Duck Tongues. Two ways. Slow Simmer and Oven Braised

DUCK TONGUES !

OFFAL DELICIOUS

YES, ducks do have tongues
YES, people DO eat them and...
YES...i DID go there.

SUPER FUN STRANGE
yet quite delicious

now i see why these are considered a bar-snack or dim sum nibble in the Asian culture.  once you give in and try one you'll find yourself with a pile of 20 or so bones that you've sucked clean.  aside from the "odd-bits" factor, they are quite unique and fun to eat.  i would say it's most similar to a chicken tail or "the Pope's Nose" as my colorful 108 year old Grandmother used to call it.
SO HERE WE GO.... i cooked them two ways.  1/2 pound was slowly simmered in an Asian flavored duck stock and 1/2 was marinaded in sweet, spicy soy, ginger, star anise... then braised in the oven.  i think the slow simmer worked best for cooking, but the sauce from the braise was delicious for dipping.
next time i think i will combine the two somehow or maybe i'll try Chichi' Wang's version over at "The Nasty bits"
NOTE...this is a very "Americanized" version of duck tongues.  i do not have a wok, a pantry full of fabulous Chinese ingredients or the proper skills to throw together an authentic Asian-style duck tongues recipe, so this is what i came up with...AND IT WORKED.  i will definitely be having these again SOON.

inflation has hit the duck tongues market.  i remember when i first saw these about 2-3 years ago.  i had no idea what to do with them so i never bought them...too bad.  had i known they were this much FUN i would have purchased a bundle.  i think they were about 5.00$ a pound...now they are 16.99$ a pound

1st...you must rinse

photo above is the cold water bath

2nd...you must do a short pre-boil

put about 7 thin slices of ginger in a pot of water, a good pinch of salt and enough water to totally cover the tongues.  bring the water to a boil and throw in the tongues.  let them boil for 2-3 minutes.  remove them, drain hot water and put them in a cold water bath to stop the cooking.

now you can cook them as you please.

I EXPERIMENTED 2 WAYS...

MARINADE then OVEN BRAISE

FOR THE MARINADE...

1/4 cup soy

1 large T minced ginger
2 star anise

3 T brown sugar

1/2 T sambal chili garlic sauce

splash of shauxing wine

1 small scallion sliced

put tongues in marinade for 30-40 minutes.
strain tongues from marinade and put in oven safe dish.  save the marinade, but it must be boiled if you intend to use it as a sauce.

i poured some "Soy Vay" Hoisin Garlic Sauce over the tongues with a few crushed garlic cloves, a drizzle of sesame oil and added just a bit of stock so there was enough liquid to braise, but NOT boil.
(photo above is before adding the stock)
i had this in the oven, covered,  at 320 F for about 1/2 hour.  checked it at 1/2 hour.  they were still a bit chewy so i lowered to 300 F and continued for another 1/2 hour.
the end result was delicious, but i found that these tongues shrank just a bit...they were not as plump as the slow simmer batch. (example below)

slow simmer on left...marinade/braise right

2nd cooking method...
SLOW SIMMER IN ASIAN DUCK STOCK

i was lucky enough to have some duck stock in my freezer.
find the recipe for Asian flavored duck stock HERE
i suppose you could use homemade chicken stock, but i wanted to get the full "duck" experience.
to the stock i added a couple of star anise, a few ginger pieces, a short stick of lemongrass (tied and slightly pounded), a little bit of garlic chili sauce and a chopped spring onion to the simmer.

bring to a boil and then to a very slow simmer.  check on them until they are done to your liking.  i wanted them fairly soft so they were in for about an hour.

they are delicious straight out of the pot.  serve with or without sauce, over noodles or deep fry to make them crispy good.  mine never made it to the fryer, but i will try this next time.

here's the weird part....

this is what you will find inside the duck tongue

the tip is flubbery and edible if cooked long enough, the flat part is hard cartilage and there is a pebble size bone at the very end.

Tamale Fusion...A savory and sweet success.

TAMALES  TAMALES   TAMALES...

