Teochew Braised Duck （潮州卤鸭）

Teochew Braised Duck （潮州卤鸭）

My mother in-law taught me how to cook the Teochew Braised Duck. However it is my long term partner at work helped me to fully mastered this dish. We both happened to a Cantonese and married a Teochew man. I was a new bride back then and she is a mother of three for 30 over years.

Each time I failed, she will point out my fault and I learn from there. Thank you to mother in-law for the basic and thanks to my dear old friend for the improvement.



Ingredients 

Duck 
Chinese five spices powder
Dark soya paste 
3 tbsp mascavdo* (This will produces a thicker sauce.)
3 tbsp sugar
1 tsp salt
2 pcs cinnamon 
1-2 whole anistar
1 small red onion
Water

* If you prefer a more watery sauce, use 6 tbsp of white sugar instead.

Method 

Preparation for duck

1. Clean duck with coarse salt. Pluck all feathers.
2. Pour a flask of boiling water over the duck and into the stomach.
3. Wash and pat dry
4. Rub salt & five spices powder around the duck & some into the stomach.
5. Put the duck into the refrigerator overnight.



Cooking of duck

Step 1 to 4

1. Preheat the wok.
2. Add in mascavdo & white sugar.
3. Stir gently till the sugar melt
4. Add in the whole onion, cinnamon & anistar.
5. Put in the duck
6. Pour dark soya paste over the duck.
7. Pour water over the duck. Water must cover 70% of the duck.
8. Switch to high flame, cook the duck for 15 mins. 

Step 5 to 8

9. Turn the duck over, add water & pour dark soya paste over the duck . Each time you  add water, you need to add soya paste

Step 9

10. Cook for another 15 mins. 
11. Repeat steps 9 & 
10. Turn to medium - low flame.
12. After about 3-4 turns. Use a chopstick to poke into the thighs & drumlet area. If it pierce through, it means it is done. 
13. Remove the duck, cool for 1-2 hrs chop & serve with the braising sauce.

* If you have an additional duck to braised, Just prep the duck as usual. After removing the cooked duck from the wok, put the second duck inside. Continue from Step 5 onward.

Strawberry Milk Chiffon

Strawberry Milk Chiffon Cake
(Without using baking powder and cream of tartar) - recipe give to me by Eugenia Teo 

Ingredients:

5 egg yolks
50g castor sugar
1/4 tsp salt
50ml oil
80-90g strawberry milk (I use Meiji brand)
100g cake flour


5 egg whites
50g castor sugar
3/4 tsp lemon juice


Methods:
1) Mix egg yolks, sugar, salt till light and fluffy, pour in strawberry milk and oil mix till well combine.

2) Sieve in flour and mix well.

3) Whisk egg whites till foamy, add in lemon juice continue to beat, slowly add in sugar, whisk until firm peak.

4) Fold in 1/3 of the meringue into the batter, continue another 1/3, lastly fold in balance meringue and fold till well combine.

5) Transfer batter into 21cm tube pan, gently bang the pan on table top few times to release air.

6) Bake at 150°C for 60mins. (My oven temperature, every oven temperature differ)

7) Once bake, immediately remove from oven, give a few bangs and invert to cool down completely and unmould using bare hands.

Lemon Butter Cookies with Chia Seed

Lemon Butter Cookies 


Ingredients 

1/2 cup butter, softened  (115g)
1/2 cup white sugar  
1 egg  
1 1/2 cups all-purpose flour  
2 tablespoons fresh lemon juice  
1 teaspoon lemon zest  
1/2 teaspoon baking powder  
1/8 teaspoon salt  
1/3 cup granulated sugar for decoration

Directions  

1  Beat butter and sugar in large bowl with electric mixer until creamy. Beat in egg unti light and fluffy. Mix in flour, lemon juice and peel, baking powder and salt. Cover refrigerate about 2 hours or until firm.  

2  Preheat oven to 175 degrees C.

3  Roll out dough, a small amount at a time, to 1/4-inch thickness on well-floured surface with floured rolling pin. (Keep remaining dough in refrigerator.) Cut with 3-inch round cookie cutter. Transfer to ungreased cookie sheets. Sprinkle with sugar.  

4  Bake 8 to 10 minutes until lightly browned on edges. Cool 1 minute on cookie sheets. Remove to wire racks; cool completely. Store in airtight container.  

Balsamic & funnel chicken.

Wanted to bake har jiong chicken but realised that I had no more hat jiong. Thus I decided to use whatever I had in the fridge.

Ingredient

500g chicken mid joint
1 small fresh funnel (roughly chopped)
2 tbsp balsamic vinegar
1 tbsp LP sauce
1 lemon zest
Juice of 1 lemon
Pinch of salt
1 pc portobello  (optional)


Method

1. Mix all ingredients and keep in the fridge for at least 3 hrs.
2. Preheat oven to 200 deg.
3. Lay the mid joints on the baking tray. Pour the residue on top of the mid joints.
* if you like roughly chopped the portobello & lay on top of the mid joints
4. Bake for 25 minutes.