0 Duck Duck Soup

Duck Duck Soup...Stock, Broth and rendered Duck FAT...YUMMM !


what do you do when you bring home an absolutely beautiful whole roasted duck and no one is as excited as you are?...make soup. actually it's a 3 in one bonus. you'll end up with a flavorful soup, rich stock and the always sought after and ever so expensive rendered DUCK FAT.







the broth is fabulous and rich. i like to reduce about half of the pot and keep a bit in the freezer to use with quick sauteed veggies or add into a braising liquid for just about anything. the other half goes into the soup for the night.





i found my beautiful duck fully cooked at my favorite Asian market, 99 Ranch Market in Irvine, CA. i've been fascinated with duck for a while and never tried cooking a whole one myself. #1, they are pretty expensive in regular markets (about 25-30 bucks) and #2 i've heard they are kind of tricky to cook properly. the ratio of fat to meat is not even throughout the body so it seems one must control the cooking to get the perfect roast bird. when i saw this baby hanging in the deli section i was so excited, but immediately knew it would be pricey...not so. the whole cooked duck was only $14.00...i'll take 3 please. no, i just bought one, but you can bet i was back within the week getting another. i made Asian flavor Duck Rillettes with the second. i haven't posted about it yet, but oooh they were delicious.

so, since this duck was ALL MINE i took it apart piece by piece...totally enjoyed and devoured the wings, legs and thighs on their own and set aside the breasts for the soup or stew i knew i had to make with all this ducky goodness. the meat was a little seasoned and the skin was delicious and crispy. after wiping away the carnivorous debris, i was smart enough to keep all the bones and fatty skin from the parts i had eaten and, as you can see, i had the whole body/carcass...head to tail...with all it's flavorful fatty skin and bones. everybody into the pool. what i mean is everything goes in the pot except, of course, the breasts.

DUCK STOCK
adapted from Chichajo @ 80 Breakfasts
original recipe and great blog found HERE

The bones (the whole carcass including head) of 1 Peking Duck (or roasted, as shown)
2 carrots, peeled and cut in large pieces
2 onions, peeled and cut in quarters
2-3 stalks of lemongrass, white part only, bashed
1-2 inch piece of ginger, peeled and cut into rounds
2 jalepeno peppers halved
2 star anise
A few sprigs of cilantro
A few stalks spring onions (I used about 3)
Whole black peppercorns approx. 10 - 15
1/4 cup soy sauce

- Place everything in a stockpot and cover with water. The water should reach about an inch over the duck.
- Bring to a boil and skim off any scum that appears. Reduce to a simmer and cover pot. Let the stock simmer gently for 2-3 hours.
- Uncover pot and simmer for about 30 minutes more to reduce stock. Taste and either adjust seasoning or reduce further to deepen flavor.
strain, but do not use cheese cloth. use a regular fine strainer if you are interested in rendering as much of the duck fat as possible
- Portion as you prefer and let cool. Use immediately or store in the fridge if you’ll be using it in a couple of days…if not, freeze for future enjoyment

don't forget to render the duck fat. i like to pour the stock into 1 qt. containers and let it come to room temp. to let the fat rise to the top. then into the fridge for the fat to solidify. render the fat off each container and put into separate container...microwave the fat slightly back to liquid state and pour into an appropriate size container for storage. this will keep in the fridge like butter or you can freeze it for future use.

0 Scotch Eggs...Not Scottish at all...

SCOTCH EGGS...

not Scottish at all ??? then why are they call Scotch Eggs ?!!! they were actually invented by the famous London department store, FORTNUM & MASON in 1851 and they were originally wrapped in SCOTCH Beef...just a fun little foodie fact i found at Wikipedia.

i don't recall where i first saw these and got the bee in my bonnet, but i knew i had to try them. i'm all about a good full protein breakfast and quite often i have to eat it on the go. these are perfect...and so dang CUTE as well.

so easy to make. i chose the easiest route. basically you cover a hard boiled egg in your favorite sausage, dip that in some breadcrumbs and bake 'till the sausage is done. there are so many variations out there with more involved meat recipes, but why go there when there are so many wonderful fresh handmade sausages at your favorite markets. Bristol Farms has an incredible selection. their Chicken Apple Sausage with chunks of granny smith is so delicious as well as the Chicken Jezebel and Spicy Italian Turkey. my first batch was made with good ol'Jenny-O's Spicy Italian Turkey Sausage found at most major markets. so... fancy sausage or packaged store bought, these are easy, fun, portable, ADORABLE and kids will love them.