'tis the season for TAMALES

fist time out of the gates with the tamales and i think i did alright..

maybe i bit off more than i could chew, but i made 3 different tamales... shredded Asian duck with lightly sauteed Comice pears in tarragon...then i made some with pulled pork smothered in Mexican Red Sauce (Red Sauce Recipe found here), Hatch Chilis and queso fresco...then to round out the trio i made sweet tamales with apples and sultana raisins sauteed in butter, brown sugar and cinnamon and topped with toasted pecans...WHEW that's a mouth full.  i'm tired just thinking about it.  they were all fabulous.

there really is nothing like a fresh tamale right out of the steamer.  i can't remember the last time i had one, but it was probably packaged or frozen or brought home and reheated.

once a year at this time our good long time friend, Lupe,  brings us "REAL" authentic Mexican Tamales...and i say real because she was born in Mexico and her mother taught her how her mother taught her and so on and so on...

below is a quick photo of the loot that Lupe brought to us on Saturday night...

i must state that Lupe's Tamales ROCK !...experience definitely shows in flavors and texture.

  

making them yourself is so rewarding and like i said...fresh from the steamer these tight little packages are unbelievably delicious.  it really isn't rocket science (when you take a few short cuts like i did) and they ARE a little labor intensive and tedious....BUT well worth the effort.

above is the shredded Asian Duck.

if you would like to know how i prepared the duck meat please refer to an earlier post i did on Asian style Duck Rillettes...just go as far as shredding the duck to bite size pieces.  i sauteed the Comice pear with a little butter, brown sugar and dried tarragon...then added fresh tarragon before wrapping.  this needed a little sauce to go with it.  my first thought was Sriracha (Asian HOT sauce)...but i think i could have been more creative.

above is the sweet tamale filled with 2 kinds of apples (Granny Smith and Yellow Delicious) sauteed in butter, brown sugar, cinnamon and nutmeg...with a few chopped toasted pecans.  i mixed a bit of sugar into the masa.  serve with whipped cream, ice cream or as i did with a little maple syrup for breakfast...YUMMM !

i have no real written recipe, BUT i do have...

A FEW GOOD HELPFUL HINTS AND SHORT CUTS...

from a first time tamale maker.

1.  buy prepared masa made for tamales.  find a real Mexican market or tortillaria near you.  i found mine at El Matate.  go in the morning, it's still warm in the bag.  now that's fresh.  try not to fall for anything pre-packaged.  the fresh will come in a big plastic bag and hopefully still warm, but definitely moist and mooshy.

2.  make your stuffing/filling the day before...or pull from your freezer like i did with the pulled pork and Mexican Red Sauce.  you don't want to do all this in one day...trust me, the tortilla assembly and cooking will be enough for one day.  i did, however, make the sweet tamale stuffing that day...quick and easy.  like making your favorite apple pie filling.

3.  if you can't deal with the corn husks, try wrapping them in parchment squares.  they aren't as cute and authentic, but it does the trick.  i think you can also purchase pre-cut tamale wrapping paper.  i would have bought a package had i known, but i'm glad i went with the husks on the first time out.

4.  when wrapping, make sure they are totally covered and your husks haven't split.  the filling WILL squish out during cooking.

5.  you can use string instead of corn husk strips to tie them up...this is not an easy task using the husk strips.

6.  if you don't have a proper tamale steamer, use your pasta strainer or vegetable steamer at the bottom of your stock pot.  i used a large vegetable steamer insert, as shown above, and had to lay my tamales flat instead of the traditional upright cooking method.

7.  you need to have them sit a coup[e inches from the bottom and not touch the water.

also...you need enough water to be able to steam for 1 hour.

8.  these can be wrapped ahead of time and cooked before serving.  they will take approximately 1 hour to steam.

9.  they keep well in the fridge for a quick meal and i suppose they can be frozen as well.

10.  reheat in the microwave wrapped in a damp paper or cloth towel to keep moist.

Confit Style Roast Duck Legs

yes...i'm still riding the DUCK TRAIN...

and still lovin' every bite of it. if you're game (pardon the pun...so so sorry..they just slip out and i can't help it) please do try some duck cookin'. i think you might find it interesting and a bit more flavorful than the ever popular ever so over used chicken. i am continuously looking for things that have just that little extra something. duck has that rich flavor that chicken sometimes lacks. i recently cooked some duck breasts (expensive, by the way) and i thought it tasted like a cross between a good filet mignon and a perfectly cooked chicken. sounds odd, but it was like a flying cow. the texture was meaty and the flavor was poultry. the leg and thigh are a rich dark meat that are equally as tasty, but not so expensive...2 leg/thighs run about $5.00 as opposed to 2 breasts costing around $18.00 smackers.

