Chestnuts Braised Duck

Preparation Time: 30 mins

Cooking Time: 2 hours

Serving for 4 persons

Ingredients

Half a duck

1 stick of cinnamon

1 star anise

3 cloves

1 cardamon seed

2 slices of ginger

10 to 15 of pepper seeds crushed

3 Tbsp dark soya sauce

3 bowls of water

1 tsp sesame oil

400 – 500 g chestnuts

Method

1. Wash and scald duck with hot water. Rub it with 1 tsp of five spices powder to marinate for 30 mins.

2. Bowl the chestnuts for about 30 mins remove and soak in cold water. Remove the skin.

3. Bowl the water and add the dark soya sauce, sesame oil, ginger, pepper, cardamon, star anise, cinnamon stick and cloves. Add chestnuts and cook for 30 mins.

4. Add duck and bring it to a boil, lower the heat and let it simmer for 30 mins.

5. Cook at low heat for another 1 hour before serving.

Tips:

If you like to know more about the spices….

Cardamon; http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Cardamom or http://www.naturopathydigest.com/nutrition_herbs/herbs/cardamon_seed.php

Cinnamon; http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Cinnamon or http://www.naturopathydigest.com/nutrition_herbs/herbs/cinnamon.php

Awesome Yam Cake…

Preparation Time: 2 hours

Cooking Time: 1 hour

Serving for 10 to 15 persons

Ingredients

300 g Rice Flour

600 g Yam

1 Tbsp Dim Sum Flour

300 g Pork

300 g Dried Shrimp

300 g Chinese Sausage

8  Dried Shitake mushrooms

1 tsp five spices powder

6 bowls of hot water

1 Tbsp pork oil/lard (can use shallot and garlic oil for substitute)

3 tsp salt

2 tsp sugar

2 tsp sesame oil

Method

1. Cut the yam in cubes of 2 cm X 2 cm, use oil to stir fry for about 3 mins. Remove from wok and add 5 spices powder to marinate for about 30 mins.

2. Mix the yam with the lard and steam for 20 mins.

3. Heat wok and stir fried the dried shrimp, mushroom and pork for about 10 mins.

4. Add rice flour and tim sum flour in a bowl. Add salt, sugar and sesame oil and mix with 3 bowls of hot water.

5. Remove the yam from the steamer, add the dried shrimp, mushroom and pork with the 3 bowls of hot water and flour mixture.

6. Mix them well and pour over a tray and steam for about 1 hour.

7. Remove the cooked yam cake and add shallot and garlic oil on the top of the cake.