Chinese Pressed Duck Recipes

Steps:

• Cut ducklings lengthwise into halves. Trim fat from pork. Cut bamboo shoots lengthwise into thin strips. Cut green onions into 2-inch pieces cut pieces lengthwise into thin strips.Heat 2 quarts water, the soy sauce, gingerroot, garlic, 2 teaspoons salt and the five-spice powder to boiling in Dutch oven add duckling and pork. Heat to boiling reduce heat. Cover and simmer 1 1 /2 hours. Remove duckling and pork cool. Skim fat from broth. Reserve and refrigerate 1 cup broth. Remove bones from duckling, keeping meat and skin as intact as possible. Shred pork and any small pieces of remaining duckling meat from boning. Mix water chestnut flour, 1/3 cup cornstarch and 1/2 teaspoon salt. Stir half of the flour mixture into shredded meat. Brush both sides of duckling halves with half of the egg whites. Sprinkle both sides of duckling with half of the remaining flour mixture. Place duckling halves, skin sides down, in greased square pan, 9 x 9 x 2 inches. Press shredded meat firmly and evenly on duckling halves. Brush with remaining egg whites sprinkle with remaining flour mixture. Place pan on rack in steamer cover and steam over boiling water 20 minutes. (Add boiling water if necessary.) Remove duckling from steamer cover and refrigerate 1 hour or until cold. Heat vegetable oil (1 1/2 inches) in wok to 350°. Fry almonds 1 minute or until light brown. Remove almonds from wok drain on paper towels. Chop almonds finely. Fry 1 duckling half at a time 5 minutes or until golden brown, turning once drain on paper towels. Cut each lengthwise into halves cut halves into 1/2-inch slices. Arrange on heated platter.Heat reserved broth, the chicken broth, bamboo shoots and oyster sauce to boiling. Mix 3 tablespoons cornstarch and 3 tablespoons water stir into broth mixture. Cook and stir until thickened pour over duckling. Sprinkle with almonds garnish with green onions.8 servings**Pressed Duck can be prepared in advance. After steaming, cover duck and reserved stock separately and refrigerate no longer than 24 hours. Just before serving, continue as directed above.From "Betty Crocker's New Chinese Cookbook." Text Copyright 2005 General Mills, Inc. Used with permission of the publisher, Wiley Publishing, Inc. All Rights Reserved.

Steps:

• 1. Place the duck in a large pot; add water to cover. To the water, add the star anise, green onions, ginger root, soy sauces, salt. Cover, turn to high heat. Bring to boil; reduce heat to medium, cook duck for 2 hours or until tender. Remove the duck; cool. Skin, debone, shred the duck meat.(Madame Wu adds as an aside here: "If, like many Chinese, you enjoy the skin, leave some of it on as it will produce a crisper texture when deep-fried.") 2. Pack the shredded duck into a square cooking pan to a 3/4 inch thickness. Sprinkle cornstarch generously over one side, then turn it over and do the same on the other side until completely coated. Heat water to boiling in the bottom of a steamer. Place the duck in the top section, cover, steam 30 minutes. Remove, cool; refrigerate overnight. 3. The next day, take the duck out of the refrigerator, cut into 4 quarters and drain on paper toweling so there will be no moisture to splatter. In a deep-fryer, heat the 2 quarts of vegetable oil to 350 degrees. Add the duck quarters, deep-fry for 10 minutes, then remove with slotted spoon. Drain on paper towels. Cut into 1-inch squares, place on a serving platter. 4. While the duck is deep-frying, prepare the sweet and sour sauce. Mix together the vinegar, ketchup, brown sugar, red food coloring. Pour into a skillet; bring to a boil. Add the cornstarch and water blend, cook until the syrup thickens to the desired consistency. Pour the sauce over the duck, sprinkle with crushed almonds, serve immediately.

Steps:

• In a large skillet heat the peanut oil to medium-hot.
• In the meantime, dry the duck with several layers of paper towels.
• Brush the duck liberally with the soy sauce, being certain to paint it all over and thoroughly.
• When it is fully brushed, place the duck into the hot peanut oiled skillet and fry it on both sides until it turns a dark golden brown.
• While the duck is frying, bring to a boil a pot of water deep enough to completely submerge the duck.
• Into the pot, add a bouquet garni made of 1 teaspoon fennel seeds, 4 whole star anise, 6 whole cloves, salt and white pepper, dried peel from 1/2 of a tangerine, about 2 oz. sliced ginger root, 4 green onions (tied in knots), and water.
• After the stock has simmered for about 20 minutes to release the essences from the bouquet, take the fried duck and place it into the stockpot.
• At this point, lower the heat and poach the duck for exactly 1 hour.
• This causes the thick fat layer in the duck to dissolve and be extracted from under the skin.
• When the allotted cooking time is done, remove the duck from the stockpot, drain it well, and allow it to cool.
• Cut the duck in half and remove the rib bones, back bones, neck bones, and thigh bones (but leave the drumstick and wing bones on for presentation).
• IMMEDIATELY sprinkle the duck halves with salt and white pepper.
• Then sprinkle the duck halves evenly with cornstarch.
• Then sprinkle over the cornstarch with cold water.
• Then top everything off by the sprinkling of all-purpose flour.
• Then place both duck halves on a metal steamer rack and set the rack down inside the stockpot that you poached the duck in originally.
• With the burner set to medium, cover and steam the duck halves for 20 minutes.
• As soon as they come out of the steamer pot, transfer the duck halves to a preheated 375 degree oven.
• In about 15 to 20 minutes the oven heat will cause the water from the steaming process to evaporate from the duck meat, consequently crisping up the skin in the process.
• This is probably the most critical part of the entire recipe, because a miscalculation here could completely dry out the duck and make it stringy instead of crispy and juicy.
• So, it is important to watch the halves carefully while they are in the oven.
• You'll now make the Mandarin Sauce from these ingredients listed in the ingredients section: 1 small onion diced, 2 ribs celery (coarsely chopped), 2 cups of the poaching stock, 2 tablespoons soy sauce, 3/4 head of crushed garlic, 4 tablespoons all-purpose flour, and 2 tablespoons cornstarch.
• While the halves are crisping, take about 1/2 cup of the oil from the skillet you originally browned the duck in and pour it into a wok.
• Then over high heat, fry down until the veggies are richly browned.
• When all the veggies have caramelized (which intensely flavors the oil and which should take about 5 minutes or so), spoon into the wok about 3 or 4 tablespoons of all-purpose flour and cook it into the oil to make a roux.
• Then, carefully ladle into the roux about 1 or 2 cups of the poaching stock to make a gravy.
• This is where the intensity of the flavors is created.
• The stock is ultra-rich in duck flavor, and the roux is ultra-rich in caramelized onions and garlic.
• Finally, when you are ready to serve the dish, remove the duck from the oven, cut it into julienned strips, and place it on a platter.
• Then finish the Mandarin Sauce by stirring into the gravy 2 tablespoons of soy sauce, and 2 tablespoons cornstarch dissolved in water to thicken it.
• Serve over a bed of white rice if desired.
• I know it is a lot of work, but very few other dishes even come close to the taste of this great dish!
• NOTES: To make and use a bouquet garni, simply tie up the herbs you select in a piece of cheesecloth and simmer them in water for at least 20 minutes.
• When you steam the duck halves, rest them on top of strips of green onions or carrot slices so that the steam can circulate under the meat. Otherwise, the duck will not cook consistantly.
• Be careful when adding the poaching stock to the hot roux. If this is done carelessly, the oil could splatter and cause severe burns! When doing this, I wrap a thick towel around my arm.