Chinese Oven Roasted Duck

This post is an extension of the larger post: An Asian Twist on a Traditional Holiday Meal.

My family never ate turkey for Thanksgiving.

We didn't even come close. Instead, without fail, every year we huddled around a warm, boiling pot of broth and enjoyed a traditional Chinese hot pot. It wasn't until I went to college and spent Thanksgiving at a friend's house that I had traditional turkey for the first time.

Bryan, on the other hand, ate turkey every year growing up. They did all the fixings - mashed potatoes, stuffing, cranberry sauce, sweet potatoes . . . His Chinese mother learned the tricks of the trade from an American host family back when they first moved to the U.S. three decades ago.

Just two years ago, I saw another "version" of Thanksgiving when we visited his aunt for the holiday. It was an interesting hybrid of our two cultures: the traditional turkey and bread-based stuffing turned into an oven roasted duck and sticky rice filling.

Inspired by that meal, I decided to try make my own Asian inspired oven-roasted duck for Thanksgiving this year.



I had never made duck before, so I did tons of research before settling on a method. My original idea was to try using our new Weber Summit grill's rotisserie function. Alas, Bryan was nervous about the fact that we'd never set it up before (he hates experimenting on guests), so we decided to save that for another day.


Start with a Liberty Pekin duck and generously dry-brine it with a mixture of salt, baking powder, and crushed fragrant Szechuan peppercorns (one of my favorite spices of all times). You can grind the spices together in a mortar and pestle, or use a food processor (much easier!).

You want to make sure both the outside and inside cavities are well covered. Using your fingers, separated the skin from the meat. The skin is tougher than you might initially think, so go ahead and get your hands in there to really separate it. At times I had to really tug at connective tissue to really separate the skin.

This extra step allows the fat to render more quickly while baking, which helps create a crispy skin. If possible, rub the salt/peppercorn mixture inside the cavity directly onto the meat. This will help flavor the meat a lot.

If you think your duck is particularly fatty, you can aid the fat rendering process even more by poking tiny holes in the skin (I've read recommendations that suggest poking every inch or so!). Make sure not to macerate the meat while you're at it.
Let the duck dry overnight in the refrigerator, uncovered. If you have a roasting rack, you can use that. Otherwise, I just put it on a tray on top of a small baking rack.

Once you are ready to start baking, take out the dry bird. Bring about 4 quarts of water to a rolling boil and pour the hot water over the entire duck. This allows the stretched out skin to shrink and tighten back towards the bird. It happens pretty instantly right in front of your eyes.

Let the duck air dry for about 5 minutes. Fill a tall 16 oz beer can about half full of water. Place the duck's cavity over the can so that the duck is sort of "sitting" on the can. This allows the duck to bake evenly on all side. Brush surface of duck with soy/honey glaze. Bake at 350 °F, rotating every 30 minutes.

After about 1 hour, lower the temperature to about 250 °F and continue baking until most of the fat has rendered out (about 30 minutes?).

Let the duck rest for about 10 minutes before stuffing with Chinese sticky rice. Carve and serve!

This dish was a hit with the guests, who all commented on how moist and flavorful the meat was. I personally wished that the skin was crispier. I think the duck I got was particularly fatty, and therefore needed a lot more oven time before all the fat would be rendered. If I make this again, I would poke a ton of holes in the skin and let it render fat for a lot longer. I may also try increasing the baking temperature at the last 15 minutes or so, just to crisp up the skin. 
All in all, though, I would definitely call the meal a success. The dry-brining method is awesome - it adds a nice, deep flavor to the meat and also keeps it moist and tender.

If you've never had duck before, please keep in mind that a 5-6 pound duck has surprisingly less meat than you might think. It's probably enough to serve 2-3 people max, or maybe four people if you have a bunch of other dishes. Our party of 4 adults ate most of the duck, leaving just the carcass (which I used to make soup the next day!).

Chinese Oven Roasted Duck
Serves 4
adapted from J. Kenji Lopez-Alt at Serious Eats 

Ingredients
1 tablespoon szechuan peppercorns (ground in mortar & pestle or with food processor)
2 tablespoons coarse kosher salt
2 tsp baking powder

1 tablespoon soy sauce
2 tablespoons honey 

1 Pekin Long Island Duck (4-6 lbs)
Chinese sticky rice


1. Separate the skin from the meat by sliding your fingers in between the skin and the meat, starting at the bottom of the breast and moving your way up.  


