BALINESE DUCK ROLLS

Banana Leaf

This is a dish I made many years ago for dinner parties.  Recently, after purchasing a duck at our local market, I decided to revisit it. Originally, I adapted this recipe for Bebek Betutu which, in Balinese, is a duck smothered in a paste made with pungent roots, herbs and seasonings and wrapped in banana leaves, steamed and then roasted.  When the duck is done, the banana leaves are removed and the duck meat is shredded and served with the "stuffing" of the spice rub paste.  After I shred the duck meat, instead of serving it alone, I like to make Balinese Duck Rolls using rice paper as the wrapper.  In the past, I would heat the rolls in the microwave before serving.  But the other day I fried (me frying something?) them in grapeseed oil which added a bit of crunchiness to the robust flavor of the rolls.

BALINESE DUCK ROLLS

(4 1/2-pound) duck, washed and patted dry

Fresh Ginger

Spice rub paste:
8 cloves garlic, peeled and halved
1 cup shallots peeled and halved
3 stalks lemongrass, finely sliced
5 kaffir lime leaves, finely sliced
6 candlenuts, chopped
5 tablespoons ginger, peeled, and chopped
3 tablespoons fresh turmeric, peeled and chopped

Fresh Turmeric

3" of kencur root, or 3/4 tsp kencur powder (kenchur is a ginger-like root that has a unique camphor flavor – ½ tsp of powder is used in lieu of a one-inch piece of root)
1 teaspoon black pepper corns, crushed
5 bird's-eye chilies, sliced
1 teaspoon coriander seeds, crushed
2 teaspoons dried shrimp paste, roasted and coarsely crushed
1/3 cup soy sauce
1/2 cup olive oil
Banana leaves (can use aluminum foil for wrapping but you won’t get that underlying “herbed” taste)
4-5 sheets of rice paper, 8-10 inches in diameter

Duck Smothered in Paste

The duck:

Preheat oven to 350 degrees.

In a food processor, puree the first 12 ingredients. Blend well. Then add the soy sauce and olive oil.  Process again to form a thick, moist paste.

Rub the inside and outside of the duck with paste.  

Wrap the duck in several layers of banana leaves (or foil). 

Duck in Banana Leaves

I’ll fill a roasting pan with about 6 inches of water, insert a roasting rack, then place the duck on the rack and cover the pan with a lid.  Steam duck for about 50-60 minutes.  After the duck is steamed, remove and transfer to oven and bake for 30-40 minutes. When done, remove from oven.  Let duck rest for about 15 minutes.  Remove banana leaves.  Shred and cut duck meat into small pieces combining with the spice paste stuffing for for the rolls. 

Finished Duck

 The rolls:
Have a bowl of hot water (110-120 degrees) and a clean kitchen (tea) towel ready.  Put rice paper into the water until it softens (about 20 seconds).  Then place it on the towel.

Set a full amount of duck/stuffing mixture in the lower third part of the rice paper and form a log. Slowly start to roll away from you while tucking in the filling. Fold in the sides of the rice paper and continue to roll until the complete log is formed. Next, roll the rice paper roll in a sheet of plastic wrap, making it tight.  Fold over the last part of plastic wrap in the opposite direction, forming a tab so it will be easy to unwrap.  Twist ends and store in refrigerator for several hours to set, or up to one day. 

Duck Wrapped in Rice Paper

Duck rolls could be served either heated in a microwave for about 30-45 seconds or fried in grapeseed oil.

For the microwave, trim the end of each roll with a sharp knife, then cut into 2-inch sections right through the plastic wrap.  Unwrap each section and place, cut side up, on a plate.  If rolls were placed in the refrigerator, let them return to room temperature, then place in microwave for about 30-45 seconds to heat through. 

Alternatively, remove plastic from rolls.  Heat grapeseed oil and fry duck rolls (uncut) for about 3-4 minutes, until lightly browned.

Serve with a plum dipping sauce, store bought or, preferably, homemade.

