Vincent And Mary Price Chinese Style Purple Plum Duck Recipes

VINCENT AND MARY PRICE CHINESE STYLE PURPLE PLUM DUCK

Steps:

• Clean and disjoint the duck. Dip the duck into soy sauce.
• Over high heat, cover the bottom of a heavy skillet with peanut oil to about 1/2 inch deep.
• When the oil is hot ("sizzling") add the pieces of duck and brown it evenly on both sides. Remove duck from skillet and drain on paper towels, pour out extra fat from pan, then replace browned duck into pan. Lower temperature to medium low.
• Mix the remainder of the soy sauce with the mashed canned plums, reserved plum syrup, ginger, chopped green onion, garlic, sweet sauce (if using), and salt. Pour the mixture over the browned duck pieces in the pan, cover, and let cook over slow heat for 30 minutes or until the duck is tender.
• Mix together the cornstarch with 2 tablespoons plum juice and stir until smooth.
• Remove the duck and thicken the sauce in the pan over low heat by gradually stirring in the cornstarch mixture. Cook until smooth and clear.
• Pour the sauce over the duck and serve.
• Re "Chinese sweet sauce": the recipe nor book do not give any further info on the "sweet sauce" used, but I imagine that such substitutions could be made as an Asian based sweet duck sauce, plum sauce, or simply a tablespoon of brown sugar for each tablespoon sweet sauce.
• Note: in these health conscious days I would probably not use peanut oil to brown the duck, but rather olive oil. If I did use peanut oil, I certainly would not use 1/2 cup of it, as duck is a meat which is quite full of fat to begin with. It's up to you how you'd like to brown your duck and what amount of oil to use, but I've presented the recipe as originally given in the cookbook.

CHINESE DUCK WITH PLUM SAUCE AND CHINOIS PANCAKES

Steps:

• Prepare the ducks. Preheat the oven to 325 degrees F. Mix 1/4 cup of the rice vinegar with the honey and brush the ducks all over with this mixture.
• Place the ducks in a roasting pan and roast them about 30 minutes. Remove from the oven and pour off the accumulated fat. Give the ducks a quarter turn and return to the oven. Repeat this process for about 1 1/2 hours, or until the ducks are dark golden brown on all sides. Remember to pour off the rendered fat each time you turn them. When completely cooked, transfer the ducks to another pan and let them rest so that the fat continues to drain from the insides.
• Meanwhile, in a saucepan, reduce the plum wine with the mint sprigs and orange peel to a glaze. Add the vinegar and reduce it by two thirds. Add the plum puree and reduce it by half, until the flavor is quite intense. Add the demi-glace and continue to reduce the mixture by half, or until it is thickened slightly and tastes delicious. Over very low heat whisk in the butter, a little at a time. Season the sauce, to taste, with salt and pepper. Strain the sauce and keep it warm.
• Remove the breasts and legs from the duck. Place them on a grill or under a broiler or salamander until the skin is crispy.
• Slice the duck breasts into medallions. Separate the legs and thighs; arrange half a duck attractively on each plate. Sauce the duck with the plum sauce. Decorate each plate with a scallion-filled Chinois Pancake.
• Place the plums, wine and berries in a small saucepan, bring to a boil and simmer until the plums are soft, about 15 minutes. Puree the mixture in a blender or food processor and strain it through a fine sieve into a clean saucepan. Bring to a boil and reduce to 1 cup. Set aside.
• In a small bowl, combine the flour, salt, egg and sesame oil. Whisk in the milk, then unless your batter is completely lump free, strain into another bowl. (The batter should be the consistency of heavy cream). If the batter is too thick, add water, 1 tablespoon at a time, until you get the desired consistency.
• Stir in the ginger, garlic and scallion.
• Heat the butter in a non-stick crepe pan over moderate heat. Add 2 tablespoons batter, then swirl the pan to coat the bottom with batter. Cook the pancake over high heat until golden brown. Turn it over and brown the other side. Remove from the pan and keep warm. Repeat the process until all the batter is used.
• Cut each pancake in half, place a scallion on each and roll into a cone shape.

VINCENT PRICE'S ROAST PORK CASTILIAN STYLE

Steps:

• Preheat oven to 350 degrees F.
• Score the skin and fat of the fresh ham.
• Place in a shallow roasting pan (in Spain they use an oval earthenware one) and rub the skin with the butter.
• Combine bay leaves, garlic, thyme, parsley and minced onion; sprinkle this over the meat.
• Next sprinkle meat with the juice of 1 lemon, 1/3 cup white wine, sweet paprika and salt.
• Roast meat for 1-1/2 hours.
• Remove fat that has accumulated in the pan.
• Add to pan: 1/3 cup white wine and 1 cup water.
• Continue to roast for 3-1/2 to 4-1/2 hours longer, or a total of 25 minutes per pound, basting every half hour with the pan juices.