2. Rub the duck all over with the dry rub both inside and out. If possible, try to get under the skin. Set the duck on a wire rack on top of a roasting pan or baking sheet in the refrigerator and let sit overnight.

3. Bring about 4 quarts of water to a rolling boil and pour the hot water over the entire duck. Let the duck air dry for about 5 minutes.


4. Fill a tall 16 oz beer can about half full of water. Place the duck's cavity over the can so that the duck is sort of "sitting" on the can. Combine soy sauce with honey and brush the soy/honey glaze all over the duck.

5. Place the duck with the can on top of a baking sheet and bake at 350 °F, rotating every 30 minutes. After about 1 hour, lower the temperature to about 250 °F and continue baking until most of the fat has rendered out (about 30 minutes?).

Optionally increase the heat to 450 °F for about 15 minutes at the end to crisp up the skin. Note - I did not personally try this but my aunt recommended it, and I can attest that her duck is delicious

6. Gently remove the beer can (be careful of fluids that might come out of the cavity!) and stuff with Chinese sticky rice.

7. Carve and serve!

Foodbuzz 24, 24: An Asian Twist on a Traditional Holiday Meal

I love this time of year.

There's something about spending time with family, visiting friends, and listening to (and singing!) Christmas songs that fills me with so much joy. I love the holiday lights that begin to appear; I love the spirit of generosity that everyone has; and I love the countless opportunities to meet up with those we love - often over food!

 I love it all.

Typically, we travel during the holidays, either to Bryan's hometown in California or my hometown in Ohio. This Thanksgiving, however, was a little different.

We didn't hop on a plane the moment we got out of work. We didn't rush from place to place, having no chance to settle. We didn't feel a single ounce of travel-related stress.

Instead, we stayed home. Our new home(!).

We slept in!

I can't remember the last time we had a chance to sleep in and really, really catch up on sleep.
 
It's been great having the four day weekend to just relax at home. I was able to unpack some more (yes, we're still not done!). I picked up some projects I hadn't had time to finish.

And I cooked.

A lot.

For the first time in my life, we "hosted" a Thanksgiving meal in our new home! I invited my sister's family over, and we enjoyed a fantastic dinner on Saturday.

In a nod to our families and cultural heritage, I took a traditional American holiday meal and added all sorts of Asian twists to it. It's probably not too different from the meals that many Asian families are having in America during the holidays!  

1. Chinese Roasted Szechuan Peppercorn Duck Stuffed with Sticky Rice
As a "twist" on the traditional Thanksgiving turkey or Christmas goose, I decided to bake a bird that was decidedly more Chinese - the duck. The Peking duck is the most famous Chinese duck, but Chinese people just eat a lot of duck in general. Have you ever walked through Chinatown and seen all those ducks hanging in the window?

I'd never made duck before. Actually, I'd never made a turkey before either. I think the only whole bird I'd ever roasted was chicken, and that was over a year ago. Heck, I don't even own a roasting pan. As a result of my lack of experience, I did tons of research before settling on a method that I thought would create the juiciest and most flavorful duck.

Start with a Liberty Pekin duck and generously dry-brine it with a mixture of salt and crushed fragrant Szechuan peppercorns (one of my favorite spices of all times). You want to make sure both the outside and inside cavities are well covered. Using your fingers, separated the skin from the meat. This allows the fat to render more quickly, which helps create a crispy skin. If possible, rub the salt/peppercorn mixture inside the cavity directly onto the meat. This will help flavor the meat a lot.
After letting the duck dry overnight in the refrigerator, pour hot boiling water over the duck. This allows the stretched out skin to shrink and tighten back towards the bird. After allowing the duck to dry, roast the duck upright (using a beer can) for about 1.5 hours, rotating every 30 minutes. Let the duck rest for about 10 minutes before stuffing with Chinese sticky rice. Carve and serve!

