Tea-smoked duck breast

I haven't cooked a lot of duck, but with the plethora of duck dishes on Masterchef, I feel as best equipped as I ever will. The recipe is from the Masterchef Cookbook, Volume 1. I was running short of time making this dish, so sacrificed the ravioli which was supposed to adorn the duck. I was rushing so much I didn't take a photo, but Hayley grabbed this quick shot. The sauce was tangy and delicious, and the smokey flavour of the duck was excellent. I didn't have blood oranges so substituted navels. I didn't have any dried orange peel, so just left it out. I also changed the accompanying spinach in the recipe to whatever was on hand.


Tea Smoked Duck Breast

4 duck breasts
salt

Tea Smoking Mix
1/2 cup oolong tea leaves
1/2 cup jasmine tea leaves
zest 3 oranges cut into wide strips
4 pieces dried orange peel
1 cup jasmine rice
1 cup brown sugar
5 whole star anise
1 tbs Sichuan peppercorns
6 pieces cassia bark (I used cinnamon)

Orange sauce
1 1/2 tbs caster sugar
1 1/2 tbs red wine vinegar
1 cup blood orange juice
1/2 cup chicken stock
grated zest of 1/2 orange
25g butter

To make smoked duck, line a wok with foil then place all smoke mixture onto the foil. Turn the heat to medium and wait until it starts to smoke. Place duck breasts skin side down on a rack in the wok. Cover and cook for 7 minutes or until rare.

To make orange sauce, place sugar in a saucepan and melt it slowly. Add vinegar and simmer until sugar is dissolved. Add orange juice and bring to boil. Reduce heat and simmer until reduced by half. Add stock and simmer again until reduced by half. Add orange zest and butter. Season to taste.

Place duck skin side down in a hot frying pan and cook until the fat has melted and skin is crispy. Rest a few minutes then cut into slices. Drizzle with sauce to serve.

Lemon Muffins with a cream-cheese centre

This is a recipe I've cut out of a magazine ages ago, and they disappear quickly.
Makes 12 muffins.

2 cups plain flour
1 tsp bicarb soda
2 eggs
125g butter
250ml milk
2 tsp grated lemon rind
2 tsp lemon juice

Filling
150g cream cheese, softened
2 tbsp caster sugar
1 tbsp lemon juice
1/2 tsp vanilla

Heat oven tp 180 C. Grease muffin pan or use liners.
Filling: Combine cream cheese, sugar, lemon juice and vanilla.
Sift together flour and bicarb. in a large bowl., then add sugar.
In a jug, lightly wisk together melted butter, eggs, milk, lemon rind and juice. Mix this into the flour until JUSt combined.
Spoon batter into muffin tray to half fill.. Spoon the cream cheese mixture into muffin, then top up muffin with remaining batter.
Bake for 20 mins. Cool 5 mins then turn out.

Gewurzhaus - Herbs and Spices

Ambling along Lygon Street the other day and came across a magnificent herb and spice shop - Gewurzhaus http://www.gewurzhaus.com.au/ 

This is the most gorgeous shop where you can serve yourslelf from the most amazing array of herbs and spices.  I was fascinated by the sichuan peppercorns (so fragrant), the spice mixes eg the bush pepeer, the salts, the dukkahs and the sugars, all beautifully presented.

I was so excited that I sent a text to Judy to tell her of my discovery.  The website is fantastic too, where you can order online and featuring recipes too.

Muesli muffins

Despite being the owner of numerous cookbooks, even one dedicated to muffins,  I googled 'breakfast muffins' in search of a recipe and found the following one at Taste.com: http://www.taste.com.au/recipes/13907/breakfast+museli+muffins

Of course I tweaked the recipe (as I always do), but the result was a quite wholesome substantial muffin that could be a replacement breakfast on the run.

Ingredients:

2 eggs

1 cup milk

1/4 cup light olive oil

2 tbs honey

2 cups muesli (I used half bircher muesli mix and half cereal mix)

1/2 cup of sultanas

1/2 cup chopped nuts eg pecans, walnuts

1 1/2 cups plain flour

1/2 tsp bicarb soda

1tsp baking powder

1 orange

Method

1. Preheat oven to 200 degrees C or 180 for fan forced. Line a 12 cup muffin pan with paper cases.

2. Whisk eggs, milk, oil and honey together. Combine muesli, flour, dried fruit, nuts,soda and baking powder in a bowl. Finely grate orange rind into dry ingredients. Juice orange and add 1/2 cup of the juice to egg mixture.

