Oven Roasted Duck Legs

I really enjoy Duck but I often forgot to make it. That's probably because I never had it much as a child, except when we had Peking Duck at a Chinese banquet and then it was more about the crispy skin than the meat. Later, I developed a real love for Roast Duck that I would buy at the Chinese Deli and would save the bones to make Thai Duck Noodle Soup. And although Duck was still a little harder to find, I started eating it more and usually bought at my local Asian Market. Lately I've been eating it a lot because I've been ordering it and having it delivered.

First I started buying Duck Breasts and pan searing them to render the fat and then finishing them in the oven, much like Steak. But last night, I decided to make Oven Roasted Duck Legs because I wanted to replicate Duck Confit for a salad. For those of you who've never made Duck Confit, it is Duck Legs (which also includes the Thigh) cooked in Duck Fat. I didn't have any Duck Fat, so I slow Roasted the Duck instead and the accumulated fat and juices basted the Duck Legs. It turned out so well. What I like about this recipe is that like Duck Breasts, you do start them in a frying pan to get the skin browned and then put the Duck Legs in a baking dish, pour in the rendered fat, cover them with foil and cook for 1-1/2 hours. Then you take off the foil and cook them for another 30 minutes until they've crisped up. You can use any number of herbs and spices along with some Salt. I went for the simplest Chinese version, which was just Salt mixed with a little Five Spice Powder. I ate one leg last night with some Chinese Plum Sauce, some Rice and a Cucumber Salad and I was very happy!  I used some of the leftover Duck in a Salad today and I'll make some soup tomorrow using the bones as a base for the broth. Duck is delicious!

Oven Roasted Duck Legs

4 Duck Legs

1 teaspoon Salt

1/8 teaspoon Five Spice Powder

Heat the oven to 325 degrees

Mix together the Salt and Five Spice Powder in a little bowl.

Season each Duck Leg all over with 1/4 teaspoon of the Seasoning. Place each Duck Leg skin side down in a frying pan big enough to hold all 4 or cook them in two batches. Heat the pan to medium high for 7 - 8 minutes to render some fat and brown the skin, turn over and cook for an additional 5 minutes.

Put the Duck Legs skin side up in a glass baking dish with enough room for them all to fit. Pour in the accumulated fat and cover with a piece of foil. Cook for 1-1/2 hours. Take them out of the oven, remove the foil and put back in for an additional 30 minutes. If you want the skin to be even crisper, you can turn the oven on to broil after you've drained off al the fat and juices. But only leave the Duck Legs under the broiler for a minute or two and be careful not to burn them. Serve with the sauce of your choice.

Five Element Analysis

Duck is considered a Water Element food and is used as a Yin tonic in Chinese Dietary Therapy. The Five Spice Powder brings in just a hint of the Metal Element, so build your meal around this very Watery food.

Hawaiian Style Chili

Zippy's Chili is a Hawaiian favorite. I've even seen it sold here in Seattle in the freezer at Uwajimaya. Of course, I've had it in Hawaii but I've never bought the frozen version because I learned how to make a copycat version from my Hawaiian friends. For those of you who have never had Zippy's Chili, it is very mild and has an unusual creamy texture. There are many theories a to what makes it creamy, but the consensus amongst the people I know who live in Hawaii is that you add a bit of mayonnaise at the end. I know that sounds weird, but it works perfectly and creates the perfect texture. This Chili incorporates little pieces of Portuguese Sausage too and requires a relatively small amount of Tomato Sauce so it's somewhat thick. I used Kidney Beans in keeping with the color of the Chili although Pinto Beans or both would be good as well. This Chili is very easy to make and is meant to be eaten over Rice. This is a really delicious Chili and I encourage you to make it!

Hawaiian Style Chili

1 pound ground Beef

1 Red or Green Bell Pepper, destemmed and cut into small pieces

1 small Onion, minced

1 16 oz can Tomato Sauce

1 - 2 teaspoons Chili Powder

1 teaspoon Oregano

1 teaspoon ground Cumin

1/2 teaspoon Salt

1  Tablespoon Brown Sugar

1 Beef or Chicken Bouillon Cube, crushed

Dash of Worcestershire Sauce

1 16 oz can Kidney Beans, drained and rinsed

1/4 cup Water, if needed

2 - 3 heaping Tablespoons Mayonnaise, depending on how creamy you want it

Optional: 1 cup Portuguese Sausage, cut into cubes. Add in with the Tomato Sauce 

Cook the ground Beef, Onion and Red Pepper in a large frying pan until the Beef is no longer pink. Spoon out extra fat. Add in the Tomato Sauce and spices , Bouillon Cube and Wocestershire Sauce and stir to combine. Then add in the Kidney Beans. Bring to a boil and then reduce heat to a simmer.  Cook for 30 minutes and add more Water if too thick. Then stir in the Mayonnaise and serve. over Rice.

Five Element Analysis

Tomato Sauce, the Red Pepper and Chili Powder all belong to the Fire Element. The Beef contributes the Earth Element and so does the Brown Sugar. The Metal Element is represented by the Onion, The Mayonnaise, the Spices and the Rice. The Water Element is found in the Kidney Beans, the Portuguese Sausage and the Worcestershire Sauce. Only the Wood Element is missing so be sure to serve this Chili with some green vegetables to create a Five Element balance.

