Comfort Food

Last weekend we bought a halal duck (duck that has been slaughtered according to Islamic teaching) and I prepared it according to the recipe below. It's been seven years since I last ate duck meat and boy was it good!




Aromatic and Crispy Duck
(Recipe from 'Chinese Cooking for Everyone' edited by Emma Callery)

4-5lb duck (cleaned and cut in half)

Cooking Sauce
6 cups stock or water
6 tbsp sugar
10 tbsp light soy sauce
4 tbsp yellow bean paste
6 slices fresh ginger
6 pieces star anise
1/2 tsp five-spice powder
1/4 tsp pepper

1. Mix the ingredients for the cooking sauce in a stockpot.
2. Submerge duck in liquid and simmer gently for 2 hours.
3. Remove duck from pot and leave to cool.
4. When required, deep fry duck in hot oil for 10-11 minutes.
5. Drain well and serve.

Dipping Sauce:
1. Boil remaining stock till about 2 cups left.
2. Strain residue and serve sauce with duck.

****

When I was growing up, my parents would rarely bring four of us to eat at the Kentucky Fried Chicken fast food restaurant at the old Thompson Plaza because it would be too expensive then. When we ate there we would all fight over the delicious coleslaw. All praise be to Allah SWT I found the recipe on the internet. Yummmm!



KFC Coleslaw
Source: http://www.recipezaar.com/KFC-Coleslaw-33489?scaleto=4&sys=e

Ingredients:

3 1/4 cups finely diced cabbage (White or Purple)
5 teaspoons finely diced carrots
2 1/2 teaspoons minced onions
2 1/4 tablespoons granulated sugar
1/4 teaspoon salt
pinch of pepper
5 teaspoons milk
3 1/4 tablespoons mayonnaise
5 teaspoons buttermilk
2 teaspoons white vinegar
1 tablespoons lemon juice

Directions

1. Cabbage and carrots must be finely diced.
2. Pour cabbage and carrot mixture into large bowl and stir in minced onions.
3. MIx in remaining ingredients until smooth.
4. Pour over vegetable mixture and mix thoroughly.
5. Cover bowl and refrigerate several hours or overnight before serving.

***

Now that daughter is growing up fast, I have been thinking of cooking more Cambodian dishes so that she may learn about her father's heritage partly through the Cambodian cuisine. I cooked this soup today and husband gave it two thumbs up! Yeah!



Cambodian Sweet and Sour Soup
Source: http://projects.washingtonpost.com/recipes/2007/07/25/cambodian-sour-soup/

Ingredients:

• 2 tablespoons tamarind pulp concentrate
• 6 cups water, clam juice, fish broth or low-sodium chicken broth
• 3/4 cup chopped lemon grass, finely chopped in a food processor or mashed with a mortar and pestle
• 2 tablespoons fish sauce
• 1/2 tablespoon vegetable oil
• 2 tablespoons minced garlic
• 3 to 4 medium shallots, thinly sliced (about 1/2 cup)
• 2 teaspoons freshly grated ginger root
• 6 kaffir lime leaves (may substitute 2 teaspoons finely grated lime zest)
• 1/2 peeled and cored pineapple, cut into 1 1/2-inch chunks (about 8 ounces)
• 3 small to medium tomatoes, cut into wedges
• 3/4 pound firm white fish fillets, such as halibut, catfish or tilapia, cut into 1-inch cubes
• Cilantro sprigs, for garnish
• Red Thai chili peppers, for garnish
• Basil leaves, for garnish
• Thinly sliced scallions, white and light-green parts, for garnish
• Lime wedges, for garnish

Directions:

Place the tamarind pulp in a small bowl and add just enough hot water to cover. Let it stand 10 minutes, then mash it into a paste, discard the seeds and push it through a fine-mesh sieve.

Meanwhile, bring the 6 cups of whichever liquid you prefer to a boil over high heat in a large pot.
Combine the strained tamarind, lemon grass and fish sauce in a small saucepan over low heat and cook for 10 minutes or until the lemon grass has softened. Add to the large pot, discarding the lemon grass.

Heat the oil in a small skillet over medium-high heat and add the garlic. Cook for 1 to 2 minutes, stirring, just until it begins to brown. Transfer the garlic to the soup, then add the shallots and ginger. Reduce the heat to low and cook for 5 minutes, until the shallots soften (you will need to bring them up to the surface with a slotted spoon to check them). Add the lime leaves, pineapple and tomatoes, stirring to combine, and cook for 5 minutes. Add the fish and cook for about 5 minutes or until it is opaque and cooked through. Divide the soup among individual bowls and serve hot, along with garnishes of cilantro, chili peppers, basil, scallions and lime wedges.