if you haven't tried duck, i suggest you do. i found a recipe that is fairly easy and the end result is a roasted confit-style duck, but with a fabulous crispy skin. the truth is...i've never had REAL duck confit, so i have nothing to compare it to. i must say that now after all the duck i have been making i DO have enough rendered duck fat to make a good confit. i've read that it takes a few days to do a proper job of it.

one of these days i'll get to the real deal, but for now this Easy Duck Confit recipe will do just fine.
this great recipe was found at Simple Recipes posted by Hank Shaw. many many thanks to Hank and his pals at Simple Recipes for introducing a quick Confit by making it sound so easy and SIMPLE.

EASY DUCK CONFIT

original recipe HERE

 Ingredients
Duck legs-thigh attached (at least one per person)
Salt...

duck fat.  not too much, but  have a little extra on hand for the size dish you are using and how many legs are cooking.

i also added fresh thyme to the salt rub and fresh tarragon, unpeeled garlic cloves and about 1/4 cup extra duck fat to the roasting dish as you can see in the photo above. i added the extra duck fat because my legs weren't snug in the dish and i though it would help in the confit-style cooking...not necessary if your legs are fatty (please don't take this out of context)...just use a dish that will fit the legs snug.

EDIT(10-29-2012)...from here on out i pretty much followed the method found at Simple Recipes.  it's an easy fun read so please check them out for their well thought out instructions.  

my additions were the thyme, tarragon, unpeeled garlic, extra duck fat....and i did not poke holes in the fatty duck skin...i gave it a few slashes with a sharp knife as you can see in the top photo.

make sure you save your duck fat.  mine was delicious after being infused with the herbs and garlic...i use it as "DUCK BUTTER"

PS...to those concerned.  my apologies for not following up on the "edit" 2 yrs ago as i should have...and again, many thanks for the great short-cut confit recipe.

Asian Duck Rillettes

 

the Asian flavors along with Chinese roasted duck really make this rillette different and put a little twist on a charcuterie favorite. i think i've found an easy way to accomplish a great tasting fancy treat without alot of time and effort. 

my secret trick is a Chinese style roasted duck.  i can not pass one of these up when i visit my favorite Asian market...99 Ranch.  it's like going to Costco and not getting the $4.99 roasted chicken.  these things are fabulous. all done, cooked and crispy, moist and ready to eat $14.99...amazing.  that's pretty darn good considering the normal price of a whole raw duck can be around $20.00-$30.00 bucks.

this is a quick shortcut to Duck Rillettes and  fairly easy, well... you might say alot easier than the typical duck rillette that requires the whole confit situation.  done properly a rillette takes days and loads of expensive $$$ duck fat.
  this can be done in a few hours.

ASIAN STYLE DUCK RILLETTES
what you'll need...
start with a whole roast duck. i get mine from an Asian market in Irvine called 99 Ranch.
break it down...legs, thighs, wings,  neck and head, etc...i have the deli man do it for me, but let him know you don't want it chopped up Chinese style.  i like to save the breast meat for myself, but throw the skin and fat into the pot.
2 onions, peeled and cut in quarters
3-4 smashed garlic cloves
2-3 stalks of lemongrass, white part only, bashed
2 inch piece of ginger, peeled and cut into rounds
2 jalapeno peppers halved
2-3 star anise
A few sprigs of cilantro
A few stalks spring onions (I used about 3)
Whole black peppercorns approx. 10 - 15
1/4 cup soy sauce
2 Tsp brown sugar
small jars with airtight lids...or ramekins if you will be eating within a week or 2

