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Peking Duck
Peking Duck
Duck has been roasted in China since the beginning of time. The preparation for Peking Duck can be traced back to the Ming Dynasty; being the main course on imperial court menus. The first time a restaurant in Beijing offered Peking Duck to the general public was in 1416. It grew in popularity, being considered food for the upper class. By the mid 20th century Peking Duck became an international symbol of Chinese cuisine, becoming the favorite dish of many world politicians such as Richard Nixon, Fidel Castro, Helmut Kohl, to name a few.Today, Peking Duck can easily be made at home for a relatively inexpensive cost. The duck gets rubbed, stuffed with whole green onions, and left to dry out for up to 24 hours. It then steamed for about 90 minutes to loosen up the fat from the skin. It is then roasted for about a half hour until it is browned. It is then basted with a soy sauce/honey mixture then roasted at 500 degrees, turning almost red in color. The skin becomes extra crispy with the fat rendered out. Traditionally, Peking Duck is served in 3 parts. First, the crispy duck skin is served with a sweet bean sauce. Second, the duck breast is sliced and served in thin Chinese pancakes with duck sauce and spring onions. Third, the rest of the duck can be eaten as is. You can also just quarter the duck and serve it much like a roast chicken with duck sauce, steamed rice, and vegetables.
Ingredients
- 5 lb whole duck tail and wing tips clipped; giblets removed
- 1/2 tsp ground cinnamon
- 1/2 tsp ground ginger
- 1/4 tsp white pepper
- 1/4 tsp nutmeg
- 1/8 tsp ground cloves
- 3 tbsp light soy sauce
- 1 tbsp honey
- 2 green onions
- 1 orange sliced
Duck Sauce
- 1/2 cup plum jam
- 1 1/2 tsp sugar
- 1 1/2 tsp white vinegar
Instructions
- Mix together the cinnamon, ginger, nutmeg, white pepper and cloves.
- Season the inside of the duck with 1 tsp of the spice mix. Stuff the whole green onion inside the cavity as well. Mix 1 tbsp of the soy sauce with the rest of the spice mix and rub the outside of the duck. Let dry out in the refrigerator for at least 4 hours, preferably overnight.
- Place the duck on a rack and steam for 90 minutes.
- Preheat your oven to 375 degrees. Poke holes with a knife all over the skin of the duck. Place the duck on a rack and roast for 25-30 minutes.
- Mix together the remaining soy sauce and honey and brush the entire duck. Turn up the heat to 500 degrees and roast for 5 more minutes.
- While the duck is roasting, mix together the duck sauce ingredients.
- Let the duck rest for 10 minutes before serving.
Sichuan Sliced Beef in Chili Sauce
Sichuan Sliced Beef in Chili Sauce
Fu qi fei pian is one of my favorite Sichuan appetizers. The dish consists of very thin slices of beef drizzled with chili sauce; typically served cold or at room temp. While the recipe is very simple, it has a tremendous amounts of flavor. There are a couple different cuts of beef that you can use. Most people use brisket, but heart and tongue are also popular choices. The first time I tried it was with beef tongue, and it’s had me hooked ever since.
Equipment
- instant pot
Ingredients
- 2 lbs brisket
- 1/4 cup light soy sauce
- 1/4 cup shaoxing cooking wine
- 1 cup water
- 1 tbsp sugar
- 3 dried red chilies
- 3 green onions
- 2 large ginger slices
- 1 cinnamon stick
- 1 bay leaf
- 1 tsp Sichuan peppercorns
- 1 tsp salt
- 1/4 tsp nutmeg
Chili Sauce
- 4 tbsp chili oil
- 3 tbsp braising liquid
- 2 tbsp sweet soy sauce
- 2 tsp Chinkiang black vinegar
- 1/4 tsp salt
- 1/4 tsp ground Sichuan peppercorns
- 4 garlic cloves finely chopped
- 2 green onions finely chopped
- 1 tsp ginger minced
Instructions
- Place all of the ingredients in an Instant Pot. Set the function to pressure cook on high for 60 minutes. Placd the cover on and push start.
- Release the pressure once the time is up.
- Let the brisket cool, then refrigerate until ready to slice.
- Slice the brisket no more than 1/8” thick.
- Arrange the beef on a plate in a single layer.
- Mix together all of the sauce ingredients. Set aside.
Salmon Rice Noodle Soup
Salmon Rice Noodle Soup
Noodle soups are extremely popular all over Taiwan. Salmon noodle soup is a common soup that is low in fat and very easy to make. The stock is simply sautéed ginger, shallots and green onions simmered with water and bonito flakes for an hour. The stock is then strained. Salmon is added to the stock, then simmered until cooked through. The stock is ladled over rice noodles and fried shallots.
Servings: 2
Ingredients
Stock
- 2 tbsp vegetable oil
- 4 green onions chopped
- 4 tbsp ginger minced
- 1/4 cup shallots sliced
- 1/4 cup bonito flakes
- 1/2 gallon water
Noodle Soup
- 2 bunches rice noodles prepared according to package directions
- 1 lb salmon fillets cubed
- 1/2 cup fried shallots
- 1 tsp salt
- 2 tsp sesame oil
Garnish
- green onions chopped
Instructions
- Heat up cooking oil in a large pot over medium high heat. Sauté the ginger, shallots, and green onions for 5 minutes.
- Pour in water. Add in the bonito flakes. Bring to a boil. Reduce the heat to medium and simmer for an hour.
- Strain the stock and continue to simmer.
- Add in the salmon and salt.
- Simmer for 5 minutes until the salmon is cooked through.
- Place 1 portion of the rice noodles in the bottom of a bowl. Top with a 1/4 cup of fried shallots. Drizzle over a tsp of sesame oil.
- Ladle over the stock and salmon.