i chose to bake these. i'm not a fan of deep frying YET. i like to leave that to the professionals. deep frying scares me a bit and since i don't do alot of it (YET), the oil would be a one time use. seems like a waste. then there's the pain of getting rid of it, not spilling it, letting it cool enough to pour it back into the container you were hopefully smart enough to keep and finally throwing away some perfectly good frying oil. i must admit, i think i secretly would love to fry more things. i kind of wish i could have a mini fryer in the kitchen. shhhhhhh.

SCOTCH EGGS
loosely adapted from Recipezaar #69970...

Ingredients
1 lb chicken, turkey or pork Italian sausage
4-5 large eggs, hard boiled (not too large)
flour (just a little to coat the eggs)
1 large egg
2 cups fine dry breadcrumbs (i used Panko). you don't need to use the whole 2 cups!!
Directions
1. remove meat from casing. one large sausage should cover 1 egg (a little less than 1/4 lb). use your judgement. i made 5 scotch eggs from a 1lb package of Jenny O Turkey Sausage for the first batch.
2. roll the eggs in flour. (this helps the meat stick to the egg)
3. wrap each egg evenly in a portion of meat, being sure they are covered completely. roll it around in your hands a bit to ensure even sausage coating.
4. beat the remaining egg in a small bowl
5. dip each egg/sausage ball in the beaten egg then coat thoroughly in breadcrumbs.
6. optional...chill for one hour...or don't...i didn't.
7. bake until golden brown on a cookie sheet (line with tin foil for easy clean up) at 375°F; about 30 minutes. mine took about 35 minutes.

these keep really well in the fridge for a few days. just warm in the microwave. i like to slice in half and eat like an apple...on the go. of course, you could fancy these up for a fun brunch treat. they make for such a cute presentation with the surprise egg inside.

0 LENTIL SOUP with ROASTED VEG. and SAUTEED APRICOTS

woops...i almost for got about this delicious soup. i'm so behind with my posts that i almost left this one behind. can't do that. this one is good and easy...a little time consuming if you're fussy about presentation like me. i think the sweetness of the apricots really works well with the savory roasted vegetables. i love the texture of lentils when they are cooked just right...tender to the bite, but still in their cute flying saucer shape. keep it monochromatic for an interesting presentation...anything orange is fun to work with. always bright, flavorful and comforting.

LENTIL SOUP with ROASTED VEG. and SAUTEED APRICOTS

1 cup red (orange) lentils

4-5 cups good chicken stock (homemade best, of course)

2 Tbsp olive oil

1/2 large onion. diced

1-3 cloves garlic. minced

1 tsp oregano

a pinch of cayenne
salt and pepper to taste after cooking

3 carrots

2 cups banana squash or butternut. peeled, cubed

1 orange pepper large dice

5-10 garlic cloves for roasting (optional)

feta for topping (optional)

approx 10 dried apricots (whole)

make the lentil base...in a soup pan saute the onion and garlic. add the stock and lentils and bring to a boil. lower heat and cook until tender. i like my lentils to keep their shape so i pull them before they get mushy. remember they will continue cooking as you reheat the soup. check seasoning.
roast your vegetables at 350 degrees approx 20 minutes. olive oil, salt, and pepper. keep an eye on them and stir to brown all sides

3 med. carrots. sliced large

2 cups small cubed squash. i used banana squash. peeled, of course

garlic...i always throw in a bunch of garlic cloves when roasting veg. just to have on hand and/or add this to the soup/stew for extra yummy goodness

saute the apricots...i used a little olive oil and sauteed, or rather, seared the dried apricots. you could saute them with a little garlic and onion if you wanted, but i didn't. i left them whole so i could brown each side....dice when browned

serving suggestion...build your soup/stew plate. if you're one of those "on-the-ball-cooks" you'll have everything hot at the same time...not so in this kitchen. i have to bring everything back to temp. before serving.

i like this soup thick and layered...lentils (drain off some broth if necessary) then roasted vegetables then crumbled feta (optional)then diced sauteed apricots on top.

note...stir and reheat lentils carefully because they can turn to mush and lose their shape quickly.

if your not into the fuss and presentation just throw everything in, serve and enjoy. i thought the sauteed apricots really worked well with the roasted veg, garlic and the kick of heat from the cayenne. sweet...savory...spicy equals YUM in my book

0 Soy Ginger Pig Ears-Two Ways

PIG EARS

not for the faint of heart...

