Showing posts with label amazing. Show all posts
Showing posts with label amazing. Show all posts

Chinese Spiced Duck Breast with Greens in Noodle Broth

This is such a yummy, warming meal for a cold winters night post duck shooting! My hubby wasn’t too keen on the weird numbing sensation Szechuan pepper has on your mouth, so it’s optional. As for the greens, be super relaxed about these, whatever you have in the fridge/freezer will do. Frozen pack mixed vege would even do, but of course... fresh is best.

Ingredients
Duck breasts – trimmed (1 per person)
Chinese Five Spice
Szechuan Pepper (optional)
Fresh or Minced Ginger
Fresh or Minced Garlic
Fresh or Minced Chilli
Soy sauce
Beef (or chicken) stock
Honey
Hokkien or Udon Noodles (1 slab per person)
Bok Choi/Spinach/Silver beet/broccoli (Any leafy green)
Green Beans
Red Pepper
Spring Onions (sliced in rings)
Salt & Pepper
Oil (Peanut/Olive/any cooking oil)
Lemon or Lime juice
Fresh coriander and bean sprouts to garnish
Large bowls to serve

Method
Trim your duck breasts of any dodgy bits (pellet or dog bruise).

Put a medium pot of water on to boil with stock cube (or 1 t-spoon of powder), frying pan on med-high heat.

Pound your Szechuan pepper in the mortar & pestle (or in a zip lock bag with a rolling pin or other heavy round object – bottle of beer/wine/bourbon?).

Put a pinch of Szechuan pepper, 1 tablespoon of soy sauce, garlic (1/2 t-spoon, more or less depending how your garlic tolerance is) ½ t-spoon of ginger, ¼ t-spoon of chilli (more or less), 1 t-spoon of honey and a handful of sliced spring onion in the bottom of each of your serving bowls.

Sprinkle the breasts with salt and pepper, Chinese five spice and the remaining Szechuan pepper. Drizzle the meat with olive oil and rub all the spices in.

Put duck breasts in frying pan to cook, if you’re lucky to have skin left on, skin side first, approx 3 mins each side for med/rare. Then wrap in tin foil and set aside.

Put noodles into boiling water, with your leafy greens, green beans, sliced red pepper. Allow to boil for a couple of minutes.

Divide noodles and greens into each serving bowl, use tongs to toss through the ingredients at the bottom of each bowl then pour over a good amount of the broth.

Slice duck breasts on the angle into 1cm strips, and divide over your noodle and greens in broth.

Sprinkle with coriander leaves and/or bean sprouts to garnish. Squeeze over lemon or lime juice.

Present with pride to your lucky dinner guest/s.

Cedar Planked Salmon

I found the hardest part of this recipe was finding a piece of Cedar, and even that was pretty easy! I just asked really nicely at our local building supply store for an off-cut, fluttered ye olde lashes a bit and BAM, Cedar. The second hardest part was lighting the pizza oven... such a chore... NOT!
Obviously, if you don't have a wood-fired oven, your normal oven will suffice!
Yet another seriously easy but impress-your-friends style meal from yours truly.

Ingredients:
Salmon Fillets (de-boned - demote a pair of tweezers)
S & P
A piece of Cedar plank, 1-3cm thick
Tin Foil
Oven Tray

Method:

Soak your Cedar plank in water for an hour or so, you'll probably need to weigh it down as it'll want to float.
De-bone you Salmon fillets if your fishmonger hasn't already done the honours.
Place the Salmon fillets skin side down on the Cedar plank in an oven dish, pour water into oven dish to almost cover the plank but not touch the Salmon.
Salt and Pepper the Salmon.
Cover in tin foil (aluminium foil).
Bake in oven till cooked! (About 15-20mins depending on thickness of fillets, and how you like them cooked)

I served ours with a creamy mushroom & parmesan pasta bake, but you could serve with salad and new potatoes, risotto, roast veges & asparagus or pretty much any of your favourite side dishes!