until they slide off a paring knife when stabbed, 3 to 5 minutes. Drain the potatoes.
• Remove and save 1 tablespoon of the fat from the skillet. Heat the skillet on medium-high heat and add the potatoes. Cook, undisturbed, until golden brown, about 3 minutes. Then flip the potatoes and cook 3 to 5 minutes more.
• Drain the potatoes on a paper towel-lined plate and season with salt and pepper.
• Add the tablespoon reserved duck fat back into the skillet and heat on medium heat. Add the shallots and saute until translucent, about 2 minutes. Toss in the chard and cook until it just barely wilts. Season with the vinegar.
• Slice the duck breast thinly on the bias. Serve the duck with the sauteed chard and duck fat fried potatoes. Spoon over additional glaze, if desired.

TEA SMOKED DUCK

Steps:

• Combine all the ingredients, except sesame/vegetable oil, for the marinade in a bath solution and place cleaned duck in it overnight.
• Hang dry and rest for at least 2 hours. Hang duck in smoking oven with hook on the upper neck.
• Place the camphor wood, brown sugar, tea twigs, if available, on a pan at the base of the oven and heat oven to 350 degrees F. Some recipes call for tea leaves but tea leaves in the sugar/camphor mixture does not add that much tea flavor to the ducks. Roast the duck for approximately 40 minutes, but depends on size of duck, type of oven, etc. For best results for a crispy skin, the last 5 to 10 minutes should be at 400 degrees F, with a final basting of sesame/vegetable oil on the skin of the duck. Duck can be flashed in hot oil to finish, if timing for service is critical.
• Cut and serve hot, with buns and sauce, optional.

CRISPY-SKIN STEAMED DUCK

Steps:

• Rinse duck well and thoroughly dry with paper towels.
• Rub inside and out with brandy, then salt, distributing evenly.
• Place in large dish and cover with plastic wrap.
• Refrigerate for 1 to 3 days, turning daily.
• Rinse salt off duck under cold running water; dry with paper towels.
• Pull off excess fat in cavity; cut off tail bone and excess neck skin.
• Using metal skewer or toothpick, prick skin all over on angle, especially in fatty areas, being careful not to prick underneath meat under fat.
• In small bowl, combine garlic, chopped rosemary and pepper, mashing slightly with fork.
• Rub inside duck cavity.
• Using vegetable peeler, peel off strips of lemon rind; set aside.
• Place 2 inches (5 cm) water in wok or large pot. Add all but 4 strips of the lemon and2 of the rosemary sprigs; bring to boil.
• Place duck, breast side up, in large bamboo steamer; lay remaining lemon rind and rosemary sprigs on top. Place on top of wok.
• Reserving 1 1/2 teaspoons (7 mL) lemon juice, squeeze remaining juice over duck.
• Cover and steam over medium-high heat for 70 minutes, adding more boiling water to wok as necessary.
• Remove duck from steamer; carefully pour out excess liquid from body cavity. (Make-ahead: Cool slightly at room temperature; transfer to glass dish and refrigerate until completely cooled. Cover with plastic wrap and refrigerate for up to 1 day.)
• Discard rosemary and lemon rind.
• In small bowl, mix maple syrup and reserved lemon juice; lightly brush over bottom skin of duck.
• Place duck, breast side down, on rack in roasting pan.
• Roast in 425°F (220°C) oven for 15 minutes or until golden.
• Turn duck over; brush all over with remaining maple syrup mixture.
• Roast for about 15 minutes or until well browned, watching carefully in final minutes to avoid burning.

