with a paring knife to detach the skin from the bone. Push the skin down to expose the meat. Carefully scrape the meat off the bone and reserve the meat. Twist the bone and rotate it at the joint until it is pulled out. Discard the bone. In the same manner, scrape off the meat and pull out the two bones from the wing blade, without tearing the skin and leaving the wing tip intact. Debone all the chicken wings in this manner.
2 Combine the chicken breast and meat from the chicken wings, and grind to a paste in a food processor. Transfer to a mixing bowl.
3 Preheat the oven to 400˚F (200˚C).
4 Combine the sauces, sugar and pepper in a small bowl and mix until the sugar is dissolved. Pour half of the sauce mixture over the ground meat and mix until well combined. Divide into 6 equal portions and stuff each deboned wing with a portion of the seasoned meat using a small spoon. Place the stuffed wings on a baking tray.
5 Add the oil to the remaining sauce mixture and mix well. Brush the stuffed wings with the sauce mixture and bake in the oven for about 20 minutes. Remove from the heat.
6 Brown the baked wings under an electric broiler or in the oven for about 5 minutes on each side, basting with the remaining sauce mixture.
7 Serve the stuffed wings whole or cut crosswise into disks. Arrange them on a serving platter lined with a bed of lettuce leaves and serve immediately with a dipping bowl of sweet chili sauce on the side.
Serves 4 to 6
Preparation time: 1 hour
Cooking time: 30 mins
Tea Smoked Duck
Smoked duck is a specialty of Sichuan and Hunan, interior provinces which share many similarities in cooking. Deep-fried smoked duck is delicious. Apart from tea leaves, pine cones or camphor wood can also be used to smoke the bird in the wok the traditional way, or in the oven.
1½ tablespoons salt
1 fresh duck, cleaned and dried
Aluminum foil
5 tablespoons black tea leaves
2 to 3 tablespoons sugar
1 teaspoon sesame oil
Cucumber slices, to garnish
MARINADE
2 tablespoons rice wine
3 spring onions, bruised with a cleaver or pestle
6 slices fresh ginger, bruised with a cleaver or pestle
½ teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
DIPPING SAUCE
2 tablespoons hot bean sauce
4 tablespoons plum sauce
1 tablespoon soy sauce
½ teaspoon sesame oil
1 Sprinkle the salt on the duck and rub well over the entire body including the body cavity. Set aside.
2 Combine the Marinade ingredients in a small bowl and mix well. Rub the Marinade into the duck and body cavity with your fingers. Allow to marinate for at least 1 hour, turning the duck over once or twice and basting it with the Marinade occasionally. Transfer to a heatproof dish.
3 Combine the Dipping Sauce ingredients in a serving bowl and mix well. Set aside.
4 Fill a large wok a third full with water and bring the water to a boil over high heat. Place a wire or cake rack in the wok and set the dish with the duck on it. Cover the wok and steam the duck over rapidly boiling water for 1 hour until tender, adding more hot water whenever the water runs low. Remove from the heat and set aside to cool. Drain off the sauce and fat, and discard the spring onions and ginger.
5 To smoke the steamed duck, line the bottom of a wok with double layers of aluminum foil. Combine the tea leaves and sugar, and spread the mixture evenly on the foil. Place a wire rack or criss-crossed chopsticks over the tea leaves and carefully balance the duck on top, making sure it does not touch the leaves. Cover the wok and heat over high heat until smoke begins to escape from under the lid, 3 to 5 minutes. Reduce the heat to very low and continue to smoke the duck for another 8 to 10 minutes until golden brown. Turn off the heat and leave the duck in the covered wok for 5 to 10 minutes to brown further. Remove from the wok and lightly brush the whole duck with sesame oil.
6 Cut the duck into bite-sized pieces and arrange on a serving platter. Garnish with cucumber slices and serve immediately with the bowl of Dipping Sauce on the side.
NOTE: Alternatively, you can smoke the duck in an oven. Spread the tea leaves and sugar mixture in a shallow pan lined with aluminum foil and place the pan on the lowest rack of a preheated oven. Place the duck on the middle rack and bake at very high heat (480˚F/250˚C) for 8 to 10 minutes, turning the duck over once.
Serves 6 to 8
Preparation time: 25 mins + 1 hour to marinate
Cooking time: 1 hour 15 mins
Fragrant Tender Duck
This all-time Cantonese favorite goes by the Cantonese name heong so ngap, meaning “fragrant tender duck” and involves steaming and frying a duck that has been marinated in soy, five spice powder and wine. It is delicious to eat on its own or with Mandarin Pancakes.
2 teaspoons salt
1 fresh duck, cleaned and dried
3 tablespoons cornstarch
Oil for deep-frying
2 spring onions, cut into lengths
Hoisin sauce, for dipping
MARINADE
½ teaspoon five spice powder
½ teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
1 tablespoon soy sauce
1 tablespoon rice wine
Few drops red food coloring (optional)
MANDARIN PANCAKES
2 cups (300 g) flour, sifted
1 cup (250 ml) boiling water
1 teaspoon sesame oil
1 Sprinkle the salt on the duck and rub well over the entire body including the body cavity. Set aside.
2 Combine the Marinade ingredients in a bowl and mix well. Rub the Marinade into the duck and body cavity with your fingers. Allow to marinate for at least 1 hour, basting the duck with the Marinade from time to time. Transfer the duck to a heatproof