2. Duck Fat Taro Home Fries

A holiday meal is not complete without a starch of some sort! Instead of the traditional mashed potatoes, I decided to make duck fat taro "home fries". Taro is a common root used prolifically in Chinese cuisine. We eat it mashed, boiled, sweet, savory, hot, cold . . . the possibilities are endless. Here, I took the rendered duck fat from the roasted duck and used it to pan fry cubed taro pieces. With a sprinkling of sea salt, these fried taro pieces were divine.

3. Stir-fried Chinese Long Beans with Garlic

Vegetables are huge in Chinese cuisine, and you'd be hard pressed to find a meal without them. Instead of the traditional green bean casserole you see at holiday meals, I've stir fried Chinese long beans in garlic and soy sauce.

Have you ever seen Chinese long beans before? They can grown up to three feet long, and resemble American green beans, although they are less crispy but have more "heft" and therefore and withstand longer cooking times.


The whole dinner - plated!
This is it! We all enjoyed a complete Asian-inspired Thanksgiving meal, complete with roasted duck, taro home fries, stir-fried long beans, and sticky rice!


Of course, no holiday meal is complete without dessert, and I made sure not to skimp on that.

4. Kabocha Pumpkin Mochi Cake

Instead of the traditional pumpkin pie that inevitably makes its appearance during holiday meals, I baked a kabocha pumpkin mochi cake instead. This dessert is inspired by Japan - both in the use of the kabocha pumpkin and also the mochi-nature of the cake.
I started off by roasting a kabocha pumpkin in the oven and mashing the roasted pumpkin flesh. I then used the recipe I had used in round 8 of Project Food Blog (an unusual take on pumpkin), replacing traditional pumpkin with kabocha pumpkin.
The resulting mochi cake was beautifully chewy, with just a hint of pumpkin and sweetness. 

5. Eggnog Tarts

One of my favorite Chinese desserts is the egg tart (dan ta), a flaky, crispy crust filled with a delicate egg custard. I modified the traditional Chinese egg tart by adding Bourbon, a key ingredient in eggnog. Optionally sprinkle a bit of nutmeg on top.

I made a butter-based crust instead of the traditional Chinese lard-based crusts, since lard is a bit harder to access.

I poured bourbon-laced egg custard into the mini-pie crusts (borrowed from this post) and then baked until they were done. The resultant egg tarts were flaky, crispy, and soaked up extra bourbon beautifully. Yes, my brother-in-law discovered that these taste even better if you dip them in bourbon. Definitely try serving it doused in bourbon - it's quite good!

My sister is as big of a fan of Totoro and Keroppi as I am, so I knew she would love these cookies. Indeed she totally did. Her favorite were the Totoros (she said the ears were nice and crispy), although in general she loved the green tea (matcha) flavor of the cookies.
I spent many hours this weekend perfecting and executing dozens of these little guys. Despite the fact that it was tedious, time-consuming, and laborious, I had tons of fun. It was so exciting to see the Totoros and the Keroppis come to life as I slowly created them, piece by piece (and yes, there are many steps!).

We had a wonderful time just chilling, eating, and relaxing with family. I think I finally feel reasonably comfortable cooking a large holiday meal. Granted, a duck is probably not as difficult as a turkey. Still, it was a nice challenge and something I'm happy to have tried. Thanks so much to Foodbuzz for sponsoring this post as part of their 24, 24 series for November.

Can't wait until Christmas!

Happy Holidays to everyone!

I was unable to include all the recipes for all these items in this post. Watch out for detailed posts this week and next with recipes and tutorials for how to make all this stuff!

Tempura Kondo

This is part 3 of my latest travel series: Post Quake Japan. Other posts in this series: Kago, Daisan Harumi

For real? 2-star Michelin tempura place?

Bryan couldn’t believe it when I told him there were dedicated tempura restaurants in Japan that had garnered two Michelin stars. Tempura is essentially anything that’s been battered and fried in a particular Japanese manner. It’s typically associated with casual, inexpensive dining (think Korean fried chicken or KFC). It’s not something you would necessarily immediately associate with fine dining.

I made a reservation at Tempura Kondo because I was curious too.

“I can’t imagine what 2-star Michelin tempura would be like. Maybe they fry up ordinary things with caviar or truffles or something . . . “ surmised Bryan.

Guess what?

