Ok, one of the cuisine's I have worked in is Chinese, so here is a decent one:
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For the duck:
1 duck (4½ to 5 pounds), thawed if frozen Salt and freshly ground black pepper 1 teaspoon Chinese five-spice powder 1 clove garlic, peeled 1 scallion, both white and green parts, trimmed 3 thin slices peeled fresh ginger 1 tablespoon Asian (dark) sesame oil
For the sauce:
1 cup hoisin sauce ¼ cup honey ¼ cup soy sauce ¼ cup rice wine or sake 3 cloves garlic, minced 1 tablespoon minced peeled fresh gingerFor serving:
16 Scallion Crêpes, or Peking pancakes (see Notes) or flour tortillas 16 scallion brushes (see Notes)
Directions
1. Prepare the duck: The day before you plan to serve the duck, remove and discard the fat just inside the body cavities. Remove the package of giblets and set aside for another use. Rinse the duck, inside and out, under cold running water, then drain and blot dry, inside and out, with paper towels. Place the duck in a roasting pan and let stand, uncovered, in the refrigerator overnight to dry out the skin.
2. Season the body cavity of the duck with salt, pepper, and ½ teaspoon of the five-spice powder. Place the garlic clove, scallion, and ginger slices in the body cavity, then turn the duck over on its breast so that the back side is up. Using the tip of a sharp, slender knife, make a small slit in the fatty part of the duck under each wing and a slit on the underside of each thigh. Prick the duck skin all over with a sharp carving fork, being careful not to pierce the meat. Brush the outside of the duck all over with the sesame oil and rub the skin all over with the remaining ½ teaspoon of five-spice powder and some salt and pepper.
3. Set the grill up for indirect grilling, place a large drip pan in the center, and preheat the grill to medium-low.
4. When ready to cook, place the duck, breast side up, on the hot grill grate over the drip pan. Cover the grill and cook the duck for 1½ hours. If using a charcoal grill, you’ll need to add 10 to 12 fresh coals to each side after each hour of cooking.
5. Meanwhile, make the sauce: Combine the hoisin sauce, honey, soy sauce, rice wine, and minced garlic and ginger in a small, heavy saucepan and bring to a simmer over low heat. Let the sauce simmer gently, uncovered, until well flavored and syrupy, about 5 minutes.
6. After it has cooked for 1½ hours, turn the duck on its end over a bowl to drain off any juices that have accumulated in the cavity and discard the juices. Prick the skin again with a fork and make fresh slits under the wings and thighs to encourage draining. Continue cooking the duck until the skin is mahogany brown and crackling crisp and the meat is well-done and tender, 30 to 45 minutes longer. When done, an instant-read meat thermometer inserted in the thickest part of a thigh, but not touching the bone, should register about 170°F.
7. To serve: Transfer the duck to a platter. Present it to your guests, then using a sharp knife, carve the skin and meat off the bones (you may want to do this in the kitchen). Spoon the sauce into small bowls or ramekins, one per guest. Arrange the duck meat and skin on one platter, the Scallion Crêpes and scallion brushes on another. Have each guest brush a crêpe with sauce, using a scallion brush. Place a slice of duck skin and meat on the crêpe (and a scallion brush, if desired) and roll it into a cone for eating.
Note:You’ll need to allow a couple of hours for soaking the scallion brushes.
Notes
Advance Preparation: 24 hours for drying the duck skin
How to Make Scallion Brushes Box
Cut the roots and dark green tops off scallions, reserving the green parts for crêpes or another use. You want to wind up with three-inch pieces of scallion white. To form the individual “bristles” of the brushes, make a series of one-inch lengthwise cuts in each end of the scallion whites, gradually rotating the scallions. Soak the scallions in a bowl of ice water for a couple of hours to curl the ends of the brushes.Mandarin pancakes are crepe-thin flour pancakes used to wrap sliced Peking duck in before eating. They are also sometimes referred to as Chinese or Peking pancakes or as mu shu wrappers. Although made in a different way and served at the opposite end of the planet, they are similar to Mexican tortillas. Look for them at Asian markets or make your own, following a recipe from a Chinese cookbook. In a pinch you could use flour tortillas.
It's a bit of work, but oh man, worth it...
In the depths of winter, I finally learned that within me there lay an invincible summer. - Albert Camus
Uncertainty is the very condition which impels people to unfold their powers.-Eric Fromm
I have a question...what do you use to get rid of the "wild" taste when baking a duck? My mother had baked ducks before and they have a funny taste to them at times and she said it's the "wild" taste.