BUT, i can now say with pride that i have conquered "THE EAR"

i have no idea what got into me. i saw them and had to buy them. so glad i did. what an interesting, bizarre and surprisingly delicious part of the pig. if you're a little daring or just curious and up for a challenge, please do try this. the texture alone is so odd. the outside is kind of soft, gelatinous, but the inside is crunchy? it's just skin and cartilage. hmmmm....very indescribable. very different one might say. ..i'm probably not selling you on this yet, huh?...well, just trust me. you'll only be out a few bucks, they're cheap, you'll have alot of fun, good conversation and another foodie notch in you belt at the least.

oh...i remember now, it was an article in the food section of the LA Times that caught my eye. i thought if the newspaper was going to put a recipe out there for the masses then i better get right to it before it gets to be old news...passe...i'm sure you've already heard alot of talk about the whole "nose to tail" concept...well, i'm slowly but surely making head-way...pardon the pun...i had to say it. i can't help myself...shoot me.

i found these at one of my favorite Mexican markets. you'll see them alot in Asian markets as well, but they are usually pre-sliced and don't have the extra chunk of meat these do at the base of the ear (quite possibly the best bite). i'm sure if you are near an Asian market, my favorite is 99 Ranch Market, they would butcher some any way you like. just look for what you think looks fresh (start by checking the date)...throw caution to the wind and buy a few.

i purchased 4 ears because i knew i would be trying a few different preparations. 2 ears would be fine for a 1st time ear eater. i was eatin' ears for a week because, of course, no one i knew was even the slightest bit interested in my little experiment...fasinated...intrigued...shocked and bewildered, but i definitely had NO TAKERS.

i decided to try 2 different preparations. the 1st photo and the small one to the right is braised, glazed and BBQ'd. deeelish!, but, i must say the ears were a bit unruly on the grill. they wanted to stick and char. i tried to skewer them whole to make them flat so that the grill would hit more surface. you should have seen my innovative skewering technique...i guess it worked, but next time i think i'll slice them, then grill them. there WILL be a next time.

below i sauteed the sliced ears with bacon..ooooh, now that was good. not too much to say about that recipe, just cook your bacon about 2/3 of the way then add in the sliced pig ears and continue cooking untill they look like they are crisping up a bit. use your judgement. serve plain as an appitizer or a side. i enjoyed it with a quick spicy slaw.

SOY GINGER PIG EARS

below is the initial ear cooking method i adapted from Gourmet Magazine Sept 2009. if you would like the full recipe click here for Thai Pigs' Ear Salad
Serves6 (side dish)
Active time:20 min. Start to finish:4 hr
September 2009
food editor Andrea Albin came up with this dish starring pigs’ ears;Braising the ears slowly in a robust brew of soy sauce, vinegar, ginger, and garlic brings out their tender side. Hold on to the braising broth and add it to sauces or stocks for an instant boost of flavor (as it cools, the broth will thicken considerably because of its high gelatin content).

FOR PIG EARS

1 lb pigs’ ears
8 cups water
1/4 cup soy sauce
1/4 cup distilled white vinegar
1/4 cup sliced ginger
2 tablespoons sugar
3 garlic cloves, smashed
3 cilantro sprigs
1 fresh Thai chile, halved lengthwise (i used jalapeno)

Cook Pigs’ Ears:
•Shave any hair off of pigs’ ears with a razor. YIKES !!!... IMPORTANT NOTE: when i'm cooking odd body parts or things from open stock markets, i like to put the said parts in boiling water for about 5 minutes, drain and rinse. this makes me feel better about any bacteria or cross contamination that might be present. now you're ready....Transfer to a 3-qt heavy pot (or larger) with remaining ingredients and simmer, partially covered, until ears are tender, 2 1/2 to 3 hours.
•Cool ears to room temperature in liquid, then drain (reserve liquid for another use)

Carefully remove the ears from the broth, place them on a parchment paper-lined plate, cover tightly with plastic wrap and refrigerate until firm, at least 2 hours. if you are not using them all keep them in the cooking liquid in the fridge. Save the flavorful broth for a yummy Asian flavor stock. Once braised pig ears have been chilled, they can be tightly wrapped in plastic and frozen until ready to use. i kept mine suspended in the gelatinous broth (completely covered)and used as needed for the week.

