Steamed Duck Legs

Steamed duck legs

This is easy to make, and the process actually extracts most of the fat from the duck legs. 

Ingredients:

2 duck legs

1 tsp minced ginger

1 tsp five spice powder

2 tbsp cooking wine

1 tbsp light soy sauce 

1 tsp salt

Instructions:

1) Wash and dry the duck legs, and try to remove as much fat as possible. 

2) Marinate it with the minced ginger, five spice powder, cooking wine, light soy sauce and salt. Let it sit for 4 hours or overnight.

3) Steam the duck legs for 35 to 40 minutes. There should still be a thick layer of oil on top of the gravy, so try to remove as much as possible before serving.

Roasted Chicken with Root Vegetables

Roasted chicken with root vegetables (serves 3 to 4)

This is again, another recipe from Thomas Keller's masterclass. I used two lemons instead of five though.

Ingredients:

For the brine

2 lemons, halved

6 bay leaves

100g parsley

28g thyme

0.25 cup honey

1 head garlic, halved through its equator

0.125 cup black peppercorns

3.8 litres water

300g salt

For the mains

1 whole chicken

Root vegetables in the amount and type that you desire (e.g. potatoes, carrots, turnips, onions, parsnips, leeks, rutabagas)

Clarified butter (optional, can be substituted with canola oil)

Salt

Instructions:

1) Add all the brine ingredients into a big pot and bring it to a boil, then let it cool.

2) Submerge the chicken in the cold brine for 12 to 24 hours.

3) Remove the chicken, truss it, and discard the brine.

4) Dry the surface of the chicken as much as possible, then leave it in the refrigerator, uncovered, for 2 to 3 days.

5) Leave the chicken at room temperature for 30 to 45 minutes.

6) Prepare the root vegetables and spread it over the roasting pan. Season with salt, drizzle clarified butter or canola oil, and mix it well.

7) Preheat the oven to 250 degrees Celcius, and brush the chicken with clarified butter (or canola oil). Season all sides with salt.

8) Place the chicken on the centre of the vegetables (make a nest), and roast it for 20 to 25 minutes.

9) Reduce the heat to 200 degrees Celcius, and roast for another 30 to 45 minutes, depending on how big your chicken is.

10) Let it rest for 20 minutes. Squeeze a bit of lemon over the vegetables, sprinkle some gravy sea salt or finishing salt on the chicken, and serve.

Oven-roasted Lamb Rack #2

Oven-roasted lamb rack (serves 2 to 3)

This is slightly different from a previous entry, as it utilises dijon mustard and has a different cooking time.

Ingredients:

1 lamb rack (typically around 7 to 8 ribs)

3 tbsp of Dijon mustard

2 tsp of rosemary

2 tsp of thyme

4 tsp of garlic, coarsely chopped

1 tbsp olive oil

1.25 tsp salt

Pepper

Instructions:

1) Score the top side of the lamb rack with criss-cross cuts.

2) Mix the rosemary, thyme, garlic, salt, and olive oil, then rub it over the lamb rack. Leave it in the refrigerator overnight or for around 4 hours.

3) Let the lamb rack rest at room temperature for around 20 minutes.

4) Preheat the oven to 200 degrees Celsius, then add the lamb rack in for around 40 to 45 minutes.

5) Remove the rack from the oven, cover with aluminum foil and let it rest for 15 minutes, then serve.

Roasted Zucchini

Roasted zucchini (serves 2 to 3)

Taken and summarised from Thomas Keller's Masterclass. My pan wasn't large enough to fry the zucchini in its full length, so I had to cut it to smaller pieces.

This turned out amazing - wonderfully creamy and way better than how I have been preparing zucchini previously. 

Ingredients:

2 zucchini

Salt

Garlic (optional)

Herbs (optional)

Instructions:

1) Cut the zucchini length-wise and score it.

2) Add a light coating of salt on the zucchini and let it rest for 15 to 20 minutes. This will help remove some of the moisture from the zucchini, which will help in the cooking and caramelisation process.

3) Use some kitchen towels to absorb more of the moisture.

4) Add a layer of oil to a pan. Once it is hot, add the zucchini in, skin-side upwards. Cook it for around 5 minutes; the zucchini should be brown and caramelised by then.

5) Flip the zucchini. Add some herbs or garlic to the pan now if you wish, then put the pan into the oven at 230 degrees Celcius for 25 to 30 minutes.

6) Place the zucchini on some kitchen towels to absorb the excess oil, then plate it. Add some finishing salt, and serve.