Lucky Duck

Well hello and Happy New Year to you all! I'm back from our South Coast getaway but very lucky to still be on holidays at the moment. To say that our household has been in extreme sloth mode would be an understatement - plenty of book reading, movie watching and long afternoon naps. Food wise, there has been a lot of sushi consumption, as well as Frosty Fruits and Caramel Cornettos eaten in front of the air conditioner as we try to escape the heat. In our hot Australian Summer, it makes perfect sense to eat light, fresh and flavourful food - and nothing fits the bill more than my favourite Asian cuisine, Vietnamese.

This week I decided to make a version of the classic crispy Vietnamese pancake - a restaurant fave for me - but with a different filling from the usual pork, prawn and beansprout one. I'm on a mission to use up freezer and pantry items right now and I didn't really want have to go out and do a special shop for all the ingredients, so I just used what I had. Checking in the freezer I found I had a couple of duck breasts and I thought they would lend themselves really well to this dish. The freshness of the herbs, the aromatics of turmeric and coconut and the tang of the lime and chillies are the perfect contrast to the rich duck meat.

These pancakes are extremely easy to put together and make a perfect meal by themselves, or part of a shared Summer buffet. I served the pancakes with nuoc cham, the classic Vietnamese dipping sauce - also very easy to make and which gives this dish a very authentic feel. I made quite a mild version today but add heaps more chillies if you want something with more of a kick. You can of course fill the pancake with all kinds of things - the pork belly and prawn combination that is very popular, chicken, minced pork, spicy tofu or even fish. You could also skip that all together and just do a super light salad version. Although I didn't use fresh beansprouts in my recipe (just because I couldn't be bothered going out and buying any!) I do think they add a beautiful crunch to this kind of pancake and when I make this again, I will actually get off my backside and go and get some.

Crispy Duck Pancakes

with Nuoc Cham (dipping sauce)

The method I have used for cooking the duck is a really good one to know and one that I use every time I cook it. Follow the steps and you will end up with a super crispy skin and succulent flesh, but without oiliness. Just render that skin gradually and drain off the fat as you go, then finish in the oven, rest the meat properly and you will have perfect duck every time.

In GG restaurant news, later this week we are heading off to Neil Perry's Spice Temple - you might recall last year I reviewed the Melbourne restaurant after having lunch there and really loving it. We are visiting Spice Temple in our own city this time around and I'm really craving chilli at the moment, so this will definitely fit the bill. Many of the dishes are eye wateringly, lip tinglingly spicy and I want to get a big dose of that. Just what you want in Summer I think (although Andrew doesn't share my penchant for the numbingly spicy, so I might be going it alone with some of the dishes!)

We are also off to Matt Moran's Chiswick in early February - taking Lady Nanette (aka Grandma) and my Aunt and Uncle in law (is that a real term?) Meg and Mark out for a special Sunday lunch when they visit from Canberra. I have been curious to check out Chiswick after driving past and seeing their on site garden where they grow produce for the restaurant. This will be a perfect excuse to visit. I will be sure to report back and let you know how it was. I'm told that the produce is really top notch, and that it is the perfect lunch venue, with it's garden surroundings. I'll ignore the fact that heading to the Eastern Suburbs always makes me slightly twitchy - that Stepford Wives vibe, boat shoes, Joh Bailey hair and too much Botox. All kinds of scary! But you know me, if the food is good - I'm going there!

Anyway, back to today's recipe - This is the first time I have had a go at making Vietnamese pancakes and I was really happy with the result. My version is a combination of a couple of different recipes I'd read and I think that this hybrid of mine worked really well. I was flying by the seat of my pants a bit, but the result was something I would happily make again. Hope that you are inspired to give it a try too.

