Quack Tastic!

Five Spice Roast Duck w/ Bacon Fried Rice
Originally uploaded by Dewdropdeb.

I had a couple of duck breasts in the fridge on Monday night. They expired the next day, so I had to use them and had no idea what to cook. A quick search on BBC Good Food found me this lovely recipe.

Of course I go to find out I have no soy sauce, but I did have a teriyaki sauce and it was absolutely gorgeous! The duck itself I would probably pan fry next time, as the skin didn't get crispy in the oven - it was also a little dry - which would probably be prevented by pan frying and searing in the juices. The rice was phenomenal! It was so ridiculously easy and absolutely delicious. My husband said "The duck is good, but the rice is da bomb!!" Again, the teriyaki sauce probably gave it a sweeter flavour than the soy sauce would have, but we both thought it was awesome, and if making it again I wouldn't change anything. The rice calls for cabbage which I didn't have and the husband doesn't like, so that was a bit different too, but other than that the recipe is as follows:

Soy Roast Duck with Hoisin Gravy

For the duck:

• 6 boneless duck breasts, each about 175g/6oz ( I only used two, but kept the rest of the recipe the same, including the rice)
• 4 tbsp soy sauce
• 1 heaped tsp five spice powder
• 2 tbsp clear honey

For the gravy:

• 2 x 300g tubs fresh chicken stock ( I used my own)
• 4 tbsp hoisin sauce
• 4 thin slices fresh ginger, no need to peel
• dash of sesame oil

1. Prick the duck's skin really well with a fork (this helps release the fat from the skin as it roasts). Mix the soy, 5-spice and honey in a large bowl, add the duck and coat well. Cover and place in the fridge until ready to roast.

2. For the gravy, tip the stock into a pan, add the hoisin sauce and ginger and boil for a few minutes to make a smooth gravy. Add the sesame oil and set aside.

3. To serve, preheat the oven to fan 180C/conventional 200C/gas 6. Pour 1 litre of water in the base of a roasting tin and place a rack over the top - this stops fat from the duck dripping on to the tin, then burning and filling the kitchen with smoke. Lift duck from marinade and arrange on rack, skin side up. Reserve remaining marinade for the rice dish. Roast for 20 minutes for medium and 30 minutes for well done. Slice each breast in half. Spoon some rice on to each plate; top with halved duck breasts. Add any meat juices from the duck to the hoisin gravy and pour a spoonful or two over the duck. Serve the remaining rice and gravy separately.

Stir-Fried Rice with Cabbage and Bacon

• 1 tbsp sunflower oil
• 100g unsmoked lardons (diced bacon) - I used the whole 150g pack of bacon, chopped - can't go wrong with extra bacon!
• 200g/8oz savoy cabbage, shredded (I omitted)
• bunch trimmed spring onion, sliced at an angle
• 2 x 250g packs cooked basmati rice
• 200g frozen petits pois (peas)
  

To serve, heat the oil in a large frying pan or wok, add the lardons and fry for a minute. Tip in the cabbage and onions, stir round the pan then pour over 2 tbsp water and the reserved duck marinade. Pile the rice and peas on top then cover the pan and cook for 5 minutes. Take off the lid, toss well and serve.

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