Culinary Adventures: China Recipe

Ingredients

• Chinese Five Spice Powder~
• 1 T ground cinnamon
• 1 T ground cloves
• 1 T ground fennel seed
• 1 T ground Szechuan peppercorns
• 1 T ground star anise
• If you aren't counting, you can also add these spices to the mix:
• 1 t freshly ground black pepper
• 1 t ground ginger
• 1 t ground nutmeg
• 1 t ground anise seed
• Blend all ingredients together and store in an air-tight container.
• I use a coffee grinder specifically for spices or
• You can use a spice grinder
• Plum Sauce~
• 1 cup firmly packed brown sugar
• 2 T cornstarch
• 2 T dry mustard
• 1/4 t ground cloves
• 1 can (30 oz) purple plums in heavy syrup
• drained, pitted, reserving 1 cup plum liquid
• 2/3 cup pomegranate plum juice or orange juice
• In a medium saucepan, combine brown sugar, cornstarch, dry mustard and ground cloves.
• Stir in reserved plum liquid and pomegranate plum juice until smooth.
• Cook over medium-high heat until mixture boils and thickens
• Stirring constantly.
• Add whole, pitted plums.
• Cook mixture until it comes back to a boil
• Boil 2 minutes, stirring constantly
• Remove from heat and set aside to cool.
• When mixture has cooled,
• Using an immersion blender
• Blend mixture together well.
• Store in the refrigerator
• Tightly covered, up to one week.
• Serve with Peking Duck or as a
• Dipping Sauce for Egg Rolls
• Peking Duck~
• 1-Peking Duck, cleaned and rinsed
• 1 large pot, 3/4 full with boiling water
• 1/4 cup sugar
• 1/4 cup salt
• 1 T five-spice powder
• 1 cup molasses
• 2 cups hot oil, optional
• Carefully add whole duck to the large pot of boiling water
• Remove as soon as the skin changes color, 5-8 minutes
• Sprinkle the inside of the duck with sugar, salt and 5-spice powder
• Rub the skin of the duck with molasses
• Truss the duck with string and hang in an airing place for 2 hours or
• Fill an empty can (pop or beer can) half way full with water
• Set can in a 13 x 9 cake pan, or other baking pan with sides
• Position duck on top of can
• Place pan and duck in the refrigerate overnight
• Do not cover the duck
• This will dry out the skin of the duck and
• Allow the skin to become crispy
• Drain any juices that accumulate in the pan
• Preheat oven to 350
• Remove duck and pan from refrigerator
• Drain any juices that have accumulated in the bottom of the pan
• Carefully remove can from the duck
• Discard can
• Place a clean can, half full of water
• In a baking pan with sides
• Position duck on top of can
• Place pan and duck in oven
• Thinly slice the skin and meat from the duck
View Full Recipe at Turnips 2 Tangerines