Crispy Duck Pancakes with Nuoc Cham
You will need:
For the pancakes -1 1/2 cups rice flour, 2 tbs cornflour, 1 x 400ml can coconut milk, 1 cup iced water,1 tsp ground turmeric, 1 tsp sugar, 1/2 tsp salt, Pinch of white pepper, 2 tbs peanut oil

For the filling - 2 duck breasts (skin on), 1/2 cup thinly sliced spring onion, 1 small carrot julienned very finely, 1/2 small red capsicum, julienned very finely,1 small Lebanese cucumber julienned very finely, 1 bunch fresh coriander, handful of fresh mint leaves. Have extra lime, mint, chillies and coriander on hand to garnish the dish.

For the sauce (nuoc cham) - 1/4 cup fish sauce, 1/4 cup fresh lime juice, 1 tbs water, 1 tbs caster sugar, 1 or 2 red chillies de-seeded and finely chopped, 1 garlic clove, finely chopped.

Method: First, make the batter. Whisk the rice flour and the corn flour, coconut milk, water, turmeric, sugar and salt together in a medium bowl. Season with white pepper. The mixture should coat the back of a spoon. If the mixture is too runny, add a bit more rice flour. Cover and place in the fridge for 1 hour or overnight to rest.

For the sauce, simply combine all of the ingredients and mix until the sugar is dissolved. Set aside.

Now, cook the duck breasts. Heat the oven to 200C. Score the skin of the duck in a criss cross pattern - don't cut in to the duck flesh, you should score the skin only.Heat a non stick fry pan over a low-medium heat. Sit the duck skin-side down in the pan and allow to gently fry for around 10-12 minutes. Gradually, the fat from the skin will begin to render away - drain away the fat as this happens. Take your time with this step and don't be tempted to turn up the heat - we want the skin to be golden and crispy, not burnt. Turn the duck breasts over so they are skin-side up, and allow to cook for about a minute more.

Now place the duck on an oven tray, skin side up and allow to cook further in the preheated oven for 8 - 10 minutes. Remove from the oven and allow the duck to rest for about 10 minutes before slicing into thin slices.

Now to the pancakes - Brush a fry pan generously with the peanut oil. Heat over a high heat until the pan is smoking. Add one-quarter of the flour mixture and tilt pan, swirling batter to cover base and slightly up the side. Cook for about 5 minutes or until the batter is golden underneath. Place one-quarter of the duck breast and a sprinkle of spring onion onto half the pancake and then fold it over. Transfer to a plate and cover with foil.

Repeat with the rest of the ingredients until you have four pancakes. Fill the pancakes with the cucumber, carrot, capsicum, spring onion, mint and coriander. Arrange on a serving platter and drizzle with the nuoc cham (sauce), garnish with some extra lime, fresh chillies, mint and coriander. Serve right away.

Makes 4 generous pancakes.

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Vietnamese Inspiration - Spring Rolls

Today's recipe was inspired by some of the delicious spring rolls that I ate in Vietnam. The fillings tend to be fresher and lighter than other more Chinese influenced spring rolls I have eaten. They are a real crowd pleaser dish for a cocktail party or make a nice starter for a dinner party and are very easy to make. I made a big batch and put a whole lot of uncooked ones in the freezer for later - just defrost, deep fry and serve. You can be as creative as you like with the fillings - when I was away I ate spring rolls made with minced pork, chicken and prawns as well as vegetarian versions that used mung beans.

Our beloved "pork lady" (see previous post) used to put mung beans and pork in hers. She would make then earlier in the day and then grill them over the coals to reheat them, which gave them a whole new dimension of flavour. My recipe uses minced pork, fresh herbs, rice vermicelli noodles and black fungus (don't get freaked by the whole "fungus" thing - it is just a variety of dried mushroom that you can purchase easily from any asian supermarket) The fungus is quite mild and gives a lovely texture to the rolls, as well as gorgeous ebony coloured flecks through the mixture. I made these rolls on Saturday night and served them simply with some soy and sweet chilli sauce, but feel free to make your own dipping sauce if that takes your fancy. This recipe makes about 50 small rolls.

