Japanese Duck Recipes - Simmered Duck or Pork with Vegetables

Ingredients

• 12 oz (350 g) duck breast (with skin) or pork loin

• 2 tablespoon cornstarch

• 4 dried shiitake mushrooms, soaked in hot water for 10 minutes to soften, stems discarded

• 1 1/2 cups (375 ml) Basic Dashi Stock (see recipe) or 3/4 teaspoon dashi stock granules dissolved in 1 1/2 cups (375 ml) hot water

• 1/4 cup (60 ml) mirin

• 1/4 cup (60 ml) Japanese soy sauce

• 1 1/2 tablespoons sugar

• Wasabi paste, to serve

Simmered Greens

• 10 oz (300 g) rape or broccoli blossoms or snow peas, washed and trimmed, stems removed

• 1/2 cup (125 ml) dashi stock or 1/4 teaspoon dashi stock granules dissolved in 1/2 cup (125 ml) hot water

• 1 teaspoon mirin

• 1 teaspoon Japanese soy sauce

• Salt, to taste

Simmered Potatoes

• 1 lb (500 g) baby potatoes or sato-imo potatoes              

• 1 cup (250 ml) dashi stock or 1/4 teaspoon dashi stock granules dissolved in 1 cup (250 ml) hot water

• 1 1/2 teaspoons Japanese soy sauce

• 1/2 teaspoon sugar

• 1/2 teaspoon salt

• Yuzu orange or lemon peel, to garnish (optional)

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Method:

1. Cut the duck or pork into thick slices. If using duck, cut a few incisions into the duck skin. Bring the dashi stock, mirin and soy sauce to a boil in a saucepan, add the meat and shiitake mushrooms and simmer over low heat for 10-15 minutes until the meat is cooked. Turn off the heat, remove the meat slices and mushrooms with a slotted spoon and set aside. Continue to simmer the stock for another 5 minutes or more until the stock is reduced to a syrupy sauce. Keep warm and set aside.

2. To make the Simmered Greens, blanch the rape or broccoli blossoms or snow peas in lightly salted boiling water. Drain, cool under a running tap and drain again. Set aside. Pour the dashi stock, mirin, soy sauce and salt in a saucepan and bring to a boil. Turn off the heat. Add the vegetables to the stock and let it stand for 30 seconds to 1 minute, remove from the heat and drain.

3. To make the Simmered Potatoes, peel the potatoes and cut them into irregular chunks. If using baby potatoes, pan-fry in a little oil until they are lightly browned. Remove from the heat, drain on paper towels and set aside. If using sato-imo potatoes, simmer in water for 10 minutes until just tender and drain. Place the potatoes in a saucepan together with the dashi stock liquid used to boil the meat, soy, sugar and salt. Bring to a boil and simmer over low heat for 5 to 10 minutes, or until the potatoes are cooked. Dish into serving bowls, garnish with bits of grated orange or lemon, and set aside.

4. Arrange the meat, mushrooms and the Simmered Greens in individual serving bowls and top with warm sauce. Serve immediately with a dollop of wasabi, together with the potatoes.