Chinese Eats at Home (Part 2)

[Ce'nedra]

Used the dark meat and whatever shreds was left from the boiled chicken for Gai cheow gai (?).  Chicken marinated in oyster sauce layered with green mustard stem in brown sauce.

Side View

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That looks absolutely stunning! I love your presentation -I'm sure this would make a nice dish on the table at a dinner party

How did you layer it?

[hzrt8w]

I never make my own noodles hahaha! My belief is that if the basic ingredients (such as noodles, bread, etc) are readily available, no way in hell will I waste my time making it! 

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Don't say that! We have participants who enjoy making many things from scratch, from hand-pulled noodles, tofu, brew your own wine to even making salted fish and soy sauce!

But I agree that it is very time-consuming if we make everything from scratch ourselves. Those, like me, who are blessed with having these ingredients readily available are relieved and we can spend our energy more on the cooking part.

[Ce'nedra]

I never make my own noodles hahaha! My belief is that if the basic ingredients (such as noodles, bread, etc) are readily available, no way in hell will I waste my time making it! 

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Don't say that! We have participants who enjoy making many things from scratch, from hand-pulled noodles, tofu, brew your own wine to even making salted fish and soy sauce!

But I agree that it is very time-consuming if we make everything from scratch ourselves. Those, like me, who are blessed with having these ingredients readily available are relieved and we can spend our energy more on the cooking part.

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Hahaha oops

Yes some people enjoy making their own noodles and such and I actually really admire them for that because I myself do not have the talents nor patience for it lol! I just don't find it really applicable for my lifestyle because I have other things I should concern myself with (eg uni, work, partying with friends, writing books, etc)

[junehl]

Guo Ji Aap (fruit and seed duck)

Another dish I'm proud of. It wasn't as good as what I remembered my dad making, but I was proud that I could debone the whole duck, and still have the skin completely intact for the stuffing. And it tasted really good, just not as good as daddy.

Deboned duck

Stuffed Duck

Steaming Duck

Finished duck

Duck Inside

[junehl]

I also made an oyster sauce for the duck, but it didn't look as pretty on the duck, because the duck was larger than all my plates/bowls, so it looked really ugly like brown jello plastered duck.

I did learn that I shouldn't stuff the duck so much, the stuffing continued to grow and was so packed inside!

Oh and after it was done steaming all the fat was left in the bowl i had steamed the duck with. That's being saved for later use. Duck fat so yummy. Does anyone know how long i can keep the duck fat in the fridge?

[CFT]

June, you need to write a tutorial on how to debone a duck!

It looks fabulous. Do you roast first and then steam?

Some people freeze the fat.

[Prawncrackers]

This looks quite marvelous junehl , never seen anything like it in fact. Looks like a 4 or 5 stage process, more details are definitely required - inquiring minds need to know!!

[hzrt8w]

That looks superb, junehl!

1) Is it a lot of work for deboning the duck. Seems like you can only do it through the cavity and there is not a whole lot of room.

2) Would you describe your process more? I saw only "steaming" but not sure how the duck skin got brown. Did you also bake the duck (before steaming)?

Edited November 14, 2007 by hzrt8w (log)

[junehl]

I'm almost ashamed to say how i deboned the duck....I tried to use a knife...i really did, but i didn't have a boning knife....so instead i used a pair of shears....1 hour, many minutes later... the duck was bone free, except for the drumstick, I liked the look of that.

I told my fiance that I wouldn't ever try to do it again because it was such a chore with that little cavity like ah leung said, but I know full well i'll try it again soon.

The original process my dad did, was debone the duck, pour hot water over it, then bathe in in uhm the red water (Lo shui?). Let it dry overnight. Stuff it. Then fry it quickly in some oil. To brown it and then steam it.

It was easier to do all that when we had a restaurant. I had to adjust based on what was available.

I deboned the duck, dried it off with towels, then rubbed dark soy sauce over it, and let it sit overnight drying. Then next day, I stuffed it then pan fried it to get the brown color, then I steamed it. I only steamed my duck for 1 hour.

It didn't come out as tender as I remembered. I forgot that restaurants stoves are different. I should have steamed the duck for 2-3 hours. By that time most of the fat will have melted off, and it should be extremely tender. It goes great with stirfried napa cabbage.

The fat is sooooo good, I've used it every meal since then, just a little bit for that extra flavor.

[junehl]

The stuffing is made of Barley (yee mai), lotus seed, gingko nuts (i didn't have any this time), carrot, pork, duck (whatever pieces you can get from the bones, normally the neck), ginger, onion, and garlic.

You'll have to soak the barley, and lotus seeds first, and then cook those in hot water.

First stir fry the carrot, ginger, and onion. Then add the pork Then add in the garlic.

Then add in the cooked lotus seed and barley. And then add salt, pepper, and oyster sauce for flavor.

