Indulge in a culinary journey to the heart of Chinese cuisine with our meticulously curated collection of braised lotus and leek duck recipes. Embark on a sensory adventure as we unveil the secrets to creating this classic dish, known for its tender duck meat, infused with the aromatic essence of lotus roots and leeks. Discover the art of braising, a technique that transforms ordinary ingredients into extraordinary, as we guide you through each step of the process. Explore variations of this beloved dish, from the traditional to the contemporary, ensuring that every palate finds its perfect match. Prepare to tantalize your taste buds and immerse yourself in the rich flavors and textures that define braised lotus and leek duck.
Let's cook with our recipes!
BRAISED DUCK LEGS WITH LEEKS AND GREEN OLIVES
Steps:
- Trim the excess fat from duck legs. Several hours ahead or the night before, season with salt and pepper. Cover and refrigerate.
- Preheat the oven to 425°F.
- In an ovenproof skillet just large enough to hold the duck legs comfortably, heat the olive oil. Add the leeks and carrot. Cook over medium heat for 3 minutes. Stir in additional salt, thyme, parsley sprigs, bay leaf, and olives. Cook for 3 more minutes. Place the duck legs in the skillet, skin side down. Add to the skillet white wine and chicken broth with lemon zest.
- The liquid should be about 1 inch deep; add more liquid if needed. Raise the heat, bring to a simmer, and immediately put the skillet in the oven. After 30 minutes, take the pan from the oven and turn the legs skin side up. If necessary, pour off and reserve some of the liquid so that all the duck skin is exposed. Turn the oven down to 325°F and continue cooking for 1 to 1 1/2 hours more. The duck is done when the skin is browned and the tip of a knife slips easily in and out of the meat.
- Set the duck legs aside and pour the braising juices and vegetables into a small bowl. Allow the liquid to settle, then skim off and discard the fat. The duck legs will render a surprising amount of fat. Taste for salt and correct the seasoning if needed. If it's too thin, reduce the braising liquid to concentrate it. Pour the liquid and vegetables back into the skillet with the duck legs on top. Just before serving, return to a simmer and reheat for a few minutes.
- Variations
- · Pitted olives can be substituted, but use fewer, about 1/2 cup, and don't add them to the braise until the last 15 minutes of cooking.
- · Substitute dry sherry for half the wine.
- · Substitute dried fruit such as prunes or figs for the olives. Use red wine instead of white and add a piece of bacon or pancetta to the braise. Omit the lemon zest.
- · Substitute chicken legs for the duck legs. Reduce the cooking time by 30 minutes.
BRAISED DUCK TAMALES WITH SOUR CHERRY MOJO
Provided by Aarón Sánchez
Time 2h45m
Yield 4 to 6 servings
Number Of Ingredients 22
Steps:
- In a bowl, combine the kosher salt and chopped thyme and mix it well. Rub the salt and thyme mixture on both sides of the duck, layering it on thickly. Place legs in a shallow pan and refrigerate, covered, overnight.
- Preheat oven to 350 degrees F.
- In the same shallow pan, add the onion, garlic, star anise, canela, and duck fat over the legs. Cover the pan with aluminum foil. Roast in the oven for 3 hours.
- Meanwhile, soak the cornhusks in warm water for 1 hour.
- To make the dough for the tamales, moisten the instant corn flour with the warm water. Set aside. Beat the shortening in a mixer until creamy and fluffy, about 10 minutes, then fold in the corn flour and chicken stock.
- After 3 hours remove the legs from the fat, remove the outer skin and shred the meat away from the bone and set aside.
- To assemble the tamales, open the soaked cornhusks and add 2 tablespoons of dough. Spread the dough over the cornhusk leaving a 1/2-inch border. Put 1 tablespoon of the shredded duck meat in the center in a line. Fold the cornhusk over, enclosing the duck in the dough, and secure the tamale with a string or ripped-off piece of the cornhusks. Repeat the process until all the dough and filling is finished.
- In a double boiler or steamer, steam the tamales for 20 minutes. Turn off heat and allow to sit for 10 minutes before serving.
- To make the sour cherry mojo: Soak the dried cherries in a bowl with red wine for 1 hour.
- In a medium saucepot, heat 1 tablespoon of oil over medium high heat. When the oil has begun to smoke, add the shallots, chipotle, and garlic. Cook for 5 minutes then deglaze with red wine vinegar and duck stock. Cook for 3 minutes then add the cherry mixture. Cook for 30 minutes until the liquid has thickened. Add the parsley. Season with salt and pepper.
