Giam Chye Ark (Duck & Salted Vegetable Soup) 咸菜鸭汤

* in collaboration with Xndo for Zero Rice

The marriage of salty and sour flavours from the few key ingredients in Giam Chye Ark (Duck & Salted Vegetable Soup) 咸菜鸭汤 always serve to tantalize appetites.

Salted vegetables 咸菜 (aka salted mustard green) are cooling in nature. Hence, I personally prefer to neutralize with some 'heaty' ingredients such as ginger, garlic and white peppercorns. This' especially comforting during the rainy days.

This is a must-have traditional dish in many South East Asian Chinese families. There are many variations and versions. I prefer to prepare mine as a single pot dish to just go with  rice. 

Xndo Zero rice is certified low GI, non-GMO, high fibre and suitable even for diabetics! Ready to eat, a healthy diet has never been easier! Promotion now on at all GNC Singapore & Xndo stores islandwide. 

#ZeroRice #XndoRecipes

Ingredients (enough for 2 to 4 pax) :

• 2 to 4 packets Xndo Zero Rice. Each box contain 4 packets. 
• Half a duck (chopped into pieces)(skin removed, washed & drained)
• 200 gm salted vegetables/giam chye/salted mustard green 咸菜 (soaked in water for 15 to 30 minutes before cook)
• 3 pcs pickled sour plums (available in supermarkets/markets)
• 1 pc dried preserved date (optional)(available in supermarkets/markets)
• 2 carrots (chopped into chunks)
• 2 to 3 tomatoes (chopped into quarters)
• 1 tray of tofu/beancurd (available in supermarkets/markets)(cut into chunks)
• 2 tbsp white peppercorns
• 15 cloves of garlic (peeled and pressed)
• 4-5 slices ginger
• 1.5 litre water

(tsp = teaspoon; tbsp = tablespoon)    

Method : 

1. Remove fats/skin from duck meat. Set duck fat aside. 
2. Blanch duck pieces in boiling water for 5 minutes to remove scum beforehand. Rinse and clean duck meat in running water after that.
3. Render a little duck fat in stock pot. Sauté ginger, garlic and peppercorns till aromatic. 
4. Add all ingredients into soup pot EXCEPT tofu and half portion of tomatoes.
5. Add 1.5 liter water into soup pot. Turn on high heat till water/soup reaches boiling point. Once the water/soup boils, turn to low heat and continue to simmer for 1.5 hours. Duck meat is tough. It takes longer to reach tenderness. 
6. Add tofu and the rest of tomatoes to simmer for 5 to 10 minutes before serve. 
7. Duck meat should be fall-off-the-bone kind of tender. Yet tasty. Salted vegetables still flavourful.
8. Serve whilst hot with Xndo Zero Rice. 

Tip : Choose the stem portion of the salted vegetables. It works better for soups. The leaf portions are more suitable for other cooking processes such as stir frying.

Fusion Herbal Duck Gnocchi

*in collaboration with Casa Rinaldi for gnocchi

We deliberately kept 2 duck legs and a box of poaching mixture from yesterday's Cantonese Roast Duck 广式烧鸭 so that we could put to good use by creating a Fusion Herbal Duck Gnocchi. 

Gnocchi is a type of traditional Italian pasta. They look like small dumplings and primarily made up of potatoes and flour. Casa Rinaldi has made it so easy and convenient now by introducing the packet ones to Singapore. All we have to do is to boil it for short few minutes and the gnocchi could be served with any sauce and cooked ingredients.

To create this fusion dish, I'm marrying herbs from the East and West so that an all new complex layering of flavours could be presented and serve. Adventurous but I can only say that it worked for us. Try it if you would like to explore something different!

Casa Rinaldi Gnocchi is available exclusively at NTUC finest under the pasta section. (Retail price at $9.50 per pack). Don't miss out Casa Rinaldi giveaway at http://bit.ly/2f9PfwJ

Ingredients (enough for 2 pax) :

• 250 gm Casa Rinaldi Gnocchi (available at NTUC Finest)
• 2 roasted duck legs (click here for recipe to Cantonese Roast Duck 广式烧鸭)(can use stall bought duck legs if you do not intend to roast duck yourself)
• 10 pcs cherry tomatoes
• 4 to 5 pcs Dang Gui (Chinese Angelica Root) 当归
• 2 sprigs rosemary
• 2 sprigs thyme (optional)
• a handful of oregano (optional)
• 500 ml poaching mixture from roasting duck (refer to previous post on Cantonese Roast Duck 广式烧鸭)(otherwise, make mixture by mixing 2 tbsp hoisin sauce, 2 tbsp light soy sauce, 1 tsp dark soy sauce, 1 tbsp dark vinegar, 1 tbsp sugar, 2 tbsp cooking wine, 1/2 tsp black pepper, 450 ml water and bring to boil)
• 2 tsp corn starch (stir and mix well with 2 tbsp water)
• 2 tsp Wolfberries 枸杞子
• 4 slices ginger
• 4 cloves garlic (thinly sliced)
• 1 large onion (finely chopped)
• 2 pcs streak bacons (cut to bits)
• grounded black pepper (to taste)(to be added before serve)
• chopped English parsley (for garnishing)
• 2 tbsp cooking oil 