MIGHTY DUCK

Steps:

• Combine all brine ingredients in a plastic container with a lid. Place the lid on the container and shake to dissolve the salt.
• Remove the pop-up thermometer, liver, gizzards, and heart. Cut off the wings.
• Using kitchen shears, locate the spine at the base of the neck. Cut up the line of the backbone towards the neck cavity. Turn the duck and cut straight towards the rear cavity. Remove the backbone.
• Turn the duck over and cut straight down the middle of the breast bone, leaving 2 equal duck halves. To separate the legs from the breast, flip your halves over so the flesh side is facing up at you. Using a knife, make a crescent shape cut between the leg and the breast. Lay your knife flat against the skin and make 3 marks in one direction and then in the other, making an X. Make sure that you are cutting through the skin and not the meat.
• Line the inside of a plastic lexan or a pot with a zip-top bag. Place the duck quarters inside the bag, and pour the brine over the duck. Seal the bag, ensuring that all air is removed from the bag. Brine the duck for 2 to 2 1/2 hours in the refrigerator.
• Bring 1 1/2 inches to 2 inches of water to a boil in a large pot. Place a colander into the pot and line the sides of the colander with the duck. Do not stack the duck quarters on each other. Cover and turn the heat to medium low. Steam the duck for 45 minutes. Set oven to 475 degrees F. Place a large cast iron skillet into the oven.
• Remove duck pieces from steamer and place legs, skin side down, into the hot skillet. Place the skillet into the hot oven immediately and cook the leg quarters for 10 minutes. Add the breasts, skin side down, and cook for 7 more minutes or until the duck takes on a deep mahogany color and the skin is very crisp.
• Remove the duck from the skillet and rest under foil. Add the chard and the shallots to the skillet. Toss the chard in the fat until it barely wilts. Season with the sherry or balsamic vinegar.
• Serve the duck with the chard.

SEARED DUCK WITH GINGER MASH

Steps:

• Cut 4 thin slices of the ginger and shred, then finely grate the remainder. Rub ¼ tsp each grated ginger and orange zest into the duck breasts, then grind over plenty of black pepper and set aside. Put both types of potato into a steamer and cook for 15 mins until tender. Transfer to a bowl and add the remaining grated ginger, then blitz with a hand blender until smooth. Cover and keep warm.
• Meanwhile, heat the oil in a large non-stick frying pan. Add the onion, garlic and shredded ginger and fry for 5 mins until softened and starting to turn golden. Push the onions to one side, add the duck and cook for 8 mins, turning frequently and stirring the onions occasionally. Lift the duck out of the pan and put on a plate to rest.
• Put the broccoli and sprouts into the steamer and cook for 8 mins until tender. Meanwhile, make the sauce. Add 150ml water, ½ tsp orange zest and the bouillon to the onion mixture and bubble to a sauce, then remove from the heat and add the orange juice.
• Smear the ginger mash onto two warmed plates and top with the duck. Spoon over the onions and drizzle over the sauce. Scatter with the parsley or coriander, if using, and serve with the broccoli and sprouts.

SPOTTED DICK! TRADITIONAL BRITISH STEAMED FRUIT SPONGE PUDDING

Steps:

• Grease a 600 ml (1 pint) pudding basin.
• Mix together the dry ingredients.
• Add the egg and sufficient milk to produce a smooth dropping consistency.
• Place the mixture into prepared pudding basin.
• Cover with pleated greaseproof paper and foil and steam for about 1½ hours.
• Turn out and serve hot with custard or syrup.

STEAMED AND CRISPED DUCK

Steps:

• In small bowl, mix all ingredients except duck. Rub mixture on duck, inside and out. Put duck in dish, breast side down. Cover with plastic wrap; refrigerate overnight.
• The next day, take duck out of refrigerator, and let it warm to room temperature. Place duck on steamer tray or rack small enough to fit into a wok. Fill wok with water up to bottom edge of tray; bring to boil. Place tray over boiling water, cover with lid or foil and steam duck over high heat until extremely tender, for about 1 1/2 to 2 hours. Replenish boiling water when necessary.
• Preheat oven to 450 degrees. Transfer duck to cutting board, and let cool. Quarter the duck. Heat large nonstick saute pan over medium-high heat. When hot, add duck pieces, skin side down; saute until skin begins to sizzle and brown, for about 1 minute. Reduce heat to low, and crisp skin for 5 to 7 minutes. Turn and brown other side. Turn again, cover and cook in oven until heated through, for about 8 to 10 minutes. Transfer pieces to platter; serve.