Peking Dust Ii Recipes

Steps:

• 1. Shell chestnuts. Place in cold water and bring to a boil. Boil 3 minutes then drain. 2. Add milk and vanilla extract to chestnuts and heat (but do not boil). Simmer, covered, until chestnuts are tender (20 to 30 minutes). Drain, discarding milk. 3. Mash chestnuts together with butter, sugar and brandy. (The mixture should have the consistency of mashed potatoes. If it doesn't, add some heavy cream.) 4. Meanwhile heat the oven to 275 degrees. Beat egg white with cream of tartar until stiff, but not dry. 5. Fold in salt, then sugar, then remaining vanilla extract. Transfer egg mixture to a pastry tube. 6. Line a baking sheet with foil. Squeeze egg mixture out of tube in the shape of a nest. Bake until golden (40 to 50 minutes). Remove from oven and let cool slightly. Then transfer to a serving platter. 7. Meanwhile transfer the chestnut mixture to the pastry tube. Then squeeze it out in thin threads over the baked egg nest to form a mound on top. 8. Whip heavy cream (see HOW-TO, _Cream: To whip). Then sweeten it with powdered sugar. Arrange as a topping over chestnut mound. Garnish with maraschino cherries and serve. VARIATION: * For the brandy, substitute rum.The Thousand Recipe Chinese Cookbook. ©1994 by Gloria Bley Miller.

Steps:

• Combine honey, soy sauce, sugar and 1/2 teaspoon five-spice powder in a small saucepan. Stir over low heat until sugar dissolves, about 3 minutes.
• In a large saucepan, bring 4 quarts water to a boil. Meanwhile, remove giblets and neck from duck cavity and discard (or reserve for another use). Cut off excess fat from cavity and neck area, then cut off tail. (This helps balance the duck vertically over the beer can.)
• Using your fingers, carefully separate the skin from the breast meat through the bottom of the breasts and work your fingers upward to separate the skin from the meat (be careful not to tear skin). Next, separate the skin from the backbone through the neck and working your way down until you reach the legs. (Scissors are helpful, but be careful to avoid piercing the skin.) Transfer duck to a rack set in the sink.
• Using a ladle or measuring cup, pour half of the boiling water evenly over top of the duck. Flip duck and pour the remaining water evenly all over second side. Tilt duck to drain all water from the cavity, then pat dry with paper towels.
• In a small bowl, combine the remaining 1/2 teaspoon five-spice powder with 1 teaspoon salt, the black pepper and 1 tablespoon of the glaze. Rub the mixture inside the cavity. Stand duck vertically by inserting beer can into cavity and place in a roasting pan or on a rimmed baking sheet.
• Using a pastry brush, brush the remaining glaze all over the duck and sprinkle evenly with remaining 2 teaspoons salt. Place duck in the refrigerator, uncovered, until the skin feels dry and leathery, 24 hours.
• Heat oven to 450 degrees with rack in bottom third of oven. Remove duck from refrigerator, and add 1 1/2 cups water to the pan. Wrap wing tips and tips of drumsticks with foil to prevent burning, then loosely tent duck with foil. Roast for 15 minutes. Decrease temperature to 350 degrees and roast, tented with foil, until skin is mahogany and an instant-read thermometer inserted into the thickest part of the thigh registers 165 degrees, 1 hour to 1 hour 15 minutes more, adding more water to the pan if needed.
• Leaving duck on the can, transfer duck vertically to a cutting board and let rest for 15 minutes. Carve the crispy skin from the back and legs of the duck, and slice into strips.
• Carefully remove duck from the beer can and return to cutting board. Carve off the breasts and legs; thinly slice the breasts and shred dark meat.
• Carefully strain pan juices into a small bowl and pour off all the fat. In another small bowl, whisk together the hoisin, sesame oil and up to 1/4 cup of the pan juices to form sauce.
• To serve, spread 1 tablespoon prepared sauce on each tortilla. Top each with some scallions, cucumbers, duck meat and crispy skin. Roll up and enjoy warm.

Steps:

• Make a slit on the flat side of each chestnut.
• Place in boiling water and simmer for 40-45 minutes.
• Drain them and allow them to cool.
• Shell them making sure to get all of the 'meat' and you need to remove ALL of the skin.
• Grind them into a fine powder.
• Stir in salt and sugar.
• Whip your cream to your desired thickness and fold in your caster sugar and vanilla, if using this.
• To Serve:
• Either form the chestnut mixture into one large mound or form smaller mounds in individual serving bowls. Top with the whipped cream mixture.

Steps:

• 1. Shell and blanch almonds. Peel oranges and separate into segments. Rub a serving platter generously with peanut oil. 2. Combine sugar, water and light corn syrup in a saucepan and bring to a boil, stirring, over medium heat. 3. Dip nuts and fruit, one piece at a time, into the syrup to coat. Place on the oiled serving platter to cool and harden. The Thousand Recipe Chinese Cookbook. ©1994 by Gloria Bley Miller.