Text 22453, 135 rader
Skriven 2014-12-31 06:09:00 av MICHAEL LOO (1:123/140)
     Kommentar till en text av NANCY BACKUS
Ärende: post-Xmas dinner 532
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 ML> the time. Both Dan and Charles do have more adventursome
 ML> tastes than most, though. Funny thing is that their children
 ML> do not - they have expensive but conservative preferences.
 NB> Possibly in the nature of children to rebel...?  ;)  Or just the
 NB> hatched a duckling phenomenon...  :)

From my observation the second generation (Dan and Charles)
are culturally acquiescent and sort of passive-aggressive in
their dealings with their elder; the third are culturally
similar but not congruent and sort of passive-aggressive in
dealing with the second, but culturally wildly different but
very socially acquiescent regarding their grandmother. As my
own family was not close, watching these dynamics is new and
fascinating to me.

Speaking of. The reciprocation Chinese meal took place.

Spring rolls
Just like my mother used to make, maybe a bit salty for my
current palate but good with beer. The filling is two parts
sauteed cabbage and one part stir-fried slivered pork with
soy and secret spices (pepper, a dash of vinegar hot sauce,
a touch of garlic, a scallion or two). No celery, no bean
sprouts. I planned on one per person with a large batch made
for freezing and reheating. Two and half per person went.

Seared duck breast with orange-soy-brandy glaze
Just like a restaurant, only the crisp skin wilted when I
put the glaze on. Gotta figure that out some day. As you
know, I usually solve the problem by serving the skin
separately a la Peking duck.

Taiwanese-style beef noodle soup
Remember the tough shoulder clod from the Royal Aholds? It
cooked for 18 hours, with me testing every few hours. It
remained tough as nails. The broth it made was superdelicious,
though. I started dishing this out by putting the noodles
(Nasoya, not actually bad) in the bowls and topping with
a few shredded strands of the beef and the lovely broth.
It was rather like making a satisfactory soup out of a shoe.
Unfortunately, I was also sauteing bok choy for garnish and
left to tend that, asking third-gen Charles (second-gen
Charles was not there) to do as I had done, shredding up the
tough meat and apportioning it delicately among the bowls.
Annie decided that guests shouldn't work and shouldered him
aside; she ended up putting a quarter pound blob of tough
meat into each of the bowls she did, including mine. I didn't
eat my own cooking! and didn't complain when Annie suggested
throwing away the leftovers (I said to save the soup).

Bok choy
I cooked this over exceedingly high yeat in the other
kitchen (which doesn't have a smoke detector), which is why
I had to run off to tend it. It was fine, but I'd intended
it to go with the soup; instead, as we were short serving
spoons at table, it ended up with 

Moo goo gai Ann (her name for it)
I was going to do a standard mushroom and chicken slices in
Cantonese white sauce (moo goo gai pan), but Annie wanted to
make it herself, which means that the slices were twice as
big and the sauce had to have more punch. She was planning on
spicing it up with chili paste, but I reminded her that Anne
was in her 80s and of delicate digestion, so she used black
bean paste instead, not a bad choice, but she was enthusiastic
with it, and the sauce ended up very brown and very salty.
Luckily we had white rice too, which soaked up the sauce nicely.
Oddly, typing this next day I am sort of craving some of the
(also heavily garlicked) sauce over a spot of rice right now.

Orange glazed pound cake from a bundt pan, made by Anne
Quite good. Anne is an amazing perfectionist and carped about
the cake being too dry (it was perhaps just a tad, nothing
serious and about as good as you would expect from a bakery)
and the glaze being unevenly distributed (normal).

We chatted for a good hour after dinner, with everyone slugging
down large tumblers of ice water, except I put a half cup of
Evan Williams in mine.

 ML> We chatted pleasantly (as civilly as possible for the soon
 ML> to be divorced couple), then retired to the living room for
 ML> brandy, which nobody had.
 NB> Too full...?  Or just not interested in more spirits...?  :)

Well, the soon-to-be divorcee is an alcoholic, so we couldn't
be served until she left, by which time nobody was in the mood.

Duck breast with orange-soy-brandy glaze
cat: starter
servings: 6

1 whole duck breast off the bone
1 garlic clove
1/2 c orange juice
2 Tb soy sauce or to taste
2 Tb dry sherry
4 Tb Cognac

Rub the meat side of the duck breast with a cut
clove of garlic. Discard or reuse the garlic.

Sear the duck breast, starting skin-side down to
render the fat. You may lightly score the skin to
facilitate the fat melting out, but as I like a
layer of fat to remain intact, I don't do this.
Periodically spoon off the fat as it renders; set
it aside.

When the duck is nicely browned on all sides,
and the meat is firm, remove it to a cutting
board in a warm place.

Deglaze the pan with all the liquids, ending with
the Cognac. Flame if desired. Reduce to a thick
consistency. Beat in 1 1/2 ts to 1 Tb duck fat
for sheen and texture.

Slice the duck on the bias into 18 slices and
drizzle on the glaze.

Refinement: I put the soy sauce in during the
reduction because I don't care for the taste of
raw soy sauce. What one could do - boil up a
bit of soy sauce separately, perhaps with a
dollop of duck fat, then add it in drops to
finish the sauce, that way you can regulate the
salt better.

Source: moi


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