Serving suggestions:
- In Vietnam, fried spring rolls are often wrapped in lettuce and then dunked in chilli or a dipping sauce - they are delicious this way, as the crunchy fresh lettuce is a great contrast to the fried roll. I must admit that this is my preferred mode of eating spring rolls now.
- Another serving option is to cut the rolls into pieces (the Vietnamese just use scissors for this that they keep on the table) and use them to top cold noodle salads or pickled vegetables.

Spring roll handy hints:
- Dont overstuff your spring rolls or they are likely to burst open when you cook them.
- Make sure your filling mixture is not too wet - it can make your spring roll pastry weaken and split.
- Make sure your filling is cool or cold before creating your rolls - using hot filling can also split the wrappers. I sometimes make the filling the day before to avoid this.

Pork and black fungus spring rolls

You will need:

(for the filling) 400g pork mince, 1/2 cup dried black fungus soaked in hot water until soft, drained and chopped finely (available from asian grocers. You can also use dried Shitake mushrooms if you like),

1 bunch finely chopped fresh coriander, 1 finely chopped red chilli, 1 cup soft vermicelli rice noodles (I just soak the dried ones in hot water for 10mins and then drain them), 3 tablespoons oyster sauce, 1/2 cup finely chopped spring onions, pepper to taste, 3 teaspoons sesame oil, splash of peanut or vegetable oil.

(for the rolls)

1 pack spring roll wrappers - you can buy these from an asian grocer and some supermarkets. I like the smaller sized ones (about 14cm x 14cm), but if you want larger rolls, then go for the bigger sized wrappers.

Oil for frying, 1 egg and 1 tablespoon water whisked together.

Method: Heat a splash of oil in a pan and cook the pork mince until browned. Add the spring onion, chilli, noodles, fungus, sesame oil and oyster sauce. Combine well and season with pepper. Finally mix in the coriander. Allow the mixture to cool before making the rolls.

To make the rolls: Place the spring roll sheet diagonally, with a pointy end towards you. Brush the edges with the egg mixture. Place a small spoonful of the mixture on the pastry and fold the corner over the mixture. Now fold each side in. Now roll the pastry away from you - voila! One spring roll! Repeat with remaining mixture.

Cook the finished rolls in hot vegetable oil until golden. Drain on paper towels and serve immediately with sweet chilli sauce or soy.

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Luscious Louisiana

"There is no dish which at the same time so tickles the palate, satisfies the appetite, furnished the body with nutriment sufficient to carry on the physical requirements, and costs so little as a Creole Gumbo. It is a dinner in itself, being soup, piece de résistance, entremet and vegetable in one.”

-William H. Coleman,

Historical Sketch Book and Guide to New Orleans and Environs

Gumbo originated in New Orleans, Louisiana and to me represents multiculturalism in a pot. It combines the flavours of Africa, Spain, Native America and France to produce a dish full of flavour, that owes its heritage to many people and many places. It is said that there are as many ways to cook Gumbo as there are cooks, so you will see many different versions. It is a thick soup/stew that contains rice (if there is no rice actually in it, it is always served with rice on the side) to this, broth and other ingredients are added. Some use pork, chicken, sausage and seafood, some use just vegetables. The Cajun folks tend to make a darker, heavier Gumbo that has a roux (flour and browned butter) as a base and does not use tomatoes. The Creole style uses tomatoes, and okra (which does the same job as the roux, binding the dish) The Native Americans use leaves from the Sassafrass tree to do the same.

My Gourmet Goddess version tonight borrows from the Creole tradition and uses purely seafood. I chose flathead fillets, clams, calamari and prawns. I also used chilli in the dish, which is not usually done - it is usually served seperately in the form of chilli sauce (like Tabasco) so people can add as little or as much as they like. I was just cooking for myself tonight, and I know what I like so I just put the chilli right in there! Feel free to use it or not.

