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Libran Entrée 1: Duck and Asparagus Sang Choi Bau

First came up with this years ago with duck-loving friends who live very close to Sydney's Chinatown: simply combine one delicious takeaway duck's meat (picked from the bones), some extra finely chopped mushrooms, chopped asparagus and lots of chilli and coriander (Stephen thinks coriander smells like North Qld stink beetles, so he's not a fan!), to make quick work of Sang Choi Bau, with crispy duck skin on top to finish it off.

Use the duck bones to make a beautiful duck stock, thus using everything and keeping it all in balance.

Asparagus is plentiful at this time of year and is absolutely wonderful with our Riesling, as much as it is with a grassy Sav Blanc.

I noticed recently that Neil Perry has a quite complex Duck and Pork Sang Choi Bau recipe in the Sydney Morning Herald:

http://www.goodfood.com.au/good-food/cook/recipe/duck-sang-choi-bao-20141215-3ml4m.html

But read on to make mine…

Best served with Bloodwood 2012 Riesling

Ingredients:

  • 1 Chinese roast lacquered duck, remove skin and meat
  • 1/4 cup peanut oil
  • 4 red shallots finely chopped
  • 2 tsp finely grated ginger
  • 2 green spring onions, coarsely chopped (plus extra, thinly sliced on the diagonal to garnish with when served)
  • 50g mushrooms, finely chopped
  • 150g asparagus, chopped
  • 1/4 C Shoxing rice wine (or Bloodwood Riesling)
  • 1T soy sauce
  • 2T oyster sauce
  • 2T duck stock or water (stock made from the roast duck’s bones)
  • 2T garlic chives, finely chopped
  • 1 iceberg lettuce leaves, washed and trimmed to form cups

Method:

Place duck skin on a wire rack placed over an oven tray and bake at 180C for 15 minutes or until lightly crisp, cool, then cut into thin strips. Alternatively they can be briefly sautéed.

Chop duck meat into 5mm pieces.

Heat a wok over high heat, place oil in wok and then add shallots and ginger and stir for 2 minutes or until fragrant.

Add duck meat, green onions, mushrooms and asparagus and cook for 2 minutes.

Add rice wine, sauces and stock, combine well, then simmer for 4-5 minutes or until liquid has nearly evaporated.

Add garlic chives, combine well and season to taste with sea salt and freshly ground white pepper.

To be served in iceberg lettuce cups, garnished with the extra sliced green spring onions; serve the duck mixture topped with sliced duck skin in separate bowls, for guests to assemble themselves (this keeps the lettuce fresh and crisp).

Shortcuts:

Buy a takeaway Chinatown duck.

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