HOT AND SOUR SHRIMP SOUP (TOM YAM GOONG)

This is a version of Tom Yam Goong, a popular Thai soup, from the Bangkok and Central Plains region of Thailand.   Each region of Thailand has its own individual variation of this recipe.  This one  uses a black chili paste, which, in my opinion, is the most spicy of all Thai chili pastes (red, green, yellow).   Using one of my 20-year-old  cookbooks as a guide, I've adapted and enjoyed both recipes over the years.

1  pound of colossal (U12-15) shrimps, head and shell on
3 1/2 cups of water
3 stalks of lemongrass
1 Tablespoon neutral-flavored oil (canola or grape seed)
2 shallots, sliced
4 garlic cloves, minced
1 teaspoon black chili paste (recipe follows)
5 slices of fresh ginger (or galangal)
5 kaffir lime leaves, shredded into strips
1/4 cup (2 fl oz) fish sauce (nam pla)
1 cup straw mushrooms,  sliced
1/4 cup (2 fl oz) fresh lime juice
1/2 cup bean sprouts (optional)
1/4 cup fresh cilantro leaves, chopped

Shell  and remove heads from shrimps.   Rinse shells and heads and place them in a large pot with the water.  Heat to boiling, then lower heat and bring broth to a very low simmer.  Place the shelled shrimps in the fridge until about 5-10 minutes before you're ready to add to the soup.

Trim the lemongrass of its outer sheath and hard ends.  Whack it in a few places with a mallet (or back of a knife), then cut into 2 or 3 pieces.

In a medium saucepan, combine the oil, shallots, and garlic and turn heat to medium.  Stir for a minute.   Add the lemongrass, black chili paste, ginger (or galangal), and lime leaves.  Cook for about 3-4 minutes, then add the shrimp broth.   Reduce heat to medium and cook at a moderate simmer  for 15-20 minutes.   Add the fish sauce and mushrooms and cook gently for about 2 minutes.  Remove shrimp from the fridge and  add to the soup.  Reheat to boiling, or until shrimp are cooked through.  Add lime juice (and bean sprouts, if using) to soup.  Pour soup into bowls, dividing shrimps evenly into each one.  Garnish with chopped cilantro and serve.*  Serves 4 as an appetizer or 2 as a main course.
*Additional black chili paste, fish sauce, and lime juice could be served as a side in individual bowls.

BLACK CHILI PASTE (NAM PRIK POW)

This spicy chili paste will give any food a much richer taste.  I've also seen it used as a dip for fresh vegetables.  Used that way, it is one for the  very brave individuals with a strong, spicy pallet.  
I like to dry/roast the fresh jalapenos in the oven, which takes about 2 hours or so.  If there are time constraints to prepare them that way,  then store-bought, dried green jalapeno or serrano peppers could be substituted.  Either way, the paste, covered in a tight jar, will last in the fridge indefinitely.

Olive oil (to lightly drizzle on jalapeno peppers)

3 oz of fresh green jalapeno or serrano peppers  (or 2 oz dried, store-bought)
1/2 cup neutral oil (for frying the mixture)
1/2 cup shallots, chopped
3/4 cup garlic, chopped
4 oz dried shrimps/prawns
1 Tablespoon shrimp  paste, or a combination half mixture of anchovy paste and oyster sauce
1 1/2 oz fish sauce
1/8 cup sugar

Preheat oven to 350 degrees. 

Place the fresh peppers on a baking sheet and lightly drizzle with olive oil. Turn over the peppers to ensure they are all covered in the oil.  Place sheet in oven.  Every 30 minutes, turn over and rotate the peppers, until they turn a dark brown.  This will take about 2-2 1/2 hours.   Check to ensure that they do not burn. Turn off oven and let peppers rest for about 20 minutes.  Remove sheet.

Heat a medium skillet with oil.  Add the peppers, shallots and garlic and fry until dark brown.

Remove fried ingredients.  Add hot water to the pan.  Place the fried ingredients into a blender with the dried shrimps, the shrimp paste (or anchovy and oyster sauce), fish sauce and sugar.