Also, I think it's barley, but I can't find another bag in the house to confirm it. If you can tell from the picture what it is, please feel free to correct it.

The stuffing is good on its own, if you don't want to stuff it into the duck. You just have to steam it to get all the flavors to bind together.

The sauce that goes with it is just a light oyster sauce and whatever juices that was left in the bowl after steaming the duck (minus the fat). Also, steaming the duck causes ALOT of liquid to be released. So when steaming you'll need a large bowl to put it in.

[junehl]

Ce'nedra - I used a round bowl to get the chicken and mustard into the round shape. I layered the chicken and mustard in the bowl all around. Then used a plate and something heavy to weigh down the bowl for about half an hour so everything was compact and thereby keep its shape when I turned the food onto a plate.

[Tepee]

Junehl, Gorgeous! I can see how we can play with all sorts of filling, using the more expensive ingredients for festive occasions.

[Dejah]

Amazing duck! Way beyond my patience, I think. I remember my parents making it years ago for my Dad's bday dinner.

That is pot barley. Love that stuff in soup, etc.

[muichoi]

It's actually easy to debone a duck, no need to slit the backbone, just peel the skin and flesh back cutting through tendons with scissors or a small knife. Great care is needed at the top of the breast bone, though. By the time you do the third duck it doesn't take longer than 10 minutes.

[Ce'nedra]

Ce'nedra -  I used a round bowl to get the chicken and mustard into the round shape.  I layered the chicken and mustard in the bowl all around.  Then used a plate and something heavy to weigh down the bowl for about half an hour so everything was compact and thereby keep its shape when I turned the food onto a plate.

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Thanks!

And OMG your duck looks amazing, junehl!

Ok let me re-read everything you just wrote...it looks like alot of effort, not sure if I can make it as I am Queen Simple

[Ce'nedra]

Fish congee

[junehl]

That looks so good Ce'nedra...I have only slept 5 hours in the last 3 days, and that just looks like the perfect thing right now. A big warm bowl of fish congee, and a nice nap sounds comforting.

[mizducky]

That duck is absolutely gorgeous, junehl. And the stuffing!

Alas, I think I have a snowball's chance in hell of ever finding the time or patience to debone a duck like that. Oh well ...

[Ce'nedra]

That looks so good Ce'nedra...I have only slept 5 hours in the last 3 days, and that just looks like the perfect thing right now.  A big warm bowl of fish congee, and a nice nap sounds comforting.

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Why thank you

Or...you could do with a big mug of hot chocolate

[junehl]

why thank you mizducky. honestly, i'm trying to think of what else i can do with duck. i may attempt at making a roasted duck or crispy duck (steamed duck then fried til a crisp). All because I'm addicted to the duck fat that I got from the first duck.

I've put it in everything I've cooked recently...almost slathered it on the pancakes i made the other day.

It's not cold enough for hot chocolate, but a glass hot fresh soybean milk with cruellers....mmmm...

[C. sapidus]

I haven’t cooked Chinese for a while, but love seeing all of the beautiful baos, crispy ducks, and comforting congee. To satisfy a craving for fermented black beans, we cooked from Fuchsia Dunlop’s Hunan cookbook last night.

Chicken soup with cloud ears and ginger (lao jiang yun er dun ji)

Liuyang black bean chicken liu yang dou chi ji

[hzrt8w]

I haven’t cooked Chinese for a while, but love seeing all of the beautiful baos, crispy ducks, and comforting congee. To satisfy a craving for fermented black beans, we cooked from Fuchsia Dunlop’s Hunan cookbook last night.

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Glad you are posting here again Bruce! I thought you grew tired of cooking Chinese food!

[C. sapidus]

I thought you grew tired of cooking Chinese food!

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I don’t see that happening. The problem (a pleasant one) is that I also love to cook Thai, Mexican, Indian, Malaysian, Indonesian, Vietnamese . . .

Enjoy your Hong Kong homecoming trip, Ah Leung, and please keep your camera batteries charged.

[buyo]

Some simple, home-made vegetable stir-fries:

American broccoli - not very Chinese, just some local vegetable... sauteed with garlic and salt.  Simple.  Quick.

After a week on the road with grueling training schedules, though I stuffed myself with best Chinese food that I like, being home and back to simplicity is a treat!

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Hi y'all. It's my first post even tho I've been lurking around for a while. It's so great to finally join the convo!

Just wanted to say that I can totally relate to just frying up some simple American broccoli. Actually, it's a bit nostalgic as my mother frequently made this when I was young (and still today) due to a lack of alternatives back then. In addition to the garlic and salt, she threw on a bit of soy sauce as well.

[Dejah]

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Hi y'all. It's my first post even tho I've been lurking around for a while. It's so great to finally join the convo!

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A bit late on the draw, but hey! Welcome to the fray, buyo!