Portuguese Sausage, Potatoes and Collard Greens

I bought the ingredients for Caldo Verde Soup but then suddenly didn't feel like soup. I know that's strange considering how much I love soup, but I was actually wanting a Stir Fry and so I cooked the Portuguese Sausage and Collard Greens that way, but I roasted the Potatoes before tossing it all together. It was so delicious!  I am quite sure you could use other kinds of Sausage, like Kielbasa and a different green vegetable too like Kale or Green Cabbage. But, I personally love sautéed Collard Greens as they have an inherent sweetness to them and perhaps that's because I have Southern roots on one side of my family. I was so happy with the way this dish turned out - hope you like it too!

Portuguese Sausage, Potatoes and Collard Greens

3/4 pound of Portuguese Sausage (about 3 cups sliced)

3 cups washed and sliced new Potatoes (I used Red Potatoes)

1 pound Collard Greens, washed and pulled off the stem, chopped into bite size pieces

3 Tablespoons Olive Oil, divided (2 Tbsps for Potatoes, 1 Tbsp for Collard Greens)

1 large Garlic Clove Minced

1/2 teaspoon Salt

Pinch of Sugar

Heat oven to 425 degrees and line a baking sheet with parchment paper. Place the Potatoes in a bowl and toss with the Olive Oil and Salt. Put the Potato slices onto the baking sheet and bake for 25 - 30 minutes or until lightly golden brown. If you want to speed up this process, bake for 15 - 20 minutes and put under the broiler, watching carefully until they brown. 

When the potatoes are nearly done, heat the remaining oil and garlic in a large frying pan. Add in the Portuguese Sausage and sauté until browned. Then put in the Collard Greens, sprinkle them with Sugar and stir fry until they are wilted. Add the Potatoes to the Sausage and Collard Mixture and toss to serve.

Five Element Analysis

Salted Pork as in Portuguese Sausage belong to the Water Element, but the Paprika in the Sausage also adds a bit of Fire  The Collard Greens contribute the Wood Element and the Potatoes bring in the Earth Element. The Garlic adds in just a hint of the Metal Element. So, serve this meal with another dish that incorporates a Metal food like Cauliflower to create a Five Element balance.  

Marinated Chicken with Indian Spices

I love Indian flavors and this is one cuisine that I am cooking from on a regular basis. I think that Indian cuisine brings and blends spices like no other. Because I have only been exposed to Indian restaurants that have been Americanized or made more British, I am always seeking authentic Indian recipes. Recently, I was doing a decluttering of my entire house and started to go through old cookbooks. I gave away only a few, but in the course of evaluating them, I ran across my first Indian cookbook, which was Madhur Jaffrey's first cookbook, An Invitation to Indian Cooking. My copy of it is almost falling apart and I have taped together the paper cover several times. One of the recipes that I have made many times over the years is her Marinated Chicken. Of course I had to adapt it to my tastes as  I simply can't handle very hot foods.  So, I changed her recipe so that it less spicy. This dish has never failed to please my guests or kids. The secret is in marinating the chicken for a long time. I use Chicken Thighs, although the original recipe calls for breasts, but I think the Thighs turn out a lot juicier. I also bake the Chicken instead of broiling it. I think the reason I like this recipe so much is that at that time I found this one, a favorite way of making chicken was to marinate it in Wishbone Italian Dressing. When I first made this, I thought it was so much more delicious than any chicken I had ever had! It's been a favorite recipe ever since. The marinade becomes almost like a crust on the chicken. It is so good that I encourage you to make it too. Thank you to Madhur Jaffrey!

Marinated Chicken with Indian Spices

6 Chicken Thighs, bone in and skin attached 
1 large Onion, peeled and chopped
2 large cloves of Garlic
1 chunk of Ginger, about 1 inch square, peeled
1 Serrano Chili, stem end removed, cut in half (and seeds removed if desired)
1/2 teaspoon Cumin Seeds, crushed
1 1/2 teaspoons ground Coriander
1/4 cup White Wine Vinegar (I used Trader Joe's White Balsamic)
1/4 cup Vegetable Oil
1 teaspoon Salt
1/8 teaspoon Fresh Ground Pepper

Combine Onion, Garlic, Ginger, Chili, Cumin, Coriander, Vinegar, Salt, Pepper and Oil in a Cuisinart (or other food processor or blender - you can also use a stick blender). Blend into a smooth paste.  Place marinade in a large Ziploc bag and add in chicken. Seal and turn over several times to coat the chicken. Place plastic bag of chicken into a bowl and put in the refrigerator to marinate - turning at least half way through. Marinate for up to 24 hours and at least 2 to 3 hours.  

When ready to cook, preheat your oven to 400 degrees. Line a baking pan with parchment and place chicken pieces on it.  Spoon the remaining marinade on top of each piece of chicken. Cook for 50 minutes. Then turn the heat to broil and cook for an additional 5 minutes or until the top gets crispy and browned, being careful not to burn it. 

Five Element Analysis

Chicken belongs to the Wood Element and the vinegar in this dish adds even more Wood.  The Serrano Chili contributes just a little bit of the Fire Element and the Cumin and Coriander along with the Garlic and Onion bring in the Fire Element. The Earth Element is missing as is the Water Element, so a Salad for the Fire and an Eggplant dish for the Water would be good side dishes and a sweet dessert would round out the Five Elements.