Yunnan Roast Duck and Thai Prawn Balls

Another great monday night dinner with the family.... Rachel didn't make it home for dinner today though... We had my cousin, Jarren coming over for dinner but his palates are still that of a 13 year old kid... Doesn't like Duck or Thai cooking... Think he was the o Lu one suffering at today's dinner table.. Hahaha... But Yohan rushed home to eat the awesome dinner which I'm so happy for..

The star tonight was supposedly the duck, but easy to eat Prawn balls took the table though... Hahaha... The Duck wasn't as crispy as Peking Duck, but it was tender and juicy and flavorful.... Of course I will share the recipe.. :) sorry I didn't photograph the entire progress of cooking the duck though.... Maybe one day I'll make a video of it... :) it's too bad my sister couldn't make it tonight because I know she loves Duck.... :) Quacky was awesomely beautiful... The drumsticks nearly got burnt, so I wrapped it with aluminium foil... The secret was probably patience and alot of care to cook it..... But here goes the recipe

Roast Duck Yunnan Style

Ingredients
1 duck (remove head, neck and webbed feet)
1 bunch of spring onions
2 gloves of garlic
1 tbsp bean paste
1 tsp cinnamon
1 tsp MSG
1 tbsp brown sugar
1 pinch black pepper
2 tbsp rice wine
2 tsp salt
1/2 pint (250ml) chicken stock
2 tbsp soy sauce
1 tbsp honey
1 tbsp water

Directions
1. Wash and dry the duck
2. Clean as finely slice the spring onions. Peel and crush the clove oF garlic. Mix together with the bean paste, cinnamon, MSG, sugar, pepper, rice wine, salt, and the chicken stock. Transfer everything into a sauce pan and cook on a high heat for 2 minutes
3. Stuff the mixture into the duck and secure with a smaller skewer or a couple of wooden toothpicks
4. Mix together the soy sauce, honey and water and brush onto the duck.
5. Place the duck in a roasting tin, cover with a tight fitting lid and place in the middle shelf in the oven. Roast the duck in gas mark 7 (450 degree F or 225 degree C) for approximately 50 minutes. Remove the lid and continue to roast the duck, braising it every now and then, until nice and crispy.
6. Remove the duck from the roasting tin, carve and serve with Hoisin sauce

 

Tod Mun Goong (Deep-fried Thai Prawn Balls)

From Women’s Weekly beginners Thai

 

Ingredients

1kg king prawns, cooked

5 green onions, chopped finely

2 cloves garlic, crushed

4 fresh small thai chilli, seeded, chopped finely

1 tsp grated fresh ginger

1 tbsp cornflour

2 tsp fish sauce

1/4 cup coarsely chopped coriander

1/2 cup breadcrumbs

vegetable oil, for deep frying

1/3 cup sweet chilli sauce

 

Directions

1. Shell and devein prawns; cut in half, blend or process prawn halves, pulsing, until chopped coarsely. Place in large bowl with onion, garlic, chilli, ginger, cornflour, sauce and coriander, mix well

2. using hands, roll rounded tablespoons of prawn mixture into balls.Roll prawn balls in combined breadcrumbs; place, in single layer, on plastic-wrap-lined tray. Cover, refrigerate 30 mins

4. Heat oil in wok or saucepan, deep-fry prawn balls, in batches, until lightly browned and cooked through. Serve with sweet chilli sauce.

 

My changes to recipe:

-I didn’t cook the prawns so that it would hold better and the balls would have a bouncier texture.

-I used IQF prawns because 1kg of king prawns isn’t exactly worthwhile for making prawn balls given how expensive prawn balls are. IQF praen balls costed $7.50 per 500g pack from ang mo supermarket at Punggol. I bought 2 packs for it.

-I added more than a quarter cup of coriander like 1/2 a cup? And i chopped it more finely.

-I hand chopped the prawns instead of blending it to improve the texture

-Added 2 tbsp of thai red curry paste.

-Mixed in 1/4 cup of bread crumbs

-Mixed bread crumbs for dipping with curry powder

-Crushed the garlic with garlic press.

 

The prawn balls dish was an awesome hit!