_duck Cooked To Cut Up Recipes

_DUCK, COOKED: TO BONE AND CARVE

Steps:

• Cut off legs at the thigh joints. Slip out leg bones and cut meat in 1- or 1 1/2-inch strips. Cut off wings at shoulder joints. With a sharp knife, make a vertical incision along the center line of the breast. Slip the knife in to separate meat and bone. Cut meat in 1- or 1 1/2-inch strips.The Thousand Recipe Chinese Cookbook. ©1994 by Gloria Bley Miller.

_BEAN CURD: TO PRESS

Steps:

• Place a sheet of wax paper on a cutting or other flat board. Set the cakes of bean curd side by side on the paper. Cover with a second sheet of wax paper, another flat board. Weight the top board with heavy objects: thick books, a kettle filled with water, etc. Let stand until bean curd cakes become compressed and solid (about 5 hours or overnight).Or: Wrap each bean cake individually in cheesecloth. Place between two flat boards. Weight as above, gradually increasing the weight at 20-minute intervals. Unwrap after 1 hour. NOTE: Pressing fresh bean curd makes it more compact, less fragile, and easier to handle. Some cooks parboil the bean curd first in salted water to make it keep longer. When the cakes float, they are removed, drained and pressed as above. The Thousand Recipe Chinese Cookbook. ©1994 by Gloria Bley Miller.

_DUCK: TO BONE

Steps:

• Chop off the lower wings. Cut carefully downward along the spine, working close to the bone. Separate meat from bone without tearing either meat or skin. Lift one leg of duck and move it in all directions to loosen the thigh joint. Insert the knife point, hitting thigh joint lightly but firmly until joint and pelvis separate. Repeat with the other leg and with both shoulder joints to loosen. In the fleshier portions, such as breast and thighs, alternately cut and pull the meat away from the bones, to separate the flesh from the carcass. When meat and bones are completely separated, draw the bony neck out as far as possible through the skin. Chop neck off. Draw out the windpipe and esophagus. Remove as much tail bone as possible, but do not chop off tail. Carefully remove oil sacs near the tail. Wash duck in cold water. Hang by tail to drain thoroughly.The Thousand Recipe Chinese Cookbook. ©1994 by Gloria Bley Miller.

_CHICKEN, COOKED: TO CUT UP

Steps:

• With a sharp cleaver, remove the legs and wings at their joints. Chop each thigh, bones and all, in 2 pieces each drumstick in 2 pieces. Cut off the lower or bony part of each drumstick. Chop each wing in 2 or 3 pieces. Chop the neck in 3 pieces. Split the bird lengthwise down the spine and through the breast. Remove each half of the breast, cutting it first into quarters, then into slices about 1 inch thick (bones and all). Chop the upper and lower back in 3 pieces each. Lay these down on the serving dish. Then place the neck, wing and leg sections, skin-side up, approximately back in their original positions. Finally, place the slices of breast meat down the middle in 2 neat rows to reconstruct the natural shape of the chicken. (An easy way to do this: as the chicken is chopped, section by section, scoop up the pieces with the broad cleaver-knife blade and slide them directly onto the serving platter.)The Thousand Recipe Chinese Cookbook. ©1994 by Gloria Bley Miller.

_DUCK: TO BONE

Steps:

• Chop off the lower wings. Cut carefully downward along the spine, working close to the bone. Separate meat from bone without tearing either meat or skin. Lift one leg of duck and move it in all directions to loosen the thigh joint. Insert the knife point, hitting thigh joint lightly but firmly until joint and pelvis separate. Repeat with the other leg and with both shoulder joints to loosen. In the fleshier portions, such as breast and thighs, alternately cut and pull the meat away from the bones, to separate the flesh from the carcass. When meat and bones are completely separated, draw the bony neck out as far as possible through the skin. Chop neck off. Draw out the windpipe and esophagus. Remove as much tail bone as possible, but do not chop off tail. Carefully remove oil sacs near the tail. Wash duck in cold water. Hang by tail to drain thoroughly.The Thousand Recipe Chinese Cookbook. ©1994 by Gloria Bley Miller.

_CORNSTARCH PASTE: TO THICKEN WITH

Steps:

• Blend the specified amount of cornstarch, cold water (and whatever seasonings may be called for in the recipe) to a smooth paste. Add gradually to the pan when directed and cook, stirring, over medium-high heat until the sauce thickens and is smooth. When the dish contains a fragile ingredient such as fresh bean curd, it's advisible to thicken the sauce first and then add that ingredient.NOTE: If the cornstarch paste is prepared in advance, always re-stir before using. Otherwise it will separate, with the solids sinking to the bottom.The Thousand Recipe Chinese Cookbook. ©1994 by Gloria Bley Miller.

_BEEF: TO TENDERIZE

Steps:

• Dissolve 1 teaspoon baking soda in 2 tablespoons water. Spread over beef. Let stand 1 hour.Or: Combine 1/2 teaspoon baking soda, 1/2 teaspoon salt, 1/2 teaspoon peanut oil, a pinch of sugar and a dash of pepper. Add mixture to beef shreds or slivers and toss. Let stand 1 hour. Or: Pound stewing beef lightly with the side of a cleaver blade or bottom of a glass, and pierce all over with a fork. Combine 3 tablespoons soy sauce, 2 tablespoons sherry and 1 teaspoon salt. Rub into meat. Let stand 1 hour, then braise. Or: Add 1 tablespoon brandy for every 2 cups of liquid in which red-simmered beef will cook.The Thousand Recipe Chinese Cookbook. ©1994 by Gloria Bley Miller.

_SHRIMP: TO BUTTERFLY

Steps:

• Use large or jumbo shrimp. Shell and devein, leaving the tail shell intact. With a sharp knife, score each shrimp along its inner curve (do not cut all the way through), scoring each about three-quarters down its length, Tap shrimp lightly with the side of a knife to separate the halves then spread them open to form wings.The Thousand Recipe Chinese Cookbook. ©1994 by Gloria Bley Miller.