Some notes about the ingredients....

Tabasco Smoked Chipotle Sauce - This particular Tabasco isn't that easy to find in Australia, although if you live in the city, the David Jones Foodhall does stock it in their "American" section. You can also buy it online. USA foods out of Melbourne is a good source if you live in Australia. http://www.usafoods.com.au/

 If you can't get it, don't worry - just use normal Tabasco from the supermarket. It will not the have the same slightly smoky undertaste, but it will still taste good.

Okra - If you are not familiar with this vegetable, it is a long green pod native to West Africa and is related to the Hibiscus plant. Although it originated in Africa, it spread with the slave trade and is now eaten all over the world, throughout Asia and the Middle East, America, Nepal and India. When you slice it, it releases a clear sap that helps to thicken any dish that contains it. The texture when cooked is pleasantly gelatinous and it soaks up flavours particularly well. I think that it is at its best in Gumbo.

So, to tonight's dish - this amount will serve 4 people and you can freeze it , but if you do be sure to remove the meat from the clams first and disgard the shells.

Gourmet Goddess Creole Gumbo

You will need: 1 large onion, 1 medium carrot, 1 stalk celery, 1 large potato, 1 tin diced/crushed tomatoes, a couple of handfuls of okra (chop them into three), 1 bay leaf, 1 tablespoon paprika, 4 cloves chopped garlic, 1/2 tablespoon sugar, 1 red chilli chopped finely, 2 white fish fillets chopped into chunky pieces (I used flathead this time), a couple of handfuls of clams in the shell, 6 shelled raw king prawns, 1 medium calamari/squid cut into rings, 1 litre fish or vegetable stock, 1 cup cooked white rice, Tabasco Sauce (the smoked chipotle version if you can get it, otherwise just use the normal one) salt and pepper, olive oil, fresh parsley to serve.

Method : Dice the onion, carrot, celery and potato into small cubes. Heat a splash of olive oil in a deep pan and add the chopped vegetables, along with the bay leaf, garlic and chilli. Cook on a medium heat until the onion starts to turn translucent. Add the okra and combine well. Let it cook for a couple of minutes, then add the tomatoes, tabasco, sugar and stock. Allow to simmer for 15minutes, then add the cooked rice. Simmer for another 5 minutes.

Add the seafood, combine well season with salt and pepper. Put the lid on the pan and let the seafood cook for about 5 minutes, stirring once during the cooking. The dish is ready when the clams open up (disgard any that do not) Taste the dish and adjust the seasoning if you need to.

Serve in soup bowls with fresh parsley.

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Something Szechuan...

I had a hankering for something spicy and full of texture tonight so I stopped at the Asian Grocery store on my corner on the way home (yes, I realise I'm blessed when it comes to having fabulous ingredients on my doorstep. I'm very lucky.) I picked up some fresh coriander, bean sprouts, some lovely red chillies, some minced pork and the ingredient that is the star of tonight's dinner - tofu - aka beancurd.

If the thought of tofu makes you zone out, or you think that you would rather eat a dish sponge, bear with me. For years I never touched the stuff, swearing off it because of evil tasting tofu concoctions I tasted in the 80's. These dishes were usually made by dodgy, unwashed vegetarian flatmates in the filthy share house kitchens of my youth. Thank goodness I put all of that behind me and gave this ingredient the respect it deserves. There is a reason that Asian cultures have eaten this ingredient for centuries. It is cheap, versatile and completely delicious.

The wonderful thing about tofu is the way that it takes on flavour. People often complain that it has no taste, or that tofu dishes are bland. All this means is that the cook has missed the point of this great ingredient. To me, tofu is about texture. It can be slippery and silky, firm and meaty, crispy and caremelised. It is so versatile and lends itself to all kinds of dishes and takes on other flavours so beautifully.