- To serve, remove the tamale from the steamer. Open the tamales and serve with a spoon of the cherry mojo.
GRILLED BRAISED LEEKS
Steps:
- Preheat grill to high. Cut each leek in half lengthwise and rinse thoroughly to remove all dirt and sand. Pat dry. Brush the cut side of each leek half with the bacon drippings and sprinkle with kosher salt. Grill over direct, high heat, cut side down, with lid closed, approximately 6 to 7 minutes or until grill marks appear. Remove the leeks to a sheet of aluminum foil and lay cut side up. Brush the leeks with balsamic vinegar. Reassemble the leek halves together, wrap tightly in foil, and set back on the grill away from direct heat for 10 to 12 minutes.
- Remove the leeks from the foil and serve immediately, as is or with crumbled bacon and goat cheese.
BRAISED DUCK WITH RED CURRY
Steps:
- Bone ducks and remove the skin. (You can ask a butcher to do this, reserving the carcass for stock making and skin for rendering.) Cut breasts in half, then into about 3 pieces across the width. Chop legs and thighs into about 4 pieces each. (Remember: You want to start with generous pieces of meat, since they will shrink when cooked. Don't worry about cleaning the tendons, since they will soften with long cooking.) Sprinkle meat with salt and pepper.
- Heat rendered fat in a large, heavy bottomed Dutch oven over high heat. Brown duck on all sides, then transfer meat to a platter. Reduce heat to medium low and cook shallots until well browned, about 15 minutes. Add garlic and ginger, increase heat to medium high and cook about a minute, then add curry paste. Cook, stirring constantly, about 3 minutes. Return duck meat to pot along with brown duck stock and cook at a slow simmer, uncovered, until meat is tender, about 40 minutes.
- With a slotted spoon, transfer meat to a platter and reserve in a warm place. Puree sauce in a blender and strain back into pot. Cook over high heat until liquid is reduced by one third. Stir in fish sauce, coconut milk, sugar, and lime juice, and remove from heat. Stir duck back into warm sauce. Ladle stew over Jasmine Rice. Garnish with remaining ingredients and serve immediately.
BRAISED LEEKS WITH SEL DE MER
Steps:
- Preheat the oven to 375 degrees F.
- Place the leeks into a baking dish and pour the wine over them. Dot the leeks with butter and sprinkle with sel de mer. Place uncovered in the oven for 30 to 40 minutes, until they are fork tender. Remove from the braising liquid and serve immediately.
BRAISED DUCK WITH SPICED LENTILS AND LIME ONIONS
Steps:
- Cut the duck in quarters and remove the drumstick tips. Season with 1 teaspoon each of the salt and pepper, rub all over with the garlic and place a piece of cinnamon stick on each quarter. Let sit at room temperature 45 minutes.
- Preheat the oven to 350 degrees.
- Transfer the duck to an ovenproof frying pan along with the chicken or other fat. Bring to a boil over medium-high heat, cover with foil and transfer to the oven. Bake 1 hour and 15 minutes. Set aside to cool.
- When cool enough to handle, lift the duck from the fat and remove and discard the skin. Cover with a wet towel until serving time. To reserve, store the duck in the cooking fat and refrigerate up to a week.
- To reheat the duck, remove from the fat if necessary, and place on a rack in a tightly covered pan. Warm in a 325 degree oven for about 15 minutes.
- Meanwhile, to make the lime onions, heat the olive oil in a medium skillet over high heat. Saute the onions, stirring frequently, until just wilted (but not browned). Toss with the lime juice and the remaining 1 teaspoon salt and l/2 teaspoon pepper. Keep warm. The onions can be made a day in advance and refrigerated. Reheat before serving.
- To serve, spread a bed of lentils on each serving plate. Top with a piece of duck and smother with the warm onions. Serve immediately.
TENDER BRAISED LEEKS
These leeks, poached gently in an aromatic liquor, make a delicious dish on their own, or try them with fish or roast chicken
Provided by Barney Desmazery
Categories Side dish, Supper
Time 40m
Number Of Ingredients 10
Steps:
- Trim the darkest green part off the leeks and strip away the first two layers. Cut in half lengthways, but keep attached at the root. Wash the leeks under cold running water and set aside. Tip all the other ingredients, except the olives and parsley, into a wide shallow pan with 200ml water, some cracked pepper and a sprinkling of salt.