NOW WHAT ?

#1...let me reiterate that refrigeration is key. these things are quite flubbery (for lack of a better word) and unwieldy when first out of the braise. once they are cooled they are much easier to handle and slice for any preparation you choose. now they are ready to take on any flavors hot or cold...they are even good as is , but 1st timers might need a little something more to disguise the wierd factor.

PIG EAR SAUTEED with BACON

this part was adapted from the LA Times article by Russ Parsons and is great served as an appetizer or over a spicy slaw as shown in photos

Cut the bacon crosswise into thin strips and cook in a skillet over medium heat. Cut the pig ear into similarly sized strips (cut the ear lengthwise into halves or thirds, then slice crosswise into thin strips). When the bacon is almost done, about 10 minutes, add the pig ear and cook, stirring frequently, until the bacon has finished browning, about 3 more minutes. Use a slotted spoon to remove the bacon and pig ear slices to a medium bowl, draining well and reserving the fat. keep the fat if you are interested in using it for a dressing as suggested in the LA Times recipe. i just threw together a fresh light slaw using olive oil and lime juice with jalapeno and cilantro.

QUICK EDIT...today is the forth and you know i'll be lighting up the BBQ with some baby back ribs, but i think i'll run out right now and pick up a few ears. i told you there would be a next time. ...done, i bought SIX!

another quick note if you make it down this far...

remember i mentioned the extra meaty skin part at the base of the ear (shown at the forfront of the pic above...well, i glazed that with some Soy Vay-Hoisin Garlic sauce and threw it in the oven at about 450 with a watchful eye, turning as necessary. when they started to snap crackle and pop i took them out to cool. these could have been the best bites ever! a little fatty, a little moist meat with some crispy glazed skin and just a hint of crunchy cartilidge. i know you think i'm crazy, but i even got my mother to try this bite. she won't admit to it now, but i know she is a secret Pig Parts Lover.

0 TOFU SATAY with PEANUT SAUCE

TOFU SATAY with PEANUT DIPPING SAUCE...

i never thought i'd see the day that i could honestly say...I LOVE TOFU !

well, i'm not really that in love with it...i am a pork lover that's for sure. if you can wrap it in bacon or cook it with duck fat i'm all over it. hey...i think the next tofu creation/experiment will have to be confit tofu wrapped in bacon...hmmmmm good idea, i might try that this weekend. but seriously, i do really like this recipe. if you're a little unsure about the tofu try it with chicken, i did and it was super fabulous. friends told me it was one of their favorites and demanded the recipe.

SATAY MARINADE

i found this while googling around for recipes with TOFU. i guess Daring cooks took on the satay challenge a while back and i came across this great idea from a fellow blogger... Mango & Tomato. i've always loved satay with it's yummy peanut dipping sauce so this seemed like a safe way to break into the world of TOFU

below is just the satay marinade recipe i found at Mango & Tomato. i'm sure her peanut sauce is fabulous, but i used another due to ingredients on hand. the one i made turned out incredibly finger lickin' good.

SATAY MARINADE
1/2 small onion
2 garlic cloves
2 cm piece of ginger
2 T lemon juice
1 T soy sauce
1 tsp ground coriander
1 tsp ground cumin
1/2 tsp ground turmeric

Directions
1. Puree all ingredients in the food processor (how easy is that?).
2. Marinade cubed tofu covered for 2 hours in the refrigerator.
3. Saute the tofu on all sides till golden brown (I used coconut oil).

i only used 1 block of tofu, but this is enough for 2

if using chicken (1.5-2 lbs boneless, skinless) cut in large cubes

i sauteed the tofu

i skewered and grilled the chicken

tip for chicken...wrap in foil as soon as it's just done to keep in moisture)

