Okay, here is the third and final instalment of “things to do with kumquat marmalade“. I’m feeling ready to move on as I dip into the bottom of the jam jar but I certainly have enjoyed the ride.
This third idea is loosely based on a canapé I made as part of a catered lunch at a beautiful hazelnut farm last fall. The family were avid duck hunters and so the host wanted to incorporate some of their wild duck breasts into one of the hors d’oeuvres. Their wild breasts were quite small in size but huge in flavour with a far more gamey taste than Magret or Pekin ducks. We seared them to medium rare and served them with the an orange reduction.
Some careful shopping, rather than hunting, is the key here. Most people don’t have a bunch of wild duck breasts kicking around and searing off a duck breast just to make canapés might not always be convenient. Here, in Vancouver, a trip down to Chinatown is an easy option but, regardless of your locale, any Chinese restaurant should be able to sell you BBQ duck. I was able to purchase 1/2 a BBQ duck for just under $8 and the flavour really works well with the kumquat marmalade. I used just a small amount of mayonnaise on the baguette slice, seasoned with some Chinese five spice powder, to keep things from being overly dry and then removed the skin and most of the fat from the duck pieces and sliced up the meat. You could also shred it as well. Feel free to buy the duck the day before you are making these, it keeps well refrigerated.
It may be a cliché but duck really does have an affinity for oranges and these are easy, elegant and very tasty hors d’oeuvres. And with the leftover duck I made Glen a duck clubhouse sandwich with crisp prosciutto, some roasted chicken, arugula and the remaining five spice mayonnaise. It made him very happy..
BBQ Duck with Kumquat Marmalade Canapés
This is more a series of directions rather than a real recipe. Feel free to add/subtract/improvise as you see fit.
1 baguette sliced into 24 thin slices
Mix the five spice powder into the mayonnaise and season with salt and pepper also.
Place the slices of baguette on a serving platter and lightly coat each slice with a thin layer of the five spice mayonnaise. Top with a small(ish) amount of duck meat and then top with some kumquat marmalade. Garnish with radish sprouts and serve.
Makes approximately 24 canapés.
Although I always enjoy duck when prepared at a restaurant or by a dear friend, for some reason I never cook it at home! This recipe makes me wonder why not! I live 5 blocks from Chinatown so there's really no excuse. Hmmm I foresee a trip to Chinatown in the very near future…now only if I had some kumquat jam!
What a lovley blog.I just found out about your blog today,and I want to say that I love your style,your photos and your recipes.I love duck in Egypt we stuff it with a mixture of onions and spices,then we boil it and finally roast it.
Next time I will try this recipe with the leftovers.
Rolti: looking forward to the next Chinatown excursion!
Heather: thank you so much for the kind words and for stopping by. You have piqued my interest regarding Egyptian duck recipes!
Julie,
Like any traditional food there is no really a specific recipe.I simply learn all Egyptian-Arabic food by watching my mom cooking.I always make the duck and it is delicious,but it never came close to my mom's and part of it is that the duck in Egypt is tastier(different breed),the onion is sweeter but anyway this is the method:
1-Mince the onion(it shoudn't be coarse)then put it in the skillet.
2-Add oil,salt,pepper and cumin to taste.
3-Cook till the onion is soft,reserve 2 Tbs in a seperate plate.
4-In another skillet fry raisins and almonds(blanched)then add it to the onion mixture.
5-stuff the duck and close the bottom of the duck with cooking thread.Pock both sides of the duck(breast)with knife to help the duck cook faster.
6-Fill a tall stockpot 2/3 with water and add the reserved 2Tbs of the onion mixture,when it come to boil add the duck.
7-When it is done Take it out the broth and let cool a little bit.
6-With a paper towel pat the skin so it can crisp in the oven.Brush with butter and put in the oven till the skin is crisp and brown.
squeeze lemon all over the duck.
8-That may be going to seem weird but I eat the stuffing with white rice.
I hope that I gave you an idea about how to make the Egyptian duck.That is a holiday food so please excuse the amount of fat in the recipe.Finally if you ever try it let me know what do you think.