There are 3 main forms of tofu that you will see in your Asian market or health food store. Silken tofu, which is very soft (sometimes you will see it in a form that is so soft it is almost a liquid) regular or medium tofu that is soft, but will hold it's shape as long as you are gentle with it (what I used in tonight's dish) and hard tofu, which is very forgiving, can be cut into cubes and survives rougher treatent. There is also sweet tofu - be sure that you don't buy it by mistake if you intend on making a savoury dish. I did that once. Note to self - strawberry flavoured tofu and pork fillet don't mix.

Tonight's tofu dish is chock full of flavour - I made it extra spicy but put as much or as little chilli in it as you like. It is loosely based on the iconic Szechuan dish, Ma Po Tofu. This dish is very quick to cook so it is a perfect midweek dinner. I decided to make a side dish of pineapple rice to go with the tofu (I ate lots of this when I was in Singapore and became addicted to it, so tasty!) The one I made tonight is a super quick, basic version with only a few ingredients but it goes beautifully with the tofu dish.

The only thing about cooking any fried rice dish is that the rice needs to be cooked beforehand and allowed to get cold (overnight in the fridge is best) If you use freshly cooked, hot rice, the rice will just break up and you will end up with a stodgy mess. If you haven't planned ahead for your fried rice, do what I do - make a sneaky trip to the supermarket and buy one of those packs of pre-cooked rice. They work brilliantly for any fried rice dish and one of those packs actually serves 4 people, once you add the other ingredients. The rice holds together perfectly and it is super convenient.

All I did for the rice was to put a touch of vegetable oil in the wok, whisk 3 eggs and throw them in to scramble. When they are cooked, take them out and set aside. Then I added the rice (one of those packs from the supermarket I talked about earlier), a cup of cooked peas, a cup of pineapple (chopped into small bits) and a handful of sliced spring onion. Stir fry the ingredients then add a splash of ligh soy sauce, a teaspoon sesame oil and some cracked pepper. Done!

Tofu with Spicy Pork

Served with tasty pineapple rice

For the tofu: 1 handful minced pork, 1 small red onion chopped finely, 2 cloves crushed garlic,

200g regular tofu - diced, half cup fresh sliced green beans, 1 cup fresh beansprouts, half cup of roughly chopped coriander, third of a cup sliced spring onions, red chilli (sliced finely to taste), splash of vegetable oil, extra coriander/chilli to garnish.

For the sauce: 1 tablespoon chilli jam (you can use sambal or other chilli sauce if you wish, but chilli jam gives the best flavour), 2 tablespoons oyster sauce, 1 cup chicken stock. 2 teaspoons cornflour dissolved in half a cup of cold water.

Method: Mix up all of the sauce ingredients except the cornflour/water mixture and set aside.

In a pan, heat a splash of oil and add the red onion and garlic. Cook till soft, then add the pork mince and cook till lightly browned. Add the tofu, and gently stir through. Add the sauce mixture and let it simmer for a couple of minutes.

Add the sprouts, coriander, spring onion and red chilli and stir through. Finally, add the cornflour mixture and stir it through. It should thicken fairly quickly. Serve right away with a sprinkling of the extra chilli and coriander.

Note: You can easily make this a vegetarian dish by using vegetable stock instead of chicken stock, omitting the pork and using vegetarian oyster sauce that is available in all Asian supermarkets.

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Monday night leftover makeover - Arancini

Tonight, I had mushroom risotto in the fridge from last night's dinner, so I decided to tart up the leftovers into an easy Monday night after work dish. I figured it was nicer than shoving microwaved leftover risotto into my face while watching MasterChef on TV! Sticking with the Italian theme, I decided on Arancini, those delectable crispy on the outside, creamy on the inside rice balls. To jazz things up a bit, I added some extra parmesan to the cold mixture, along with a couple of handfuls of baby spinach.