PEANUT DIPPING SAUCE

found here at Recipekitchen

1/2 cup peanut butter, creamy (i used 1/4 creamy and 1/4 chunky)
1/2 cup water
1/4 cup soy sauce
4 garlic cloves, minced
3 Tbl. lemon juice
2 Tbl. brown sugar
3/4 tsp. ground ginger (i added a little grated fresh ginger as well)
1/2 tsp. red pepper, crushed flakes

heat all ingredients in a sauce pan on low-medium heat. stir well about 5 minutes so all flavors will meld. add more water if it's too thick. it will thicken as it cools so if serving at room temp. be aware of this. the sauce saves well for leftovers. just give it a stir and a reheat.

to my amazement the tofu held up quite well the following day. good as new with a quick microwave (don't over nuke)..quite resilient i must say.

i will definitely be making this again, with both TOFU (in the fridge right now) and with Chicken. it's easy and a sure bet for Satay lovers. keep the recipe out because you'll be asked for it i'm sure.

0 Pork Rillettes

PORK RILLETTES

pork belly, pork shoulder, rosemary and duck fat.

finally i think i have conquered the Rillette. for a long time i was fascinated by them , but a little intimidated. meat swimming in it's own FAT and topped with more FAT...how can this be a good thing?... i also thought they might be too involved and too much to take on. not so. when you break it down in layman's terms they are just fancy flavored potted meats topped with duck fat, pork belly fat, clarified butter or a tasty combo of fats.

my first attempt was the pork rillette, for a couple of reasons...I LOVE PORK and the mention of pork belly sold me...also pork is usually inexpensive. i think i spent less than $10.00 for the whole thing. for a first try with a Charcuterie recipe i think i did pretty good. now i'm hooked. the best part is that they keep in the fridge for weeks if sealed properly and make a great impression on drop-by guests, a tasty late night snack or a great addition to any party.

as i mentioned i was fascinated by the "Rillette" for quite a while so i googled around a lot of blogs, websites and thumbed through most of the books i had. came across loads of different techniques and all sorts of flavors. i settled on the something basic and a recipe that wouldn't require a lot of ingredients. pork is cheap, i had duck fat in the fridge and rosemary in the garden...done....i did, however, have to go out and buy the cute little French jars. they cost more than the whole recipe.

PORK RILLETTES

adapted from many recipes, but one in particular had good easy instructions found at a great blog called Eat me Drink Me. i have copied his instructions, but added my recipe ingredients below.

Ingredients i used

1.5 lbs pork shoulder

1.75 lbs pork belly

7 smashed cloves garlic

3 large sprigs fresh rosemary

2 sprigs thyme

2 tsp oregano

2 bay leaves

1 oz veal demi glace (optional)

2-3 cups water

2/3 cup duck fat (not necessary, but good)

Instructions
Cut the rind off the belly. In a Dutch oven, or oven proof pot, combine the pork with rosemary (I used 3 large sprigs), crushed cloves of garlic, and bay leaves and season generously with salt, black pepper and nutmeg - most recipes call for a bouquet garni, not just rosemary, or thyme and parsley instead. But hell. Here's to living dangerously, eh?

Cover with a cup full of water, and bring to a low simmer on the stove. Not quite bubbling. Meanwhile, preheat the oven to gas mark 2. Cover, and place in the heated oven. Read a book. Watch TV. Call you friends. Cooking times vary from 2 to 6 hours. Bake bread to go with your rillette. I cooked by eye, as it were, taking the pot out of the oven every 40 minutes or so, stirring to make sure it didn't stick, and eventually, forking the thicker parts of meat apart to allow it to cook a little more quickly.

The fat should largely melt to a clear liquid, and the pork cook until meltingly soft - it should fall apart in the pot when gently forked. When that happens, drain and reserve the liquid. Discard the herbs, and allow the pork to cool enough to handle. Best to keep it a little warm though. With your hands, or two forks, shred the meat into, depending on your taste, pistachio sized piece, or small threads of pork. Or less even. Taste the pork, and add herbs, salt, pepper - whatever you used originally - to taste. Place in a terrine dish (no grease or bacon required. Any more pork might actually kill you) or a regular bowl, or container, and compress. For ten minutes, or two hours. Again, your preference is, I think, prime, though I only loosely compressed it, and the dish soaked up huge amounts of fat.