Start to process until a smooth mixture forms.  The mixture will be very tight, so add some hot water, at 1 oz. increments, to the paste, as you continue to process.  The blender will, most likely, need to be turned off several times so the mixture could be stirred and the water added.

Pour the mixture into a medium skillet and fry on medium heat for 5 minutes, stirring occasionally. 

Remove, cool and place in a jar with a tight lid.  Yield is about 1/2 cups.

RED SNAPPER ROASTED UPRIGHT

Whole red snapper is marinated with a combination of lime juice, garlic, ginger and cilantro then roasted, upright, in an oven. The key here is to keep the fish standing upright so both sides of the fish cook evenly at the same time.  This is a take on those "beer can" chicken standing upright  recipes.

Ingredients:

One whole red snapper – about 2 pounds, cleaned and scales removed

Marinade:
¼ cup of freshly squeezed lime juice
6 cloves of garlic
2” piece of fresh ginger peeled and coarsely chopped
1 cup of cilantro leaves
Dash of salt
½ cup of olive oil
Combine above ingredients in food processor to make a marinade

To Prep and Cook the Fish:

First, score each side of fish with a knife to make 3-4 incisions on each side.  Spread marinade on both sides of fish and inside cavity.  Place fish in fridge marinade for about an hour.

Remove fish from fridge and stand “upright” using stainless steel round cutters or cans.  The key here is to keep the fish standing upright, so both sides could roast at the same time (one side not flat on its side).

Preheat oven to 375 degrees.
Let fish rest at room temperature for at least 20 minutes prior to placing in oven.
Let fish roast for 20-25.  Remove from oven.  Let rest for 5-10 minutes.  Pour additional marinade on fish and serve standing upright.  Serves 2

This goes well with pearl couscous, jasmine rice, mashed potatoes, or whatever you like as a starch.

GINGER AND GARLIC FRIED RICE WITH EGG

I’ve adapted this recipe from JGV’s book, Asian Flavors of Jean-Georges.  It has become one of my favorite ways to serve a take on fried rice, and I’ve enjoyed making it with several varieties of rice—jasmine, red jasmine, bamboo, long grain, short grain, etc.  Every time, it always turns out to be a very tasty dish.   I always serve it with a fish protein.
 
¼ cup grape seed or canola oil
2 Tablespoons minced garlic
2 Tablespoons minced fresh ginger
Pinch of Kosher salt
1 cup thinly sliced scallions
2 cups of day-old cooked rice (jasmine, bamboo, red – whatever you have on hand), at room temperature
1 teaspoon sesame oil
2 teaspoons low-sodium soy sauce
¼ tablespoon grape seed or canola oil (must be neutral)
1 large egg
Sauté half of the oil in a large skillet over medium heat.  Add the minced garlic and ginger and season (very) lightly with salt.  Cook, stirring occasionally, until crisp and browned (see photo).  Drain on paper towels and set aside.

Heat the remaining oil in a large deep skillet over medium-low heat.  Add scallions.  Cook, stirring occasionally, until softened, about 5 minutes.  Ensure they are tender but not browned. 

Add rice to the scallion mixture and cook, stirring well, until heated through.  Season to taste with salt.  Remove from heat.  Remove rice from pan and place into a bowl about 5 inches in diameter.  Invert bowl onto a serving plate.  The rice will unmold into a dome.  Drizzle the sesame oil and soy sauce around the mound of rice.

Put the canola oil in a non-stick skillet and fry the egg, sunny-side up, until the edges are set, but the yolk is still runny*.  Put the egg on top of the mound of rice.  Top the mound of rice and egg with the garlic and ginger crisps and serve immediately.

*If you’re not comfortable with the “sunny side up” raw egg yolk, then, as the egg is cooking, break up the yolk to cook to make a “scrambled egg”.  Put this fully-cooked egg on top of the rice mold and add garlic and ginger crisps.  Serves 2