Sit quietly, the answers will reveal themselves when you least expect them to. The past is gone, the present is a gift and you need to focus on today, allow the future to reveal itself when it is ready.
Here is something I grabbed, which describes the traditional way, and if memory serves, correct authentic way:
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Day one: Slaughter duck. Dress, eviscerate, and rinse. Remove neck bone without breaking skin. Tie neck skin in knot. Apply maltose/soy sauce coating to skin. Hang overnight to dry. Day two: Use straw to inflate duck skin like a balloon to separate from meat. Blanch duck quickly in boiling water to tighten skin and begin rendering fat. Apply more maltose/soy mixture. Hang overnight to dry again. Day three: Roast duck while hanging vertically in wood-fired brick oven. Roast until rendered fat from under skin has completely dripped out of duck, basting meat and rendering skin crackly crisp. Serve immediately.
There are things to look for, like how it was chilled after slaughter...if air-chilled, better flavor, than ice-water chilled.
And the bird needs to be dry, and for the crispy skin, the fat needs a way to drain off. So let the bird dry overnight, uncovered in your fridge, rubbed with a mix of salt and baking powder, and maltose and soy sauce. Then, separate the skin from the meat with a wooden spoon or your fingers can accomplish this, then a dunk in boiling water to start rendering the fat. Then let it dry again, preferably overnight.
Then roast vertically, so the rendered fat drains off.
This is basically what I grabbed off several websites, and seems to mesh with what we did way back then as I remember my Chinese co-workers doing.
Hope that helps some.
In the depths of winter, I finally learned that within me there lay an invincible summer. - Albert Camus
Uncertainty is the very condition which impels people to unfold their powers.-Eric Fromm
Thanks! I'll share this w/my mother. She tends to get a "fresh killed duck" and there is always this wild taste to it.
I'll have to try these steps and see what I can do w/it this Christmas. If duck is prepared and cooked properly, it is very delicious.
Thanks again!
Sit quietly, the answers will reveal themselves when you least expect them to. The past is gone, the present is a gift and you need to focus on today, allow the future to reveal itself when it is ready.
It sounds good! Thanks. I am also going to look up a receipt that involves a “smoker”.
Mach,
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from Mach…..Oh, and be careful there, "Preparing the Duck" probably means something entirely different in some Rican tribal ritual....
Nope it means just that “preparation”.
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I still get excited at the chance to use DucT tape
Can you tell me what this ^^^ means?  hmmm….. “excited” and “duck tape”….hmmm…. What exactly is happening down there?
Gritter
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Hey you crazy Rican.
Glad everything is well with you.
Since you updated I guess I should too. If I can find my thread...
Why don't you just marinate the duck in Mojo?
My man Grit…or shall I say my sis Grit Still have the pink shovel?
Congrats on the new addition! I saw you posted…I’ll respond on your thread. As for the duck in Mojo…I might, I have never actually cooked duck but want to give it a shot. You know how to reach me…:)
"The difficulties of Life are intended to make us BETTER,not bitter". "Fear is a prison, where you are the jailer. FREE YOURSELF!" "Life is usually all about how you handle Plan B." - Jack3Beans
It has been over a year since I provided an update on my thread….so here goes….
Kids: Kiddo’s are doing fine! My oldest S20 has enrolled in a trade school in steps of securing a HVAC license. Interesting enough my best friend owns his own HVAC company so Jr. has a fair amount of resources at his disposal. My middle child S18 is enrolled in college. He is taking general studies as he is not sure what he wants to do with his life. Him and his girlfriend have been together for over a year. She is a sweetheart. S18 was thinking about becoming a therapist (“kinda of like you Dad” – ya gotta love him) but is not sure. As for my little one, D12, she is going to be 13 in a few months. So I am now really hitting the teenage years with my daughter. FTR, I have to say….teenage boys are MUCH easier! D12 has been going through what I believe are the normal emotion of a teenager. One minute happy, next minute sad, next minute angry and next minute glad (hey that rhymes). So all in all the kids are doing well! Thank God and amen.
Work: It has been an interesting year for me professionally. I finally finished up a project to open a satellite office in Tokyo Japan. A very interesting project. I was lucky enough to have the opportunity to travel to Tokyo (flew business and first class – can ya say SWEET). I find the Japanese culture so interesting. I now understand why products that come from Japan are built very well. Culturally it is very different than here in the US. The food in Tokyo is to DIE for. Have to say that I best sushi ever. Tokyo for those of you who do not know is world to the largest fish market in the world. Now that the project has ended, I have been tasked with additional project that should keep me busy for a while.
