Peking duck

How to make Peking duck

I'm pretty sure you've seen these birdies hanging inside of a commercial rotisserie at a Chinese food shop somewhere in downtown China town.  well this recipe I'm going to share with you is just like the duck you buy from the shops! no need to drive so far to get them no more you can make it straight from home! what you'll need is: 1 tbsp of white peppercorns, 1 cinnamon stick, 6 star anise, 8 large dried bay leaves, 1 1/2 tbsp cumin seeds, 1 tbsp fennel seeds, 6 green whole cardamom, 1/2 tsp whole cloves, 4 cups of water, 1 cup of dried siracha chilies, 1/2 cup of salt, 1/4 cup of brown sugar, 1/4 cup of white granulated sugar, 2 tbsp of chicken bouillon, 2 tsp of MSG, 6 cloves of garlic, 1/2 cup of ginger, shaoxing wine, 4 cups of beer, and 1 whole duck.

Get your spices ready.

If your duck does not come with a neck it's okay, just use toothpicks to seal shut. 

In a mortar combine: 

1 tbsp of white peppercorns, 1 cinnamon stick, 6 star anise, 8 large dried bay leaves, 1 1/2 tbsp cumin seeds, 1 tbsp fennel seeds, 6 green whole cardamom, 1/2 tsp whole cloves.  Crush until semi smooth.  Remove from mortar and place inside of a cheesecloth or in a tea vessel and place aside until ready for use. 

In a medium sauce pan add the water, dried chillies, salt, brown sugar, white granulated sugar, ginger slices, and the crushed spices.  simmer for 30 minutes covered on low heat. after 30 minutes turn off the fire, and add the cold 4 cups of beer.  Set aside until completely cooled. 

In a separate pot big enough to place the duck in, add the cooled brine and soak the duck in the brine for 18-48 hours in the refrigerator, flipping the duck once. 

Remove the duck from the brine after being soaked from 18-48 hours, and place on a baking pan.  Pat the duck as dry as you can on both sides, and remove all the spices stuck on the skin and inside the cavity. Completely seal the abdominal cavity with toothpicks, and if your duck does not have a neck seal the opening with toothpicks as well. Pre-heat oven to 300 degrees Fahrenheit.

Evenly brush the shaoxing wine on both sides of the duck. Place into the oven and cook for 3 hours at 300 degrees Fahrenheit. At the last 20 minutes increase heat to 350 degree farenheit to brown the duck. 

Remove from oven and serve with folded bao, or rice and duck sauce.  

Ingredients: 

1 whole duck

For the spices:

1 tbsp of white peppercorns

1 cinnamon stick

6 star anise

8 large dried bay leaves

1 1/2 tbsp cumin seeds

1 tbsp fennel seeds

6 green whole cardamom

1/2 tsp whole cloves

For the Brine:

4 cups of water

1 cup of dried siracha chilies

1/2 cup of salt

1/4 cup of brown sugar

1/4 cup of white granulated sugar

2 tbsp of chicken bouillon

2 tsp of MSG

6 cloves of garlic

1/2 cup of 2" sliced ginger 

4 cups of beer

For brushing: 

Shaoxing wine

Directions: 

1. In a mortar combine: 

1 tbsp of white peppercorns, 1 cinnamon stick, 6 star anise, 8 large dried bay leaves, 1 1/2 tbsp cumin seeds, 1 tbsp fennel seeds, 6 green whole cardamom, 1/2 tsp whole cloves.  Crush until semi smooth.  

2. Remove from mortar and place inside of a cheesecloth or in a tea vessel and place aside until ready for use. 

3. In a medium sauce pan add the water, dried chillies, salt, brown sugar, white granulated sugar, ginger slices, and the crushed spices.  simmer for 30 minutes covered on low heat. 

4. after 30 minutes turn off the fire, and add the cold 4 cups of beer.  Set aside until completely cooled. 

