Thai Red Curry with Braised Duck Recipe (Kaeng Phed Ped Yang)

Thai Red Curry with Braised Duck Recipe (Kaeng Phed Ped Yang)

Thai Red curry, along  with Green are both very popular throughout the globe. Yellow curry is also a great option, a lot milder on the heat though.

It's common place for Thai Red Curry to be served with Beef or chicken, but have you tried it with Duck?

It's makes a pleasing change and certainly surprises guests when served for a dinner party.

Ready for a change?

Thai Red Curry with Braised Duck Recipe (Kaeng Phed Ped Yang)

Thai Red Curry with Braised Duck Recipe (Kaeng Phed Ped Yang) - Serves 2

Ingredients:-

1 x large duck breast

1 x 400g coconut milk

1 tablespoon red curry paste (or to taste)

½ tablespoons Thai fish sauce (or to taste)

1 tablespoon palm sugar

3 kaffir lime leaves

½ fresh Pineapple (cut into bite-sized pieces)

1 x handful Thai basil leaves (reserve some for garnish)

Preparation:-

Prepare the duck for braising by scoring the skin. You want your cuts to be just deep enough to cut through the fat, but not enough to slice the meat.

Begin with a cold frying pan.  Add duck, skin side down then turn on heat to medium-high, DO NOT add any oil to the pan, cook until the skin is golden brown. Turn the duck over and sear the other side quickly. We will be poaching the duck in the next step, so it’s OK if it’s not cooked all the way through, we just want to give the duck a lovely brown colour and help seal in the juices.

Remove duck and place on kitchen paper to drain, set aside. Also, set aside pan containing duck fat and see note below.

Pour the coconut cream into a wok or sauce pan and simmer for 2 minutes, stirring constantly until the coconut oil begins to separate.

Add the curry paste, fish sauce, palm sugar kaffir lime leaves. Simmer for 2 more minutes.

Bring to a boil. Then add the coconut milk.  Add the duck, flesh side down and braise in the sauce until cooked to your liking.

Remove duck, loosely cover with foil and let it rest for a few minutes.

Taste curry sauce and adjust seasonings to taste.

Add the pineapple and simmer for 2 minutes. Then add the Thai sweet basil leaves.

Slice the duck (skin can be removed first if preferred).

Add the duck slices to pan, simmer for 1 minute then serve immediately with additional Thai basil leaves.

NOTE – Once cooled, pour duck fat into a container and refrigerate or freeze for other recipes.  I usually keep this for roast potatoes.

Thai Red Curry with Braised Duck Recipe (Kaeng Phed Ped Yang)

Homemade Peking Duck and Duck Sauce Recipe

LUVA DUCK?

Two days prep and cooking, but damn it's worth the effort and wait.

A Chinese restaurant favorite and rightly so.  I could eat this for breakfast, lunch and dinner, could you?

Don't forget, this coming weekend is Chinese New Year.  There's no better way to kick off your Chinese feast than with Peking Duck.

For the Peking Duck:-

1.4kg (approx) Oven ready duck

Sea salt flakes

4 tsps Chinese five spice powder (click for recipe) or store bought

4 Whole star anise

2 Cinnamon sticks (halved)

2 tbls Runny honey

For the Duck Sauce:-

3 tbls Hoisin sauce

1 tbls Granulated sugar

3 tbls Water

Prepare the duck – Remove the back bone and flatten the duck.  Cut in half to provide 2 x separate duck halves.

Using a chef’s torch, burn off any stray hairs.  Or remove them with tweezers.

Pour boiling water over each portion and leave to cool.  Pat dry with kitchen paper to remove any excess moisture.

Place both portions (skin side up) onto a rack over a tray.  Place uncovered in the fridge overnight to dry out the duck skin.  Or if space, hang over a tray in a cook place.

Cooking the duck – Preheat oven to 150c.  Meanwhile.  Pierce the skin in several places (do not cut through the flesh) Rub plenty of sea salt and half of the Chinese spice five seasoning all over the skin sides.  Message well and push well into the skin.

Place the duck halves skin side down onto the rack over a roasting try.  Rub the remaining Chinese five spice onto the insides of the duck halves.  Lay on the Star Anise and Cinnamon sticks.

Place in the oven for 2 hours.  Draining off excess fat in try occasionally.

After 2 hours turn over and place skin side up and ½ hour or until meat is tender.

Remove from the oven and turn on the grill to highest setting.  Pour approx 1 tablespoon runny honey over each of the portions and brush all over to evenly distribute.

Place under grill until skin is crisped but not burnt.

Remove and leave to cool slightly before shredding with two forks.

Whilst Duck is cooling make the Sauce – Place all ingredients into a small saucepan and bring to a boil.  Taste and add more sugar if necessary.  If too thick add a little more water.  Remove from heat and pour into a small serving bowl.

Serve with sliced cucumber, sliced spring onions and duck pancakes with the sauce.

TIP: This can all be made ahead and simply warmed through before serving.  The duck and sauce freeze well too.

 Happy feasting.