Finally, pour over some of the reserved fat to form a thin layer of fat on top of the crock, terrine dish, bowl.....and leave covered, in the fridge, for three days. It can keep for ten days without the fat covering, and longer with.

Eat, with pickled cornichons, or black olives, on bread. To serve, take what you want from the terrine. Allow to come to room temperature, and serve.

0 HOMEMADE GRAVLAX

HOMEMADE GRAVLAX

who knew it was so easy to make your own...the hardest part is waiting the few days for it to cure...patiently waiting and flipping it over every 12 hours wondering "is it done yet?"

if you're a fan of LOX, need more fish in your life or just want to save some $ money you should really try this at home. i must say i was quite impressed with myself. i've always paid big bucks for this salmon that i considered a Sunday brunch delicacy. it was only around for the special occasion. well, i have now rid myself of that silly myth. this is too easy. salt, sugar, dill and a few days is all you need. i've made it twice in the last 2 weeks. as a matter of fact, i might just make it again this week. it may very well become a staple in my fridge. i've been so wrapped up in all this PORK stuff lately that it's been a nice change to open the fridge, grab a sharp knife and slice off a lovely pink slab of fresh cured salmon. i need a kind of a Yin Yang effect. i have to have something to balance out all the meat, pork, frog legs and turkey tails i've been consuming. i've even tried TOFU ! (i'll be posting about that soon.)

there are a few ways to prepare Gavlax, but i found a common thread in all the recipes i looked at. fresh salmon, salt, sugar, dill(optional),sandwich them together and cure for 48-72 hours.


HOMEMADE GRAVLAX

adapted from Modern Beet and quite a few others i will list for you to check out.
2 lbs. of fresh salmon

a note about the salmon...buy 2 pieces equal in size, or one large to cut in half so you can sandwich them...ALSO, upon further investigation i found a few sites that suggest freezing the salmon for 72 hrs to be sure to rid any bacteria if not buying sushi grade salmon. sushi grade is very expensive. i did not do this the 1st two times and i'm not dead yet, but i DO have my next batch in the freezer right now. i'm curious to see if the freezing effects the texture.



1/4 cup kosher salt

1/8 cup white sugar

1/8 cup brown sugar

1-3 tsp fresh ground pepper

5-6 sprigs fresh dill



Remove all of the pin bones from the two salmon filets using a pair of tweezers. Trim the filets so they are the same size when stacked on top of each other. Place both filets skin side down on a cutting board.

Mix sugar and salt together in a small bowl. Generously sprinkle about 2/3 the mixture over the filets and gently rub in. Flip the filets over and sprinkle skins with the remaining mixture and rub in. Flip the filets again so the skin side is down. Let stand for about 5-8 minutes. Brush off any cure that seems excessive to you.

Trim dill so that it is roughly the same length as the filets. Mound dill on top of one filet in an even layer, then top with other filet so that the flesh is in contact with the dill (think filet & dill sandwich). Wrap the stacked filets tightly in a double or triple layer of plastic wrap. Place in a dish (to catch any juices that should leak out). i used a tupperware...alot of juices will come out and leakage would NOT be a good thing. ALSO, alot of recipes call for a weighted object placed over the filets. i used a tinfoil/plastic wrapped brick. ..anything semi heavy and flat. most recipes call for this. then refrigerate for 2-3 days, flipping occasionally, and pouring off any juices that might have accumulated.

Once the 2-3 days have passed, unwrap salmon, discard the dill, and rinse the filets with cold water. Remove the skin to make cutting easier, if desired. Slice the gravlax thinly with a sharp knife across the grain to serve. Enjoy!

*Note: though it may seem counter-intuitive, choose fish that has been previously frozen, sushi grade or other. If using fresh fish, you should freeze it for at least 1 week in order kill off bacteria, etc.

a few other sites i checked out might be of interest....

this 1st one is on youtube...funny and super EASY, but i don't know about leaving it on the kitchen counter for 18hrs. and NOT in the fridge?

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=gMOMurjAFug

http://www.foodmayhem.com/2009/01/homemade-lox.html

http://www.myjewishlearning.com/culture/2/Food/american_jewish_cooking/making-lox.shtml

http://chewingonaviancranium.blogspot.com/2006/07/homemade-lox.html