There was not a truffle in sight nor any caviar. Instead, we ate an assortment of fresh, organic vegetables from Hokkaido. We had insanely fresh fried anago, uni, and shrimp. We sampled slightly more unusual Asian vegetables, like lotus root and kabocha squash.

The ingredients were mind-blowingly simple, yet the meal was incredible.

The decor is clean, simple, and reasonably casual. There are two rooms with counter-style seating. Not unlike a sushi bar, you sit facing the tempura frymasters as you watch them execute their perfected art. The fume hood overhead is the largest one I've ever seen (I guess it makes sense, considering how much frying goes on in there!)

We started the meal with a bit of a surprise – a deep fried shrimp’s head. After getting over the psychological aspects of this first course, I actually quite enjoyed this very crunchy yet flavorful starter.

The rest of the juicy shrimp came out, perfectly fried with the delicate crust for which they are so well known.

It is very, very difficult to execute such perfectly fried pieces. Most tempura you have at restaurants are too heavily breaded, greasy, and not very enjoyable to eat. In contrast, each piece at Tempura Kondo had a paper-thin crust that was delicately crispy and not a bit greasy. Even though everything was fried, you actually felt like you were eating a pretty healthy meal.

They also use extremely high quality ingredients. Chef Fumio Kondo is fanatical about the source of his ingredients and seeks out the best produce possible. Asparagus and corn come from Hokkaido while shitake mushrooms comes from Iwate. The vegetable tempura, in general, is fantastic. Even Bryan, who doesn't like asparagus, loved the perfect, crisp texture of these fried shoots.

Similarly, a simple green pepper was also piping hot, just slightly soft, yet delicately crunchy on the outside.

The chefs also use very high quality sesame oil, and they change it constantly.

The pace of the meal is just right. Pieces come out one at a time and alternate between seafood and vegetables (so you don't get too bored!). Anago (freshwater eel) was in season when we went, so we saw it all over the place, both at sushi restaurants and also at tempura places such as Kondo.

Shitake mushroom, lotus root, pearl onion, fish

The set menu includes quite a few things.   Nevertheless, you would be missing out if you did not try at least some of the additional a la carte items since some of the best pieces are not included. We ended up ordering several extra pieces, including the lotus root, which was quite good.

Speaking of the set menu, you have a choice between two different "Lunch Course Menus". The cheaper one (the "Sumire"), includes 4 vegetable pieces, 3 fish, and 2 shrimp plus miso and rice for 6300 yen (about $82 with today's woeful exchange rates). The more expensive one (the "Tsubaki"), includes an extra lotus root plus a nicer soup and more tempura for 8400 yen ($109 USD). We tried one of each.

We were told that the sweet potato was amazing, so we decided to order it a la carte. It's funny, the menu is very clear about the fact that the potato is not included as part of the set menu. Unfortunately for us, sweet potatoes were not in season at the time, so they asked us whether kabocha was OK. It turned out to be quite good, but I'm still curious about the sweet potato!

Another extra item that we ordered a la carte was the fried uni. I was sort of trying to figure out how they would fry such a soft and "liquidy" item. They somehow managed to wrap it in a shiso leaf and fry it absolutely perfectly. It was soooo good - imagine the heavenly combination of uni and shiso fried together in a delicate shell. It was definitely one of my favorites.

The meal ended with a soup. The more expensive version (Bryan's), came with a bowl of mini fried scallop tempura over a bed of rice. You're supposed to pour the tea flavored broth over the scallop tempura and rice. The resultant soup is hearty, warm, and full of rich umami.

The cheaper set came with such a simple miso soup with clams, which you eat with rice. It was alright, but far from my favorite part of the meal. In my mind, I couldn't help but think it was filler. At least it came at the end of the meal!

Dessert was nice and simple. Sliced mangos for Bryan's more expensive tasting and sliced pears for my more simple tasting.

Gorgeous produce

Overall, we had a fun time at Tempura Kondo. The restaurant sits on the 9th floor of a non-descript high rise in Ginza. We actually had a really hard time finding it because there are no signs outside with the names on them. We were woefully late for our reservation, but thankfully they had kept the seat for us.

It's  hard for me to really comment on this place compared to others, since this is the first time I've ever tried "high-end" tempura. The flavors were fantastic, and the incredible delicate crispiness of the coating is something that's challenging to achieve. If I came again, I would definitely get the asparagus, lotus root, the uni, and the elusive sweet potato!