in a nut shell this is what you're gonna do...
put everything in a large stock pot and bring to a boil...then to a slow simmer for about 3 hours.  take the duck out and strain the stock.  don't use cheese cloth... you want to save as much fat as possible.  let the stock cool and separate.  let the duck cool enough so you can remove the meat from the skin and bones.  pick or fork the meat apart into small bits, by hand works best ( kinda weird, but it should resemble tuna out of the can). add a little of the stock into the bowl of meat until it is moist.  give it a good stir.  taste test time...check for seasoning.  fill little jars with your meat mixture...make sure there are no air pockets.  i released the air pockets with a fork.  you might need to add a little more stock if your meat mixture is not moist enough...flatten the top a little but leave enough room for a 1/4 inch of fat to cover the meat.  put your jars with meat mixture in the fridge for about 20 min.(this helps the layer of fat stay on top instead of soaking though the whole mixture).  remove from fridge and put the all important yummy layer of duck fat on top.  use a spoon with care or a baster to cover the meat with the pure fat that has separated and floated to the top of your cooled stock.  1/4 inch should do the trick.  you want a good seal.  close with airtight lid and refrigerate. if sealed well with the layer of fat you can save them for weeks in the fridge.  save the stock for a rainy day.  the flavor is outstanding for a quick Asian style soup.  (for example...my Duck Duck Soup)

when ready to eat, bring to room temp and enjoy.  i really like to serve this with some pickled ginger and sesame crackers.  give this a try..it's just a little labor intensive, but so rewarding when you open up your little homemade jar of charcuterie goodness.

Duck Duck Soup

Duck Duck Soup...Stock, Broth and rendered Duck FAT...YUMMM !


what do you do when you bring home an absolutely beautiful whole roasted duck and no one is as excited as you are?...make soup. actually it's a 3 in one bonus. you'll end up with a flavorful soup, rich stock and the always sought after and ever so expensive rendered DUCK FAT.







the broth is fabulous and rich. i like to reduce about half of the pot and keep a bit in the freezer to use with quick sauteed veggies or add into a braising liquid for just about anything. the other half goes into the soup for the night.





i found my beautiful duck fully cooked at my favorite Asian market, 99 Ranch Market in Irvine, CA. i've been fascinated with duck for a while and never tried cooking a whole one myself. #1, they are pretty expensive in regular markets (about 25-30 bucks) and #2 i've heard they are kind of tricky to cook properly. the ratio of fat to meat is not even throughout the body so it seems one must control the cooking to get the perfect roast bird. when i saw this baby hanging in the deli section i was so excited, but immediately knew it would be pricey...not so. the whole cooked duck was only $14.00...i'll take 3 please. no, i just bought one, but you can bet i was back within the week getting another. i made Asian flavor Duck Rillettes with the second. i haven't posted about it yet, but oooh they were delicious.

so, since this duck was ALL MINE i took it apart piece by piece...totally enjoyed and devoured the wings, legs and thighs on their own and set aside the breasts for the soup or stew i knew i had to make with all this ducky goodness. the meat was a little seasoned and the skin was delicious and crispy. after wiping away the carnivorous debris, i was smart enough to keep all the bones and fatty skin from the parts i had eaten and, as you can see, i had the whole body/carcass...head to tail...with all it's flavorful fatty skin and bones. everybody into the pool. what i mean is everything goes in the pot except, of course, the breasts.

DUCK STOCK
adapted from Chichajo @ 80 Breakfasts
original recipe and great blog found HERE

The bones (the whole carcass including head) of 1 Peking Duck (or roasted, as shown)
2 carrots, peeled and cut in large pieces
2 onions, peeled and cut in quarters
2-3 stalks of lemongrass, white part only, bashed
1-2 inch piece of ginger, peeled and cut into rounds
2 jalepeno peppers halved
2 star anise
A few sprigs of cilantro
A few stalks spring onions (I used about 3)
Whole black peppercorns approx. 10 - 15
1/4 cup soy sauce

- Place everything in a stockpot and cover with water. The water should reach about an inch over the duck.
- Bring to a boil and skim off any scum that appears. Reduce to a simmer and cover pot. Let the stock simmer gently for 2-3 hours.
- Uncover pot and simmer for about 30 minutes more to reduce stock. Taste and either adjust seasoning or reduce further to deepen flavor.
strain, but do not use cheese cloth. use a regular fine strainer if you are interested in rendering as much of the duck fat as possible
- Portion as you prefer and let cool. Use immediately or store in the fridge if you’ll be using it in a couple of days…if not, freeze for future enjoyment

don't forget to render the duck fat. i like to pour the stock into 1 qt. containers and let it come to room temp. to let the fat rise to the top. then into the fridge for the fat to solidify. render the fat off each container and put into separate container...microwave the fat slightly back to liquid state and pour into an appropriate size container for storage. this will keep in the fridge like butter or you can freeze it for future use.