(tsp = teaspoon; tbsp = tablespoon) 

Method :

1. Turn on oven to heat roasted duck legs and cherry tomatoes. Set aside.
2. In a saucepan, add roast duck poaching mixture, dang gui, wolfberries, rosemary and all herbs. Bring to boil at medium heat.
3. Once boiled, turn to low heat, cover lid and allow to simmer for another 15 to 20 minutes.
4. Remove and discard herbs from saucepan.
5. Fold in starch mixture slowly and stir well till the sauce thickens to your desired texture. Set aside.
6. In a separate pot of boiling water, boil gnocchi for 1 to 2 minutes or till they start floating. Drain and set aside.
7. In a frying pan, heat cooking oil at medium heat.
8. Fold in bacon bits and stir fry till aromatic.
9. Toss in ginger, onions, garlic and still fry till aromatic.
10. Fold in boiled gnocchi and pan fry till slightly browned and chewy. 
11. Turn off heat and dish out.
12. Top with thickened sauce, tomatoes, roasted duck legs, a dash of grounded black pepper and garnishing before serve.
13. Serve whilst hot.

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Cantonese Roast Duck 广式烧鸭

My family members are true blue Cantonese that enjoy any kind of Cantonese roasts, be it roast pork, char siew, roast chicken or duck. The Cantonese Roast Duck 广式烧鸭 probably tops my family's list. I usually have to queue early at the popular stalls over weekends to buy our favourite roast duck. Sometimes, I disappoint them by coming home empty handed when the roast ducks are sold out in the morning! Seeing how much they love this Cantonese Roast Duck 广式烧鸭 spurred me on to do it myself at home. 

i have done this Cantonese Roast Duck 广式烧鸭 quite a few times as of now. In view of my poor stitching skills, I had tweaked it from the traditional way of sealing the poaching liquid in the duck cavity. Instead, I inserted  pineapple chunks into the cavity to keep the meat tender and moist. I have also simplified the processes a little to suit my home kitchen environment. Albeit all these changes, I do not think I have compromised much in taste and texture. Not as traditional in the prepping and not as difficult as most people perceived, but this homemade version of Cantonese Roast Duck 广式烧鸭 is a hit at home. 

Ingredients (enough for 4 pax) :

• 1 duck (about 2 to 2.5 kg)(cleaned and pat dry) 
• 1 tbsp Chinese five spice powder (to dry rub the duck)
• 2 tsp salt (to dry rub the duck)
• 1 tsp grounded pepper (to dry rub the duck)(I used grounded Szechuan peppercorn)
• 1 slice pineapple (cut to chunks)

Poaching Mixture (A) :

• 1 cinnamon stick
• 2 star anise (broken into smaller pieces)
• 3 cloves
• 6 cloves garlic (finely chopped)
• 6 slices ginger
• 3 stalks spring onion (tie in a knot)
• 1 tbsp five spice powder
• 2 tbsp hoisin sauce
• 4 tbsp light soy sauce
• 2 tbsp dark soy sauce
• 4 tbsp dark vinegar
• 4 tbsp Shaoxing cooking wine
• 1/2 cup dark sugar syrup (those used for baking mooncakes)(can replace with honey)
• 2 pcs rock sugar (approx. 2 tbsp portion)
• 2.5 litre water
• 2 tbsp cooking oil

Brushing Mixture (B) : 

• 1 tbsp Hoisin Sauce
• 1 tbsp dark sugar syrup or honey
• 50 ml water

(tsp = teaspoon; tbsp = tablespoon) 

Method :