Why Boston Rescue Mission?

This is part 1 of the Post Project Food Blog - What's Next? Series. It's based off of the speech I gave at the Foodbuzz Festival in November (2011) when I explained what I was doing with my Project Food Blog winnings.

I feel really, really blessed.
 
Winning Project Food Blog was an incredible experience, something I will never forget.
 
For a number of reasons, as the weeks of Project Food Blog went by and I continued to advance, I became more and more convinced that if I won the entire contest, I wanted to give the money away to those in need.

Here's a peek inside my brain during that year leading up to the Project Food Blog win: how I came to this decision to donate and why Boston Rescue Mission.

First, a bit of background. 

I grew up sheltered in the quiet, leafy suburbs of Ohio. It wasn't until I moved to Boston that I started to see homeless people on a regular basis. My commute to work involves two subway stations, both of which have needy people asking for help on a daily basis.

I struggled as I walked by these sad and hungry people day-in and day-out. Some days, I would dig up some change to give to one individual. On a rare occasion, I tried buying a sandwich for someone. Most days, however, I just walked on by, muttering "sorry" to those pleas for help.

It broke my heart to say no to so many people, but I couldn't logically figure out a way to help that seemed fair. Do I give money to everyone? If not, how do I choose? What if they use the money for "bad" purposes? Why am I even trying to be the judge? What right do I have to decide who's "good" and who's bad?

These questions perplexed me and made me feel caught, not knowing what to do.

Fast forward to about one year ago, close to the time when Project Food Blog was just kicking off.
First, my a cappella singing group began singing at the Boston Rescue Mission, an organization in Boston dedicated to helping various types of people in need. They feed the hungry, house the homeless, and provide support for those with addiction problems. We sang regularly during their Friday evening worship services.

While we were there, we heard inspiring testimonies from current and former residents of the Boston Rescue Mission (BRM). People shared about how their lives had been changed through the programs at BRM. Men who once neglected their families, trapped by the grips of alcohol, became clean and sober, dedicating their lives to God and their families. The stories were tremendously moving. More than once I found myself holding back tears, marveling at how much these men had overcome.

Second, I started volunteering at BRM's Sunday Community Dinner. I'll explain more in a future post, but essentially, you sign up to provide dinner at BRM on a Sunday afternoon. You design the menu, shop for the ingredients, and cook the food in their tiny urban kitchen (see how crowded we are?).
I was able to see how the Boston Rescue Mission "heals" people in multiple ways. Through their shelter and meal programs, they physically feed the homeless as well as the residents. Through their various addiction programs, they psychologically help clients battle and overcome serious addiction problems. Through the Friday night services and other related ministries, they spiritually nourish the residents.

Finally, through studying the Bible, I began to learn more about Jesus's example and how much he cared about the poor. I knew that this was a segment of the population that I absolutely could not ignore. I started to seriously consider donating the money if I won.

As the weeks went by and I continued to advance in Project Food Blog, I became more and more convinced of this idea. At some points, I almost didn't want to win, afraid that I wouldn't be able to stand up to my commitment.

Thankfully, by the grace of God, I continue to have a passion and commitment to supporting the work at the Boston Rescue Mission. I'm excited about giving away the prize money, and I'm committed to trying to raise more money to continue supporting the great work that they are doing.


I would love it if you would partner with me.

Here's just a few ideas. Participate in the 20/20 Get Together Give Together campaign, where once a month, instead of eating out with friends, get together for a home cooked meal and donate $20 each to a charity. Consider donating a portion (or all!) of your blog earnings this holiday season to a charity. Instead of exchanging holiday gifts with friends or coworkers, donate the money you would have spent.

Of course, I'd be thrilled if you donated to the Boston Rescue Mission, but I'd be equally happy if you gave  to another charity that serves the needy.

Current donations to the Tiny Urban Kitchen Fundraiser are hovering a little over $200, so I have a ways to go before my goal of $10,000 (!). Thanks so much to those of you who have donated already. I sincerely, sincerely appreciate it.

To donate, click on the image below and check the box for "Tiny Urban Kitchen Fundraiser."