To make the Arancini, I simply formed the rice mixture into balls, (use wet hands, it makes handling them so much easier) rolled them in seasoned flour, then lightly whisked organic free range eggs and then breadcrumbs. I put the Arancini in the fridge for about 10 mins, while I quickly braised some young leeks in a touch of olive oil, garlic, salt, pepper and a tablespoon of water. Halfway through, I remembered that I had a couple of Roma tomatoes in the fridge so I chopped them roughly and threw them in too.

I cooked the Arancini in vegetable oil until they were golden (it only took a couple of minutes) and served them on a bed of the braised leeks. And here they are!





This dish was really satisfying and tasty, as well as being a great way to use up leftover risotto. Actually, it would be worth making extra risotto so that you can make these the next day. The other great thing is that it only took me 25mins to make this dish, so it isn't a three act drama and is totally do-able after a long day at work. Think about adding a small square of mozzerella to the centre (which is a more traditional way to serve them) or adding other fresh herbs, some grated zucchini or different cheeses. I'm thinking Romano, Ricotta or Pecorino?

GG Entertaining Hint: Try tiny Arancini as a lovely finger food option. Make them ahead of time up to the cooking stage and keep them in the fridge until they are ready to fry. Serve them immediately with a simple tomato based dipping sauce. Just make sure they are small enough to eat whilst holding a Martini in the other hand!!

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Three Mushroom Risotto

This weekend seems to have been all about comfort food and tonight I decided on the ultimate Italian comfort food, risotto. I had some dried Italian Porcini mushrooms in the pantry and decided to put them to use after being inspired at the greengrocer today. I found some lovely flat field mushrooms and some swiss browns when I was shopping this morning and decided mushrooms would be the flavour of the day. I love combining mushroom varieties - the flavour that you can achieve is wonderful and you also have the advantage of having different textures and colours.

Mushrooms are great right now and you seem to be able to get different varieties more easily than you used to. Once, you only really got cap or button mushrooms in the stores, (which to my palate, have very little taste) now there are all sorts of varieties available, even at your average supermarket. As well as field mushrooms, shitake, swiss brown, oyster, wood ear and enokii, I have also seen the yellow/orange local pine mushrooms this season. When you are using mushrooms, don't be shy about using the dried ones - just soak them in water till they soften and slice them and they are ready for cooking. I love the Asian black fungus and dried shitake. Just bear in mind that the flavour is really strong, so use them in dishes where you want a strong flavour.

So, to tonight's dinner - Three Mushroom Risotto. It is easy to make, but a word of advice about overstirring your risotto. The aim is to not break up the grains too much. If you do, you will break down the starch in the rice and you will end up with a pasty, gluggy, unappetising mess. Not cool. Try not to stir too much (but make sure it doesn't stick on the bottom)

Treat your risotto like you are making sweet, sweet love to it - not like you are rodgering it senseless from behind!

Three Mushroom Risotto

Serves 4-6

You will need:

Olive oil

2 cups Arborio rice

About 1.5 litres chicken stock

1 large chopped brown onion

2 cloves garlic

3-4 cups sliced mushrooms

(tonight I used a mixture of Porcini, Swiss Brown and field mushrooms)

Butter (amount to taste)

Grated parmesan (amount to taste)

Salt and pepper

Fresh chives or continental parsley (optional)

Method:

Heat a splash of olive oil in the pan and gently cook the onion and garlic until it begins to turn translucent. Add the rice and combine well. You want to coat and slightly toast the rice, but you do not want it to brown. Adjust the heat if you have to. Cook for about 5 mins.

Bring the stock to the boil and add the stock to the rice a few spoonfulls at a time, allowing all the moisture to evaporate before adding the next batch. When the rice is almost cooked (it should have "bite" and a slight fimness to the centre) add the mushrooms and cook for a few minutes.

To finish, stir through some butter and freshly grated parmesan. Season to taste. Garnish with fresh chives or continental parsley.

Serve immediately.

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