The Root of the Problem

One of my favorite ways to come up with new recipes is to find inspiration at the farmer's market. I love taking food that's in season and using that as a jumping off point for creating an entire dish. Walking through the stalls is sometimes the best way to see what you should be making, and explains why so many restaurants are offering the same types of dishes based on the same seasonal ingredients. Unfortunately, I've been feeling a bit...well, blahhhh about the winter selection of fruits and veggies that I've been seeing at the greenmarket for the last few months. There's only so many days in a row that I can stand to bring home another form of root. I've already roasted them, sauteed them, pureed them into soup, added them to stews and shaved them into salad. Having pretty much reached my limit where winter vegetables are concerned, I decided that I deserved to splurge a little at the market and took a closer look at the game meats stall.


While I didn't quite feel like buying yet another gourmet sausage, or even a whole pheasant, I spotted a fridge full of amazing fresh duck breasts. I didn't have much experience cooking duck myself, but it's one of my favorite proteins, and it always seems easy when others make it, so I gave it a go. My initial plan was to cook the duck in Asian style spices and serve it over a bed of roasted winter root veggies. But after some thought, I realized that the fatty duck would best be paired with a slightly lighter bed of veggies, like some sauteed baby bok choy and shiitake mushrooms (and it would help give the dish an entirely Asian theme). When researching how to make the duck itself, I took a few tips from my favorite Chinese chef, Kylie Kwong. Her recipe for chili-salt duck became the base for my recipe. She starts by steaming the duck until it's half-cooked, then dredges it in a chili-salt flour mixture before frying it. I took it a step further by making the flour mixture extra spiced with cayenne pepper, Chinese five spice, and ground sichuan peppercorn.


The flour-spice mix gave the duck breast a nice subtle spice and and crispy crust. I served it along with a few lemon wedges to help cut the grease (although it wasn't actually all that greasy in the end), and some ground sichuan pepper and salt for dipping and extra spice. The bed of veggies was great, and paired well with the duck. I diced the bok choy stems for crunch, and let the leaves wilt, and left the shiitakes in fairly large pieces for a little texture contrast. I would have preferred the duck to be a little bit more underdone (it's red meat, so you can serve it medium-rare), but all in all for my first duck breast attempt, I think it was good. Here's how to go about it for yourself, and tomorrow I'll tell you a little bit about the salad I made to start the whole meal off (baby arugula with pomegranate and clementines).

Crispy Spiced Duck Breast with Bok Choy and Shiitake Mushrooms

2 duck breasts, skin on and scored in a diamond pattern
2 Tbsp flour
3 tsp salt
2 tsp chili powder
1/2 tsp cayenne pepper
1/2 tsp ground sichuan pepper
1/2 tsp Chinese five spice
vegetable, canola, or peanut oil
2 bunches baby bok choy, chopped
1 1/2 cups shiitake mushrooms, sliced
3 garlic cloves, roughly chopped
1 Tbsp soy sauce
1 tsp malt or cider vinegar
1 Tbsp Shao Hsing wine or sherry

1. (For the duck): Season duck breasts lightly with salt and steam in a bamboo or metal steamer until half cooked (about 12-15 minutes depending on their thickness). Remove to a plate and allow to cool.

2. Meanwhile, combine flour and spices in a bowl and set aside. When the duck is cool to the touch, dredge it in the flour mixture. Heat enough oil to cover the duck halfway and add the duck. Fry on both sides until crispy and medium rare. Let rest 5-7 minutes for juices to redistribute.

3. (For the veggies): Heat 2 tsp vegetable oil and garlic in a non-stick skillet. Cook one minute until fragrant, then add bok choy. Add shiitake's and soy sauce when the bok choy is half wilted, and cook for another few minutes until they begin to soften. Add vinegar and wine and cook until greens and mushrooms are cooked through.

4. After it's rested, slice the duck breast thinly and serve over the bok choy and shiitakes. Serve with lemon wedges and extra sichuan pepper and salt. Enjoy!

-Laura

Fry Hard

Lest you believe that this is some sort of healthy food blog because my first food related post is about tofu, let me first say that I firmly hold the following truths to be self-evident:

1. All things are exponentially more delicious when deep fried
2. Just add bacon
3. Few things are more delicious than a perfectly cooked steak, medium rare
4. One of those things a is fresh out the fryer glazed donut. Or 6.

So why then, do I present myself to the blogosphere with a tofu dish? The answer is simple: I've had a culinary epiphany. You see, I previously took tofu to be a mound of watery, jiggly, cloudy water. Which is actually true, but like so many things in their raw form, tofu benefits greatly from a salty coating and a deep fat fry. And since it is good for you, I don't feel so bad about covering it in salt and tossing it in 4 cups of oil.

The recipe I use originated in Kylie Kwong's excellent cookbook, Heart and Soul: Simple Chinese Cooking. What first peaked my interest in the recipe was watching her make it on her show of the same name (it aires on the Discovery Home channel). Unlike most tofu cookery in the U.S., which is done with firm tofu, Kwong uses silken tofu, which is part of what makes the Chinese and Japanese preparation of tofu far superior to most American ones. This tofu is creamy in texture and less dense than the firm type, so it lends itself particularly well to deep frying and searing, creating a lovely textural contrast between the crispy crust and the soft molten interior. Dipped in sichuan pepper and salt and drizzled with lemon juice, the resulting dish is both comforting and refreshing.

So that, my friends, is my sell as far as this tofu recipe is concerned--it's crispy, salty, sweet and delicious. Not to mention, further proof that all foods benefit from a good old deep fry. Check out my version of the recipe below:


Deep Fried Silken Tofu with Sichuan Pepper and Salt

Tofu
1 block silken tofu
1 cup flour
salt
pepper
vegetable oil (or other light colored frying oil)
1 lemon (for garnish)

Sichuan pepper and Salt
3 tbsp sea salt
1 tbsp sichuan pepper corns

1. Mix salt and pepper into flour (in a smal bowl) to taste. Set aside.

2. Pat tofu dry with paper towel, but don't squeeze out all of the water, and cut it into about 1 1/2 inch blocks. Toss the tofu chunks in the flour mixture to coat.

3. Heat oil on high in a wok or dutch oven. When the oil is hot, carfully add the tofu, no more than 4 pieces at a time. Flip them over halfway through cooking so both sides are golden brown and delicious. Set the cooked tofu aside on paper towel to absord excess oil until ready to serve.

4. While the tofu is frying, heat a dry pan on medium high heat. Add sichuan peppercorns and salt. Dry roast in a pan unil very fragrant, about 3 minutes. Add mixture to a mortar and pestle and allow to cool, then grind into a coarse salt. Serve alongside tofu and lemon wedges as shown. Enjoy!

-Laura