5. In a separate pot big enough to place the duck in, add the cooled brine and soak the duck in the brine for 18-48 hours in the refrigerator, flipping the duck once. 

6. Remove the duck from the brine after being soaked from 18-48 hours, and place on a baking pan.  Pat the duck as dry as you can on both sides, and remove all the spices stuck on the skin and inside the cavity. 

7. Completely seal the abdominal cavity with toothpicks, and if your duck does not have a neck seal the opening with toothpicks as well. 

8. Pre-heat oven to 300 degrees Fahrenheit.

9. Evenly brush the shaoxing wine on both sides of the duck. Place into the oven and cook for 3 hours at 300 degrees Fahrenheit. At the last 20 minutes increase heat to 350 degree farenheit to brown the duck. 

10. Remove from oven and serve with folded bao, or rice and duck sauce.  

Hope you'll enjoy it! 

Takikomi Gohan

How to make Takikomi Gohan

I stumbled upon a Japanese rice recipe on Pinterest one day and decided to make it! I love rice! Anyway it's made. in this recipe i replaced dashi flavored seasoning with vegetable broth to make this dish completely vegan! you may leave the dashi flavor if you want just add 1 tbsp of it into 2 cups of water. This is an easy rice recipe that you can easily put together in a matter of minutes.  What you'll need is: 1 1/2 cups of nishiki rice, 2 cups of vegetable broth, 1 1/2 cups of fresh Shiitaki mushrooms, 1 cup of enoki mushrooms, 1 1/2 cups of king oyster mushrooms, 1/2 cup of 1" medium sliced carrots, 1 tbsp mirin, 2 tbsp soy sauce, 1/2 tsp of salt, 2 tsp of mushroom bouillon, green onion for garnish. 

Cut the king ouster mushrooms, Shiitaki mushrooms, and carrots into thin slices.  Remove the enoki mushrooms from its stems and cut in half. 

Sautéed on high heat the carrots, and all mushrooms, stirring occasionally to avoid burning.  Sautéed until soft and remove from pan and put aside when ready to use. 

Let's prepare the Japanese rice.  Using a rice cooker, add th rice and rinse the starch out of rice 3-4 times using Luke warm water.  once cleaned, drain all the water out.  add the vegetable broth, soy sauce, mirin, salt, and the sautéed vegetables. mixed together well, and place into rice cooker.  Set mode on rice cooker until cooked.  Once rice is cook leave covered for an additional 5 minutes to release moisture.  Add the mushroom bouillon and mix together. Serve immediately using green onions to garnish. 

Ingredients:

1 1/2 cups of nishiki rice

2 cups of vegetable broth

1 1/2 cups of fresh Shiitaki mushrooms

1 cup of enoki mushrooms

1 1/2 cups of king oyster mushrooms

1/2 cup of 1" medium sliced carrots

1 tbsp mirin

2 tbsp soy sauce

1/2 tsp of salt

2 tsp of mushroom bouillon

green onion for garnish. 

Directions: 

1. Cut the king ouster mushrooms, Shiitaki mushrooms, and carrots into thin slices.  Remove the enoki mushrooms from its stems and cut in half. 

2. Sautéed on high heat the carrots, and all mushrooms, stirring occasionally to avoid burning.  Sautéed until soft and remove from pan and put aside when ready to use. 

3. Let's prepare the Japanese rice.  Using a rice cooker, add th rice and rinse the starch out of rice 3-4 times using Luke warm water.  

4. once cleaned, drain all the water out.  5. add the vegetable broth, soy sauce, mirin, salt, and the sautéed vegetables. mixed together well, and place into rice cooker.  

6. Set mode on rice cooker until cooked.  7. Once rice is cook leave covered for an additional 5 minutes to release moisture.  8. Add the mushroom bouillon and mix together. 

9. Serve immediately using green onions to garnish. 

 

Hope you enjoy this vegan recipe!