3. Pour wet ingredients into dry and mix together quickly using a wooden spoon until just combined. Mixture may be lumpy and does not have to be evenly mixed.

4. Spoon mixture into paper cases. Bake for 20 mins or until golden and cooked through. Cool for 5 minutes before transferring to a wire rack to cool completely

Rhubarb and Walnut Chutney

This is a recipe my sister passed on to me years ago. I made it for my next door neighbour after he gave me some of his home grown rhubarb. I thought of it last night when Val presented me with a jar of her home made rhubarb chutney.

Rhubarb Chutney
5-6 stalks rhubarb, cut into 2cm pieces
2 cups brown sugar, firmly packed
1 cup cider vinegar
1 tbs lemon zest
1 stick cinnamon
1 inch grated fresh ginger
1 cup golden raisins
1/4 tsp salt
1 cup coarsely chopped walnuts

Combine sugar, vinegar, lemon zest in saucepan over low heat until dissolved. Add rhubarb, cinnamon and ginger and cook stirring frequently for about 15 mins. Add nuts and raisins and cook 3-4 minutes. Place into sterilised jars while still hot.

Chicken Pie

When a new foodie entered our circle, her Chicken Pies were all the talk. (Who me, threatened?) Not to be outdone, after a reasonable amount of time had passed, in order that the hype die down, I decided to embark on making Chicken Pies. Without the much coveted recipe in hand, I chanced a reasonable replica in the June 2011 issue of Delicious magazine. Without my number one critic not home for dinner, and my fellow blogger invited for dinner, I set out to make a chicken pie. I think it was mighty fine. Other critics hailed Helen the ongoing champion.

Chicken Pie
3 potatoes, peeled and chopped
2 handfuls chestnut mushrooms
6 small carrots, peeled and chopped
3 Leeks, sliced
1 bulb garlic
2 bay leaves
1 bunch thyme
½ bunch rosemary
150ml white wine
1.6 kg whole chicken
1 lemon, halved
Knobs butter
300-400 ml chicken stick
3 heaped tbs crème fraiche
handful grated parmesan
1 small bunch parsley, chopped
375 g puff pastry
1 egg, beaten

Heat oven to 200C. Place potato, mushroom, carrot and leek in roasting pan. Scatter with garlic, bay leaves, half of the thyme and rosemary. Pour over the wine, then place chicken on top. Place lemon halves, remaining thyme and rosemary in cavity. Score the legs, dot the bird with butter, and sprinkle with salt and pepper. Cover with foil and roast for 45 minutes. Remove foil from pan and drain off the juice (reserving), then bake a further 45 minutes or until cooked. Remove chicken from pan and rest. Then shred meat from bones. Pick out garlic skin and herbs from vegetables. Add stock and reserved juices to roasting pan. Bring to boil and simmer 5 minutes. Stir in crème fraiche and parmesan. Add parsley then chicken and season. Leave to cool. Place in pie dish/dishes. Cover with pastry and cut a steam vent. Brush with beaten egg. Bake at 200C for 30-45 minutes depending on pie size, or until golden and puffed.

Tiani's Rhubarb Chutney

I met Tiani on a trip to Launceston earlier this year and on tasting her fabulous chutney, was keen to get therecipe.  Tiani explained that it was a family recipe (hence the measurements in pounds) and here is the recipe faithfully reproduced and attributed to Tiani.

Ingredients

2lb rhubarb
4 large onions

2 1/2 lb sugar (I used raw sugar)

2 1/2 dsp curry powder

1 cup white vinegar

2 tbs salt

2 tsp pepper

1 1/2 tbs ground ginger or finely grated fresh ginger

4 cloves garlic crushed

Method

Roughly chop rhubarb and onions. Simmer all ingredients for an hour. Bottle when hot.

Delicious with cheese and cold meats.