1. Score duck skin with a needle tenderiser. Do not have to puncture/pierce into the meat. Try not to tear the skin. 
2. Mix dry rub ingredients together in a bowl evenly (i.e. 1 tbsp five spice powder, 2 tsp salt, 1 tsp grounded pepper).
3. Marinade the duck by dry rubbing mixture on the surface of duck and inside the cavity. Adjust the quantity of salt/powder in accordance to the size of the duck.
4. Chill the duck in the refrigerator for at least half a day (do not cover with lid).
5. When time's due, remove duck from chiller to rest at room temperature. 
6. Heat big pot with cooking oil at medium heat. 
7. Toss in aromatic ingredients (in Group A) (i.e. ginger, garlic, spring onion, cinnamon, cloves, star anise)  and stir fry till fragrant. 
8. Fold in mixture comprising all other poaching ingredients (in Group A) into pot and allow to simmer till boiled.
9. Hold the duck vertically above the pot. Use a ladle to poach duck with boiling poaching mixture.
10. Repeat at least 3 times till the skin tightens. 
11. Do not waste the poaching liquid. Strain and freeze poaching liquid in storage boxes to braise or cook other dishes.
12. Pat dry duck with paper towel.
13. Insert pineapple chunks to fill up the cavity of duck.
14. Hang the duck to air dry for at least half a day. 
15. Pre-heat oven to 190C, grill mode (fan assist) before roast.
16. Mix all ingredients in Brushing Mixture (Group B) in a bowl evenly.
17. Arrange duck on roasting pan.  
18. Lightly brush entire surface of the duck with Brushing Mixture. The skin will easily get burnt if brushed too thick.
19. Send duck to roast in lower tier of oven for 25 to 30 minutes (subject to size of duck)
20. Turn duck over and roast for another another 25 to 30 minutes (subject to size of duck). (Note : If you use a roasting rack over the pan like me, you probably do not have to turn the duck as the duck will still be evenly roasted at the bottom as there's no contact at the bottom. Just continue roasting will do.)
21. Turn duck back to breast side up.
22. Adjust oven temperature to 230C and allow to roast for another 10 minutes (adjust timing according to size of duck) to achieve crispy skin.
23. Remove duck from oven when even skin colour is achieved.
24. Allow to rest at room temperature for at least 30 minutes before cutting the duck to serve.
25. Remove and discard pineapple chunks from cavity before serve.

Note : Roasting time and results may vary due to size of duck and different oven makes. Do adjust accordingly. As heat distribution for every oven varies, you may find certain parts of the duck more burnt. If you find any part of the skin starting to burn (usually at the top and the tip of the wings), cut a piece of foil and cover over that portion will do.


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Zaru Soba with Smoked Duck 日式荞麦凉面配熏鸭片

Zaru Soba 日式荞麦凉面 (Japanese chilled buckwheat noodle served in bamboo basket) is definitely my favourite and most frequently ordered item on the Japanese menus. However, I am always beaten by its hefty price tag when eating out. It would easily cost SGD 10 or more....just for a serving of of PLAIN soba. So, is that not a good reason to DIY at home?

In Singapore, most Japanese restaurants match Zaru Soba with Tempura. I like the combination but would prefer something quick and easy for a homemade version. I have tried & tested many variations and still find it a cohesive marriage between soba and smoked duck.  

This home-cooked Zaru Soba with Smoked Duck 日式荞麦凉面配熏鸭片 is surely friendly to my wallet. I do not need 10 bucks to prepare this meal for 2 persons. Yes. Smoked duck meat included! Best of all.....it takes me no more than 20 minutes to prepare and cook everything! 

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Ingredients (enough for 2 pax) :

• 200 gm soba (buckwheat noodle) 
• 1 pc nori/toasted seaweed (shredded)
• 1 packet smoked duck breast meat (available from supermarkets)
• 1 cup Tsuketsuyu/instant soba sauce (available from supermarkets)
• 1 stalk spring onions (finely chopped)
• 1 tub of ice 
• water

(tsp = teaspoon; tbsp = tablespoon)    

Tip 1 : Air fry or oven roast smoked duck meat for better taste and feel.

Tip 2 : I took the short cut by using instant soba dipping sauce. Tsuketsuyu/soba sauce can be made by bringing to boil combined Japanese soy sauce, mirin, daishi powder, kombu and water. Chill before use. 

Method :

Rub a little salt on skin of smoked duck breast meat and air fry at 160 degrees celsius (320 degrees fahrenheit) for 10 minutes.

Meanwhile, cook soba in boiling water till softened. 

Prepare a large bowl of ice water.

Drain soba and fold in to ice water for an immediate ice-bath when cooked.

Leave soba in ice water for 1 minute. Drain and set aside.

Remove smoked duck from air fryer when time's due. It should have roasted skin by then.

Slice smoked duck breast meat thinly and set aside.

Prepare soba dip sauce by mixing 1 portion of instant soba sauce with an equal portion of water.

Serve Zaru Soba with wasabi, soba dip sauce, chopped spring onions, shredded nori and smoked duck slices.

Zaru Soba with Smoked Duck 日式荞麦凉面配熏鸭片 has to be one of the easiest meal to prepare. Palatable yet suitable for those who are health conscious.