Tasty Bessie followed by BFG

It was Darragh's Birthday yesterday, so I set out to cook him a Birthday feast. He dropped some subtle hints (by subtle, I mean not so subtle - ie. he told me outright numerous times) that his meal of choice would be a fusion of duck and black forest gateau. Instead of trying to create some crazy meal integrating both elements as one main course (although I did think black cherry duck would work quite well), I chose peking duck for our main course and BFG for dessert. Both recipes are the creative genius of others, I must add.

I found a really good recipe for peking duck by Ken Hom. There's a three part video tutorial of his recipe on youtube. I had never cooked duck before and was quite intimidated by the task ahead. I also made a fool of myself while buying the bird from the butcher. I thought I'd have to clean out giblets (something else which I have never done) and asked if they could remove the necessary goopiness for me. The butcher replied "certainly" and with that he simply removed a little plastic pouch from the duck. That was all there was to it. I was very embarrassed. I have no problem with cleaning out goopiness per se, it's just the fear of not doing it right or leaving some behind. I'm a brave cook, damn it.

Duck Pancake

Anyway, I brought my 2kg duckling home and hung it as Ken suggested. This is the point where the pain began. I knew it would not be long before little Bessie (as I christened her) would be served up on a plate. I guess my first mistake was naming her. This sealed our emotional attachment. Darragh would call throughout the day and ask "how's Bessie doing?" She was now part of our lives. I even found myself getting up early yesterday morning to bathe her (bathe her in the marinade sense). When the time came to say goodbye (yesterday evening at 5.45pm to be exact), it was heart-wrenching. I felt extreme guilt by my delight in opening the oven after 90 mins and finding a crispy, juicy Bessie ready for our ingestion. I really did, genuinely, feel guilty. I have tried Vegetarianism on numerous occasions but I'm weak. Anyway, I guess my only consolation is the knowledge that the sacrifice of her life did serve some purpose...

Hoisin Fingernails

 Ok, moving on to the BFG. It turned out wonderfully. I found the perfect recipe at Antics of a Cycling Cook. We'll be eating it for the next month (or more like the next 2 days judging by past performance). I love the addition of chocolate shards instead of the slightly kitsch chocolate curls. They add ruggedness -- that's what you want in a cake: chocolate and ruggedness.

Both recipes worked beautifully and made for a regal feast. I suggest you try them.

Leftover idea: Peking Duck Stir-Fry. Just fry any remaining meat in 1tbsp of toasted sesame oil. Add vegetables of your choice. Stir fry for a few minutes and then add the peking sauce. For mine, I used 1/2 tbsp of sesame oil, 5tbsp of hoi sin dipping sauce, 2 tbsp of dark soy sauce, about 2tsp of granulated sugar, a splash of boiling water. Bring to the boil. Then add cornflour (1 tbsp made into paste with a splash of water). Add your sauce, bubble for a minute and devour! Serve with rice and some leftover Chinese pancakes.