Personal I still cook and love to make interesting dishes. I am actually going with my GF to an Alton Brown event on Valentine’s day. This will be followed by dinner and drinks at a local restaurant. I am looking forward to the summer so I can get my butt back to the beach and start fishing. For those of you who know me well, I am happy to report that last year I picked up a 2013 Jeep Wrangler. Black. 4 doors. Yep…the jeep is back. Nothing like cruising with the top down and the sun glaring. A few weeks ago, I had the pleasure of going to Cape Cod for the first time. I know…I know..It was cold but I picked up a great Groupon deal. Had a great time. I am now looking to find some other hobbies that I may want to pick up. I already like to hike (summer time), cook (year round), go to the beach (summer time), fish (summer), camp (summer)…but I need to find something to do in the winter time. I may try skiing but I know it is quite expensive. So please folks throw out some suggestions….
Relationship: Many of you who know me off board, know that I am now engaged. Engaged to the women that I described in my preious post as totally HOT(insert picture of huge smile. Our plan was to get married this October on the beach in the Mexican Rivera. We decided to push the wedding out till 2015. We both do not want to assume any more debt and the additional time will help others save up for the trip. Our relationship continues to grow. We have had the normal family integration issue, xw issues and child rearing issues to deal with. I am happy to say though that our ability to communicate is unlike anything I have ever experienced from a personal relationship side. Other than my friends on these boards, she is probably the closes person I know that truly “knows herself”. She is the type that will discuss issues and dig to understand why she feels the way she does. She is aware that I post on the web and think it is great that I am giving back. She really is a doll. Sadly, she does not look as good as Mach in a pink tutu but hey ya can’t have everything.
Divorce Reform I am a member of a coalition in CT that is pushing divorce reform in CT. I had the privilege to present to a panel of judges and lawyers that was asked to review the current divorce laws and make a recommendation to the judiciary. It was very interesting. Most people were given 3 mins to speak. I was afforded 18 minutes. The panel found my “testimony compelling”. I was asked several question from the panel. I have to say…I was so proud of myself. Funny when I think about it…..had I been asked to speak 2 – 3 years ago, the panel would have gotten from me, what they received from several of the other speakers – ANGER. I myself was amazed out how angry a lot of people can be. I understand that anger is many ways is a good thing – for a time. I just feel like you can’t live there forever and it become clear to me, that a lot of people still do. It was sad. Several of the panel members, walked up to me afterwards and congratulated me. Some of the comments were “well spoken”, “you have some interesting ideas” and my best….”we would like you to come back and speak to the judiciary when we make our recommendation”. When I think about it…I’m still proud of myself. I hope and pray that the panel will make some good recommendations. Divorce is a very complicated issue to deal with. It really is not a one size fits all solution. If anyone needs more details…ask…most of you know how to reach me off board.
No update would be complete without a quick mention of my XW…..
The communication between XW is minimal at best. Her and OM are still together. I have no idea of what is going on in her life and nor does it really matter.
Finally, we say it a lot on these boards….”it gets better in time…if you allow it too”. That is sooo true folks. It really does get better. That is not to say that life is not different…sometimes though different is better! I am now 44 years old…. A bit wiser…a bit more seasoned. What I have learned is that life changes…it ebbs…it flows….it teaches…. Don’t sweat the small stuff and for the big stuff….know that life changes. For those of you who are new…you will get past this. It may suck for a while…but you will grow from this experience!
The people of these boards will push you...they will challenge you...they will press you to be the best person you can be. You may not always like it. You may think that some of us are too hard, that we do not get it. That is far from the truth, the people here, the vets, they come back day after day after day, to give back. To pass on the knowledge...to help strangers through the most difficult time in there lives. They do this why? Ask yourself...why?
My reason....Cause we know the process work! I was changed by it. The change was good! Not easy...but very good. My hope and prayer is that all of us....continue to be the best people we can be. Not perfect. Just our best selves. You will start this for your spouse...you will continue....for yourself.
God Bless, Eric
"The difficulties of Life are intended to make us BETTER,not bitter". "Fear is a prison, where you are the jailer. FREE YOURSELF!" "Life is usually all about how you handle Plan B." - Jack3Beans