- Slip the leeks into the pan, cover and place over a low heat. Gently simmer for 20 mins, turning them occasionally until very tender - a knife blade should slip in easily. Leave to cool until just warm, then stir through the parsley and olives, if you like. Serve the leeks as they are with crusty bread or with roast chicken or fish.
Nutrition Facts : Calories 65 calories, Fat 2 grams fat, Carbohydrate 7 grams carbohydrates, Sugar 5 grams sugar, Fiber 3 grams fiber, Protein 3 grams protein, Sodium 0.01 milligram of sodium
SIMPLE BRAISED LEEKS
Steps:
- Remove outer leaves; cut dark-green ends from leeks. Trim roots, keeping leaves attached. Halve lengthwise; rinse to remove grit.
- Melt butter in a large skillet over medium heat. Add leeks to pan and arrange cut side down in a single layer. Cook until softened and light golden, 3 to 4 minutes. Turn leeks and cook on the other side until softened, 3 minutes. Season with salt and pepper. Turn the leeks again so they are cut side down and peel off any papery outer layers. Add stock and wine, stirring to deglaze pan. Cook for 1 minute. Bring to a boil, reduce to a simmer, and cover with a parchment paper round. Cook until the leeks are tender when pierced with a knife, about 15 minutes.
- Remove parchment, raise heat, and cook until liquid is reduced, about 1 to 2 minutes. Sprinkle with coarse salt and parsley; serve.
BRAISED LEEKS WITH PARMESAN
My friend Elizabeth tells me that even people who think they don't like leeks like this dish. The leeks are braised in wine and water or stock until soft and golden, then topped with Parmesan and run under a broiler, so you get a crunchy layer on top of soft cooked leeks. One of the tricks here is to discard the outer layers that become papery when you cook them, so that the whole leek will be soft and easy to cut through.
Provided by Martha Rose Shulman
Categories side dish
Time 1h15m
Yield 4 to 6 servings
Number Of Ingredients 5
Steps:
- Cut the ends and the dark green leaves of the leeks, and cut in half lengthwise. Place in a bowl of cold water for 10 minutes, then run under the faucet to remove any sand that may be lingering in between the layers. Peel off thick outer layers and discard.
- Heat the olive oil over medium heat in a wide, heavy skillet that will accommodate all of the leeks in one layer. Place the leeks in the pan, cut side down, and cook, shaking the pan and moving them around with tongs, until they are lightly browned, 3 to 4 minutes. Using tongs, turn the leeks over and cook on the other side until they are lightly browned, 3 to 4 minutes. Season with salt and pepper. Turn the leeks back over so that the cut side is down. Peel off the outer layers if they are papery, as they will not soften when the leeks are braised. Pour in the wine and stir to deglaze the bottom of the pan, then add enough water or stock to come just to the top of the leeks. Bring to a boil, reduce the heat and simmer uncovered for 20 to 25 minutes, until the leeks are thoroughly tender when pierced with a knife. Most of the liquid should have evaporated by this time. Meanwhile, preheat the broiler.
- Transfer the leeks to an oiled ovenproof pan if your skillet cannot go under the broiler. Using tongs, turn the leeks so that the flat side is up. If there is still a lot of liquid in the pan, pour it off. Sprinkle the Parmesan over the leeks. Place under the hot broiler until the cheese has melted and is beginning to color. Remove from the heat and serve.
Nutrition Facts : @context http, Calories 135, UnsaturatedFat 4 grams, Carbohydrate 13 grams, Fat 6 grams, Fiber 2 grams, Protein 4 grams, SaturatedFat 2 grams, Sodium 278 milligrams, Sugar 4 grams
Tips:
- To achieve the best flavor, select a duck that is plump and has a good layer of fat. This will help the duck to braise evenly and prevent it from drying out.
- Sear the duck over high heat before braising. This will help to develop a rich, caramelized flavor.
- Use a variety of aromatics in the braising liquid, such as garlic, ginger, scallions, and star anise. This will add depth and complexity to the flavor of the duck.
- Braise the duck for at least 2 hours, or until the meat is fall-off-the-bone tender. This will allow the flavors to meld and the duck to become infused with the aromatics.
- Serve the duck with a variety of accompaniments, such as steamed rice, roasted vegetables, or a simple green salad.
Conclusion:
Braised lotus and leek duck is a delicious and flavorful dish that is perfect for a special occasion. By following the tips in this article, you can create a dish that is sure to impress your guests. The combination of tender duck, savory lotus root, and fragrant leeks is simply irresistible. So next time you're looking for a special dish to serve, give braised lotus and leek duck a try. You won't be disappointed.
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