Contemporaryduck Recipes

MOCK DUCK

Steps:

• Rinse the dried shiitake and wood ear mushrooms with cold water to remove any sand or dirt. Transfer each type of mushroom into its own separate bowl and add enough water to just cover, about 3/4 cup in each. Let set until the mushrooms are pliable and soft, about 45 minutes.
• Trim the ends of the shiitakes with scissors. Squeeze out extra liquid and reserve for later use. Thinly slice the shiitakes. Trim the hard parts off the ends of the wood ears, then thinly slice the mushrooms. Discard the wood ear liquid. Transfer both mushrooms to a bowl and set aside.
• Heat 1 tablespoon of the oil in an extra-large nonstick skillet (see Cook's Note) over high heat. Once shimmering, add the carrots and celery and cook, stirring, until just softened, about 1 minute. Add the mushrooms and stir until combined. Add 1 tablespoon of the oyster sauce, 1 teaspoon of the soy sauce, 1/4 teaspoon of the ground white pepper and 1 tablespoon water; stir until everything is coated. Transfer to a rimmed baking sheet and let cool completely, 15 to 20 minutes. Wipe the skillet clean and reserve.
• Meanwhile, lightly wet a paper towel with water and keep it on the side. Transfer 2 tablespoons of the reserved shiitake soaking liquid to a small bowl. Reserve the rest for later use.
• Remove the bean curd skins from the package and work quickly with them so they do not dry out and crack or lose flexibility. Fold the skins in quarters and trim off about 1 inch from the rim using scissors; the rim is very dry and will not give a smooth texture to the finished dish.
• Gently wipe both sides of 2 bean curd skins with the prepared paper towel and stack them directly on top of each other. If there are rips in either skin, don't worry; when you stack them, rotate the skins so the rips are not on top of each other. Cut one of the remaining skins in half, then cut one of the halves into quarters (reserve the remaining half for another use). Wipe both sides of one of the quarter skins and lay it on top of the stack in one quadrant. Put half of the vegetable filling, about 2 cups, directly on the quarter skin. Form the filling into a roughly 3.5-inch rectangle. Fold the right side of the large skins towards the center, then the left side and finally the bottom. Dip your fingers into the small bowl of reserved shiitake soaking liquid and brush all the sides. This will act as "glue" and help the bean curd stick better. Fold it as if you were rolling a burrito, tucking it tightly and rolling until you have formed a 10-inch-long by 4-inch-wide rectangle. Brush the seam with additional shiitake soaking liquid to seal well. Repeat with the remaining bean curd skins and filling.
• Heat the reserved skillet with the remaining 3 tablespoons oil over medium-high heat. Once shimmering, add the rolls side by side. Fry until golden brown on the bottom, 1 to 2 minutes. Flip and fry until golden brown again on the bottom, an additional 1 minute. Gently fry the sides, about 15 seconds each. Remove to a plate. Let cool slightly. Pour out excess oil and wipe the skillet clean.
• Add 1 cup water, 1/2 cup of the reserved shiitake mushroom soaking liquid (if there isn't enough, replace with water to make up the difference), a pinch of salt and the remaining 2 tablespoons oyster sauce, 1 tablespoon soy sauce and 1/4 teaspoon white pepper to the same skillet over high heat and bring to a boil. Turn off the heat and add the bean curd rolls to the mixture. Poke holes all over the rolls with a toothpick. Soak one side for 15 minutes, then flip and let the other side soak for an additional 15 minutes.
• Fill a large wok or wide pot with 2 inches of water and a steamer rack. Bring to a full boil over high heat. Place one of the soaked bean curd rolls into a dish or plate and let steam until the roll is slightly puffed, about 10 minutes. Carefully remove the dish from the steamer and let cool completely. Repeat with the remaining roll. Once cooled, place the bean curd rolls with a long side facing you and slice into 1/2-inch-thick pieces using a sharp chef's knife with a long blade.
• Bring the soaking liquid back to a full boil and reduce by half, about 2 minutes. Drizzle on the sliced bean curd rolls. Enjoy!

​​CRISP ROAST DUCK

Steps:

• Bring a full kettle or medium pot of water to a boil (at least 2 quarts).
• Meanwhile, remove giblets and neck from the duck cavity and reserve for another use. Trim any excess fat from around the duck cavity and the neck. Place duck, breast side up, on a rack in the sink. Pour half of the boiling water all over the top of the duck to tighten the skin. Flip the bird and pour remaining boiling water over the back.
• Once the duck is cool enough to handle, using the tip of a very sharp paring knife, prick duck skin all over to help release the fat, especially where the skin is thickest, and be careful not to pierce the meat. It can be helpful to hold the knife nearly parallel to the bird. After piercing the skin, use the knife blade to score the duck breast in a crosshatch pattern (making deep cuts into the skin only, and not into the breast meat). Flip the bird and score the back as well (you don't need to prick the back). You may need to sharpen your knife along the way, as it's much easier to make clean cuts into the skin with a sharp knife. Using a clean kitchen towel or paper towels, thoroughly pat duck dry, including inside the cavity.
• Season the duck all over, including cavity, with salt and pepper. In a small bowl, combine garlic, chopped herbs, citrus zest and coriander, if using, and make a paste. Rub garlic paste all over duck, inside and out. Place duck, breast side up, on rack in a roasting pan, stuff cavity with herb sprigs, and refrigerate, uncovered, for at least 4 hours and up to 24 hours.
• When it's time to cook the bird, heat the oven to 450 degrees. Roast for 30 minutes. Remove the pan from the oven and carefully prick duck skin all over the top of the bird using a sharp paring knife. (You don't need to prick the back of the duck.) Reduce the oven temperature to 350 degrees and continue roasting until skin is golden brown and crispy, and the internal temperature at thickest part of the thigh reads 165 degrees on an instant-read thermometer, about 1 hour to 1 hour 45 minutes longer. Using tongs, gently tip duck to drain any liquid from the cavity. Transfer bird to cutting board to rest for at least 10 minutes. Carve and serve.

CONTEMPORARY DUCK

Steps:

• Place duckling quarters on rack in shallow roasting pan.
• Roast at 425°F for about 30 minutes, or until browned.
• Remove from oven; remove ducks and rack.
• Drain fat from bottom of pan.
• Place duck quarters skin side up in pan.
• Sprinkle onion soup mix evenly over ducklings and baste with wine.
• Cover pan tightly with heavy foil; and bake at 325°F for 1 hour 15 minutes.
• Remove foil and bake for an additional 20 minutes.

GRANDMA'S ROASTED DUCK

Steps:

• Preheat oven to 325°. Pierce duck skin all over with a fork. Mix remaining ingredients; rub over outside of duck. Place duck on rack in a shallow roasting pan; add 1 inch of water., Roast duck, uncovered, until a thermometer inserted in thigh reads 180°, 1-1/2 to 2 hours. Remove from oven; let stand 15 minutes before carving. If desired, skim fat and thicken pan drippings for gravy. Serve with duck.