Chinese Crispy Duck Pancakes

My CHINESE CRISPY DUCK PANCAKES are the perfect party appetizers for when you are entertaining guests, or even when you just feel like bringing a little finesse to your meal time. These delicious little bundles are so easy and fool proof you will love preparing them almost as much as you will love eating them. These Chinese 'two biters' will be sure to amaze your taste buds and excite even the most refined palate! 

INGREDIENTS

2 duck breasts

1 tablespoon Worcestershire sauce

2 tablespoons hoisin sauce

2 tablespoons rice wine vinegar

2 tablespoons soy sauce

3 tablespoons honey

2 garlic cloves, crushed

1 1/2 teaspoons fresh ginger, grated

1/4 teaspoon Chinese five spice powder

3 spring onions, sliced in thirds and split down the center

1 cucumber, peeled, deseeded, sliced into thirds and again into match sticks

SAUCE

Remaining marinade

2 tablespoons of honey

2 tablespoons of hoisin

CREPES

1 cup plain flour

4 tablespoons corn flour

1/2 cup water

1/2 cup milk

4 eggs

2 tablespoons coconut oil

METHOD

1. In a medium bowl whisk together the Worcestershire sauce, hoisin, rice wine vinegar, soy sauce, honey, garlic, ginger and Chinese five spice. 

2. Add the duck breast and coat well with the marinade cover and refrigerate for at least 2 hours.

3. Preheat oven to 180 degrees C or 350 degrees F.

4. Combine flour, corn flour, water, milk, eggs half the coconut oil in a food processor. Process until the batter is nice and smooth. Pour into a jug. Cover and set aside for 15 minutes.

5. Heat a non-stick frying pan over medium heat. Add the remaining coconut oil.

6. Pour a tablespoonful of batter into frying pan. Spread to form a thin pancake, about 16cm in diameter. Cook for 2 minutes and then flip, allowing the pancake to cook for a further 1 minute. Transfer to a plate and repeat with the remaining batter. Cover the crepes with foil and set aside until needed.

7. Heat an ovenproof pan over high heat and add a little coconut oil. Place the duck breasts skin side down into the pan and sear for a few minutes until golden brown. Turn duck over and place in the oven for 25 minutes. 

8. Remove from the oven and set aside for 5 minutes to rest.

9. In the meantime, combine the remaining marinade, hoisin and honey in a small saucepan over low heat and stir to combine. Once hot, remove pan and transfer sauce to a serving bowl.

10. Slice duck in half down the center so that all of the skin is left on one side and there is one piece with no skin. Then cut the duck into 1cm thick slices across the breast. 

11. Place a little duck, cucumber, green onion and drizzle a little sauce into each crepe. Roll up, serve and enjoy! 

HAPPY COOKING FOODIES!!!

Slow and Low Asian Beef Brisket with Spiked Chinaman Brown Rice!

Happy Chinese New Year!!! 

We are just days into the year of the dragon, so why not celebrate with an oriental party in your mouth! My slow and low Asian inspired beef brisket is oh so tender, it literally falls apart. This sticky, shredded goodness is packed full of flavors from the East like star anise, cinnamon, ginger and soy, and is matched perfectly with my healthy brown rice spiked with chinese five spice, fresh mint and coriander.  

Slow and Low Asian Beef Brisket with Spiked Chinaman Brown Rice!

INGREDIENTS:
ASIAN BEEF BRISKET
1kg (2 lb.) beef brisket
3 cups beef broth
1 TBS coconut oil
2 scallions, halved lengthways
1/4 cup soy sauce
4 cloves garlic, peeled and chopped2 TBS fresh ginger, peeled and chopped
1/2 cup honey
3 whole star anise
1 cinnamon stick
1 tsp red chili flakes
1/2 cup chopped fresh cilantro
salt and pepper to taste
SPIKED BROWN RICE
1 1/2 cup brown rice
3 1/4 cup water
3 scallions, thinly sliced (keep 1 TBS for garnish)
1 handful of fresh coriander (cilantro), chopped (keep 1 TBS for garnish)
1 handful of fresh mint, chopped (keep 1 TBS for garnish)
1 TBS oyster sauce
1 TBS soy sauce
2 tsp sesame oil
1 TBS fresh ginger, finely chopped
2 garlic cloves, finely chopped
1/2 tsp honey
1 tsp orange zest
1/4 tsp chinese five spice
1 Lime, quartered
EGG OMELET and GARNISH
2 eggs
1 tsp coconut oil
salt


METHOD

1. Preheat oven to 175 degrees C (350 degrees F).
2. Trim excess fat off the brisket so it is nice and lean, and season with salt and pepper.
3. Heat coconut oil in a deep oven proof frypan, preferably one with a lid. (If unavailable use a fry pan for this step and in step 5 transfer meat to a deep casserole dish)
4. Sear brisket well, approximately 3-4 minutes each side.
5. Add garlic, ginger, 2 cups of the beef broth, soy sauce, honey, chili flakes, scallions, star anise and coriander (cilantro), and cover with lid or aluminum foil and place in the oven for 3 1/2 hours, turning brisket over after 2 hours.
6. Meanwhile boil water for rice in a medium saucepan. Add rice and cook on low for 40-45 minutes until cooked through. Set aside to cool.
7. Once brisket is done remove from the pan and shred using two forks. Add last cup of beef broth to the pan, scraping all of the caramelized goodness from bottom and sides of the pan. Strain sauce through sieve and return to the pan with shredded brisket. Adjust seasoning if necessary.
8. In a bowl combine soy sauce, oyster sauce, sesame oil, orange zest, chinese five spice and honey.
9. Heat coconut oil in large frypan over medium low heat. In a bowl whisk eggs with a pinch of salt. Pour eggs into pan and swirl around gently until the eggs mixture covers the pan. Once the egg mix has just cooked through, pick up one edge and roll loosely to the other side. Remove from pan and slice thinly.
10. Increase heat to medium high. Add scallions, ginger and garlic to the pan. Saute for one minute and add rice. Once heated through add sauce mixture, coriander and mint and stir until combined.
11. Serve rice in bowls and top with brisket, omelet, lime and a sprinkle of coriander, mint and scallions.

HAPPY COOKING FOODIES!