Teochew Braised Duck and Coconut Basmati Pilaf

I originally planned on making this braised duck recipe as part of my Chinese New Year series of meals.  But I never got around to it.  Earlier this week I went by Fairway and picked up a duck and it occurred to me that we had all of the ingredients we needed to make the duck.  And even though we already finished our seven meals for Chinese New Year there was no reason not to make the duck.

I really like this duck, but there are two things I wish we had done.  First, I wish that after we finished braising the duck (and cooling it in the braising liquid), that we had seared it quickly in a screaming hot pan to crisp up the skin over the breasts a little.  Second, instead of making the chili-lime dipping sauce I would have made a simple Vietnamese salt, pepper and lime dipping sauce (made by combining kosher salt, ground white pepper and a healthy squirt of lime juice).  In Vietnamese restaurants the sauce is usually served alongside dishes like Bo Luc Lac (Shaking Beef), butter-fried frog legs, and roast quail.  I thought that the chili-lime dipping sauce here was a little one note and harsh and didn't complement the duck as well as the salt, pepper and lime dipping sauce would have.  The duck was slightly sweet, moist and very flavorful, if a little on the greasy side.  Granted it is duck, so it should be a bit on the greasy side.  You wouldn't believe how much duck fat rendered out during the braising process.  It was unbelievable.  As for the coconut rice, it was nice.  I might add a little more cardamom and ginger next time - particularly the ginger because neither Alex nor I tasted it at all.  I would also add a little more salt and 1 tsp of sugar to the rice, just to give it a hint of sweetness.

Recipes after the jump!

Teochew Braised Duck (Lo Ack)

The Asian Grandmother's Cookbook: Home Cooking from Asian American Kitchens

By Patricia Tanumihardja

INGREDIENTS:

For duck:

2 tbsp sea or kosher salt, divided

4-5 lb. duck, rinsed and patted dry with paper towels (remove duck neck, etc. from the cavity)

2 cups water, plus more as needed

1/2 cup dark soy sauce

2 plump stalks lemongrass, trimmed and bruised (only use the bottom 4 inches of the stalk)

1-inch piece fresh ginger, smashed

1 tbsp sugar

4 whole cloves

4 star anise pods

2 cinnamon sticks

1 tsp black peppercorns

For Chili-Lime Dipping Sauce:

4 cloves garlic, peeled

2 long, fresh red chilis (such as Holland or Fresno), or 2 tbsp prepared chili paste

8 tbsp lime juice

salt

Rub 1 1/2 tbsp salt evenly all over the duck, inside and out.  Set aside.

In a large Dutch oven, mix together the water, soy sauce, lemongrass, ginger, sugar, cloves, star anise, cinnamon, peppercorns and remaining 1/2 tbsp salt.  Bring to a boil.  Reduce heat to medium-low.  Gently add duck to the Dutch oven, breast-side up.  The braising liquid should reach halfway up the sides of the duck.  Add water as necessary to achieve the proper amount of braising liquid.  Simmer, basting the duck every 5 minutes, for 20 minutes.  Cover and simmer until the duck is tender and fully cooked, about 50 minutes, flipping the duck over halfway through.  To check if the duck is fully-cooked, poke the duck in the thigh with a sharp knife.  If the juices run clear, the duck is cooked.

Turn off the heat and leave the duck immersed in the sauce for another 30-45 minutes so it can cool slightly.  Cooling the duck in the braising liquid helps to keep it moist.

To make the dipping sauce, combine garlic and chilis in a mini food prep and process until a coarse paste forms.  Add lime juice and salt.  Mix to combine.

Remove duck from braising liquid and allow to cool for 10 minutes before cutting into serving pieces. If you want to fry it to crisp up the skin, heat a cast iron skillet over medium-high heat.  Add 1 tbsp peanut oil.  When the pan is hot, add the duck, breast side down, and cook until skin is golden brown and crispy, about 1 minute.  While the duck is cooling, skim the fat from the surface of the sauce and drizzle some of the strained sauce over the duck.

Serve duck with rice and dipping sauce (alternatively, as I suggested above you can make a simple Vietnamese salt, pepper and lime dipping sauce by mixing 1 tsp kosher salt, 1/2 tsp ground white pepper and 1 tbsp lime juice).

Coconut Basmati Pilaf

Adapted from Classic Indian Cooking

By Julie Sahni

Available in NY Times

INGREDIENTS:

1 1/2 cups basmati rice

3 green cardamom pods

3 thin slices ginger

3 sprigs cilantro

1 teaspoon kosher salt

1 1/2 cups unsweetened coconut milk.

Rinse the rice in a strainer under cold water until water runs clear. Drain well and transfer to a large saucepan with 1 1/2 cups cold water, cardamom, ginger, cilantro, salt and coconut milk. Let soak for 30 minutes or up to 2 hours.

Place the saucepan over medium-high heat and bring to a boil. Stir a few times to keep rice grains from clumping. Cook uncovered, rapidly boiling, until most of the liquid is absorbed and the surface is covered with steamy holes, about 6 minutes. Reduce heat as low as possible and cook, covered, for 5 minutes (we cooked for 8-10 minutes to get the rice a little less soupy). Remove and discard the cilantro sprig, cardamom and ginger.