RecipesFive spice duck, honey and ginger, soy sauce with noodles

Five spice duck, honey and ginger, soy sauce with noodles

"Call this Chinese-Chinese or Indo Chinese, but this is a marriage of cultures and makes for a very interesting dish indeed. This preparation may sound silly to some and a waste to others, but as an Indian I can assure you that wastefulness is not in my blood and we are very conservative in how we utilise raw materials. The Oil should be strained and kept in a jar for future use and is useful for repeated uses. If you can keep it refrigerated or in the freezer then the life is very prolonged. But you will be able to use this for many things in future and the results will amaze you. The cooking process is slow and may sound tedious but the end product is amazing. The first phase may sound rather tedious but it's a one off for this oil to be prepared and thereafter its easy. This slow cooking process is ideal of non-fatty meats especially game. You can if you like use this oil for the recipe below or for the noodles."

Serves 3 - 4

Cooks in

Difficulty Medium

Cyrus TodiwalaMain

Go back

Ingredients

One small duck
3 Spring Onions, white parts chopped fine and greens to be thinly shredded
1 Medium red onion halved and sliced
2 Slender Green Chillies chopped
1 Green pepper to be quartered cleaned and thinly sliced
100gm mushrooms, shitake or button or oyster, sliced
2Teaspoons of Five-Spice Powder
1Tablespoon white sesame seeds
1Teaspoon Sesame Oil
2-3 Tablespoons Oil (use any you like but not Olive oil)
salt and crushed black pepper

For the sauce

1 Jar Of good Clear Honey (Local to you is preferred if available)
1 Small Bottle Light Soy sauce
4” piece of Fresh Ginger washed and crushed in a mortar or in a coffee grinder

For the noodles

1-2 Spring Onions cut thinly at a slant
1 large packet oriental-style egg noodles, choose the thick type
1 -2 Tablespoons Spiced Oil from the mallard
1 Heaped tablespoon chopped fresh coriander

Method

Take a litre or more of cold pressed rapeseed oil or cold pressed sunflower oil and pour into a casserole. Bring it to near smoking point, meanwhile get three sticks of cinnamon bark, a teaspoon of Black pepper corns, eight green cardamoms cracked, eight to ten cloves and approx. ten bay-leaves, six to eight star anise.

As soon as the oil nears smoking point, turn off the heat and add the spices and cover the pan. Do not open until the oil is now cooled. This is your oil now ready. Strain the oil or drain well into a jug and when the spices are well drained and dried, you can grind them down and use as a seasoning for meats and game dishes. They can be used whole as a bouquet garni for rice dishes as well.

Take 1 small sized duck (you can use one or two small whole jointed mallards too) cut into four joints plus wings separated, clean well and remove any feathers etc. place in a casserole or pan where they can be arranged at the bottom without over lapping and pour the spices oil over and the meat covered fully. This you can sue for all future cooking using this oil.

Place on the hob again but on a very low heat where the oil approximately reaches 70-75* C maximum and let the mallard cook in this low heat for a couple of hours.

Check to see if it is completely cooked and nearly falling off the bone. When that happens drain out in a small colander arresting all the oil below. Reserve the oil as suggested, strained and kept safe.

When cooled shred / strip the meat up or cut it into thin strips, shred the skin too and reserve it for the noodles

Best is to get everything ready and cook simultaneously so you cn serve it all hot and fabulous.

THE NOODLES:

When the water is boiling, add salt & the egg noodles and cook for 3-4 minutes or according to packet instructions. Drain the noodles and place them in a bowl.

Heat the oil in a wok or casserole and add the duck or mallard skin and fry until well browned and looking crisp. Add spring onions and sauté for a minute. Switch off and blend in the Hot noodles. Add the fresh coriander and some salt and pepper mix well and serve.

THE SAUCE:

Bring the light Soy sauce to the boil with the crushed ginger and then simmer for five minutes, add the honey and bring to the boil again.

Drain through a strainer squeezing every last bit out. This has to be done whilst it is still hot to get the maximum out. Fill in a jar and when cold seal tight and use as desired.