Tag Archives: star anise

Duck, From the galley, Salad

Crispy Duck Breast Salad

2 Comments

I cooked this crispy duck breast salad for our 12th anniversary dinner. Our anniversary dinner was a day late because we both forgot our anniversary, until the end of the day when I remembered. I, of course, played the “I was just waiting to see if you’d remember” card… but Dwayne saw through it!

Crispy Duck Salad
Crispy Duck Salad
Crispy Skin Duck Salad - this one I made for Hellen and Phil for their anniversary.
Crispy Skin Duck Salad – this one I made for Hellen and Phil for their anniversary.

What I had aboard… duck breast, cabbage, carrot, chilli, star anise, cinnamon sticks, chicken stock, ginger, garlic, peppercorns and soy.

What I did…

I made a master stock of :

  • 1 cup chicken stock
  • 1/2 cup dark soy
  • 1 star anise
  • 1 cinnamon stick
  • 2 cm ginger, sliced
  • 2 garlic, crushed
  • 6 peppercorns

I mixed all the stock ingredients together and marinated the two duck breasts for 12 hours.  Then I removed the duck and put the marinade into a pot and brought it to the boil. I simmered this stock for 10 minutes before adding the duck breast. I then added the duck and simmered for a further 5 minutes. I removed the duck breasts (reserve the stock) and dried them on a paper towel and sat them before a fan to dry.

Crispy Duck Salad

In the mean time I made a salad of shredded cabbage, carrots and julienne chillies.

To serve I placed the salad on plates and set them aside. I heated oil in a fry pan and fried the duck for a few minutes on the underside before turning it over and frying the duck breast, skin side down, until crispy. Once crispy, I sat the duck aside for a few minutes while I heated the reserved stock, reducing it. I sliced the duck and placed it on the salad and ladled  some of the reduced master stock over the salad.

Crispy Duck Breast
Crispy Duck Breast
The salad to go with this duck was made with apple and carrot.
The salad to go with this duck was made with apple and carrot.

Bon appetite!

Sharing is caring! Pin this recipe so you’ll never lose it… Thank you!

Crispy Duck Breast Salad

eggs, From the galley

Chinese Tea Eggs

5 Comments

Another one of Dwayne’s favourites! We were shopping at an Aeon shopping centre, near Senibong Cove in Malaysia, when Dwayne’s nose led him to a pot of Chinese Tea Eggs simmering away outside a cute little tea shop. The aroma permeating from the pot was a delightful combination of cinnamon, star anise and soy. Not able to pass them by he purchased a few of the eggs and delighted in their taste, for they tasted as delicious as they smelled.

So taken was he by the tea eggs that I had to experiment with making my own. I did a search on the net and found some interesting recipes. I ended blending a couple of ideas and making up my own recipe.  I didn’t like the sweetness of the bought eggs so I omitted the sugar that was in most recipes. Add a 1/2 cup of sugar if you like it sweet.

Chinese Tea Eggs with star anise, soy, cinnamon, orange peel
Chinese Tea Eggs

This is how I made them…

Ingredients

  • 10 softboiled eggs

(I boiled the eggs with a little bicarb to help them peel easier. )

  • About three cups of water
  • 2 Tbs Kecap Asin (or soy sauce)
  • 2 Tbs Kecap Manis
  • 1/2 tsp salt
  • 4 pods of star anise
  • 2 cinnamon sticks
  • 8 whole cloves
  • 1/2 tsp black peppercorns
  • 1/2 tsp fennel seeds (optional)
  • 2 slices of lemon or orange
  • the contents of four opened black teabags (I didn’t have any lose tea) NOTE: Lapsang Souchong tea would be great in this recipe but I haven’t been able to find it yet. It would give it a smoky flavour.

Method

Do not peel the boiled eggs, but crack them all over to allow the flavour and colour of the marinade to penetrate them.

Add all ingredients, including eggs, to a saucepan and bring to the boil. Reduce the heat and simmer.

I simmer the eggs for about 30 minutes and then I let them sit in the marinade for another 12-18 hours. The longer you leave them in the marinade the more flavour and colour they will have.

They are a handy little snack when sailing and also a nice treat to take to fellow sailors when visiting.

Chinese Tea Eggs

Like this recipe? Share with family and friends or pin using the image below, thank you!

Chinese tea Eggs #tea #eggs #soysauce #cinnamon #staranise