Steamed Duck Stuffed With Chinese Lettuce Recipes

SZECHUAN BEEF TENDERLOIN STUFFED WITH PEKING DUCK

Steps:

• For the edamame:
• Add soybeans in their pods to a pot and cover with water. Boil until tender, about 10 minutes. Drain and set aside until cool enough to handle. Remove soybeans from their pods and add to a pot (reserving about 1/2 cup for texture in a separate bowl) along with chicken stock. Set aside until needed, at which time you will heat and then puree just before serving.
• For the rice:
• Rinse rice in strainer under cold water. Add rice, 3 3/4 cups cold water and salt to a saucepot. Cover and let soak for a half hour. Remove lid, then turn heat to medium and bring to a boil. Reduce heat to low, cover and cook for 15 minutes without removing the lid. Transfer to a mixing bowl, stir in tarragon, vinegar, and cover with a clean damp kitchen towel and keep at room temperature.
• For the stuffing:
• Remove the meat from the Peking duck, reserving the skin and bones in a saute pan. Finely shred enough duck meat to make 6 tablespoons shredded duck, and place in a mixing bowl. Stir in scallions, hoisin sauce, and ginger soy syrup and set aside at room temperature until needed.
• For the filet mignon:
• Cut a slit in the top center of each steak to hold the stuffing. With a spice grinder, with a mortar and pestle (if you are strong and persistent), or with a coffee grinder dedicated to grinding spices, pulverize the wasabi peas, peppercorns, and salt, together. Stuff the steaks with even amounts of the duck mixture and tie up with butcher's string to help them keep their shape through the searing process. Coat each filet with the wasabi/peppercorn mixture and set aside briefly. Return to the edamame and heat the beans and chicken stock over medium-high heat until the chicken stock is reduced by half. Remove from heat and keep warm.
• For the sauce:
• To the pan of duck skin and bones, add enough water to cover and the demi-glace. Cook until the liquid is reduced by half and strain through a chinois. Discard the skin and bones. Season the reduction with salt and pepper, to taste. Transfer to a small bowl and keep warm by nesting the bowl in another bowl of hot water.
• To cook the filet mignon:
• Preheat oven to 375 degrees F. Heat 1 tablespoon of the grapeseed oil over medium-high heat in a saute pan with oven safe handles (reserving the other tablespoon of oil). When the oil begins to shimmer add the steaks to the pan, stuffed side down first, and sear, leaving undisturbed for the first 2 minutes or so to let the caramelization process begin to allow the stuffing to integrate into the meat and to prevent tearing the beef. Add the reserved grapeseed oil and flip the steaks, searing the other side in the same way, leaving undisturbed for about 2 or 3 minutes. Transfer to the oven to finish to an internal temperature of 125 degrees F as measured with an instant-read thermometer, about 8 to 15 minutes depending on the thickness. Remove from oven and let carryover cook to about 132 degrees F for medium-rare, or cook to your liking. When you have placed the filet mignon in the oven, puree the edamame with an immersion blender and toss in the reserved whole beans for texture. Cover and keep warm. Remove steaks from oven, if done, and let rest as indicated above.
• For the rice:
• Using a 3-inch circle cutter, form the sushi rice into "cakes." Melt the butter in a large skillet over medium-high heat and lightly fry the rice circles until golden brown on each side. Leave each side undisturbed for the first 2 to 3 minutes to prevent the "cakes" from breaking apart. For the carrots, heat the canola oil in a saute pan and deep-fry carrots. Spoon some edamame puree in the left center of serving plate and some duck essence (sauce) on the right center of plate. Place a sauteed circle of rice in the center topped with a stuffed steak and 2 fried carrots on the very top.
• Recipe courtesy Ming Tsai:
• In a pan lightly coated with oil, combine garlic, ginger, and scallions over medium heat, season with salt and pepper, and let sweat. Deglaze pan with soy sauce, honey and lime juice. Let reduce by 30 to 40 percent until the mixture becomes a syrup, about 10 to 15 minutes. Let cool and transfer to a bottle. Store in the refrigerator. Yield: about 2 cups or 32 servings of 1 tablespoon each.

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.

DEEP-FRIED STEAMED DUCK STUFFED WITH LOTUS SEEDS

Steps:

• 1. Bone duck (see HOW-TO, _Duck: To bone), leaving shape and skin intact. Hang up to dry in a cool, airy place 1 to 2 hours then rub skin lightly with soy sauce. 2. Separately soak barley, dried mushrooms and tangerine peel. Blanch lotus seeds. Shell and blanch ginkgo nuts. 3. Coarsely chop ham and soaked mushrooms. Mix well with drained barley, lotus seeds, ginkgo nuts, salt and sugar. Stuff mixture into duck cavity, then sew up securely or skewer. 4. Heat oil to boiling. Using a wire basket or long-handled Chinese strainer, gently lower in duck and deep-fry, basting and turning, until golden. Drain on paper toweling. 5. Transfer duck to a heatproof bowl. Stem parsley trim off scallion roots then place over duck, along with star anise and soaked tangerine peel. 6. Steam by the bowl-in-a-pot method until done (2 to 2 1/2 hours). See HOW-TO, _Steaming. 7.Discard duck topping. Let bird cool slightly, then cut in 1/2-inch slices. 8. Heat stock in a saucepan. Stir in pepper, remaining salt and soy sauce. Blend cornstarch and cold water to a paste, then stir into stock to thicken. Pour over duck slices and serve, garnished with remaining parsley. The Thousand Recipe Chinese Cookbook. ©1994 by Gloria Bley Miller.

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.

STEAMED DUCK STUFFED WITH CHINESE LETTUCE

Steps:

• 1. Wipe duck inside and out with a damp cloth. Dry well with paper toweling, or hang up to dry in a cool, airy place 1 to 2 hours. 2. Blanch lotus seeds. Slice ham cut Chinese lettuce in 1-inch sections. 3. Combine half of Chinese lettuce sections with lotus seeds and ham. Add salt and mix well. Stuff mixture into duck and sew up securely or skewer. 4. Heat oil in a large pan and brown duck quickly. 5. Place remaining lettuce sections in a large heatproof bowl then put duck on top. Steam by the bowl-in-a-pot method until duck is tender (about 2 hours). See HOW-TO, _Steaming. The Thousand Recipe Chinese Cookbook. ©1994 by Gloria Bley Miller.

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.