Phil's duck pancakes with easy plum sauce
We consume around eight million Chinese takeaways a week, with crispy duck pancakes a much-loved staple of the menu - but did you know you can easily make them yourself? Phil Vickery’s here to show us how to swap the takeaway for a ‘fakeaway’ home-cooked version this Friday night.
Serves: 4
Ingredients
4 large duck legs, trimmed, knuckle removed, you may need 8 if they are small2 level tsp table salt2 tsp ground black pepper1 tsp five spice
For the sauce
8 large ripe plums2 tbsp plum jam1 x 10g chicken stock cube300mls water5 star anise heads1 level tsp Chinese five spice50ml red wine vinegar
To serve
½ large cucumber, sliced into thin sticks6 spring onions, finely sliced10 sprigs fresh corianderChinese pancake wrappers5 spice powder
Method
Mix the salt, pepper and five spice together well. Rub over the duck legs both sides and leave for couple hours or preferably overnight.
Preheat the oven to 180°C gas 4. Heat an ovenproof frying pan, with a little oil. Pat the legs dry and add to the pan skin side down. Leave to brown for 5-6 minutes, then place in the preheated oven. Cook for 30 minutes.
Meanwhile place all the ingredients for the sauce into a saucepan and bring to a simmer and gently cook until the plums are cooked.
Once cooked remove the star anise and liquidize until you have a very smooth sauce then strain through a fine sieve. Leave to cool.
Turn the duck legs over and cook for a further 30 minutes, or until cooked, but not overcooked. When cooked remove, cover loosely with foil and rest for a minimum of 30 minutes, an hour is better.
Heat the frying pan again and add a little of the duck fat.
Add the legs skin side down and cook over a high heat to crisp the skin nicely, this will probably take 4-5 minutes or so.
Using two forks remove all the meat from the duck legs and keep warm
To serve: Lay a pancake on a board, add a little onion, cucumber and a sprig or two coriander. Spoon over a little sauce and wrap up.
Phil's egg-fried rice
Ingredients
2 egg 250g packet basmati microwaveable rice (cook according to packet instructions)1 tbsp soy sauce
Method
Heat a tablespoon of oil in a non-stick pan and add the beaten egg. Cook over a high heat stirring vigorously until it becomes really fry. You must be quick so it doesn't clump together - don't be frightened about over cooking it.
Add the warmed rice and stir well before adding the soy sauce. Serve immediately.