Oriental style grilled duck with lettuce wraps
This Oriental grilled duck recipe brings a piece of Asia to your table
Grilled Duck reminds me of my travels through Asia. I spotted smoking bbq’s everywhere. On the sidewalk in front of restaurants, alongside market stalls, and in front yards, everywhere you looked, something delicious was cooking over crackling flames. Memories of mildly sweet oriental marinades, the taste of grilled meat and the lavish use of fresh herbs all come together in this scrumptious asian bbq dish made of grilled duck.
Serve the ingredients for the topping separately and let your table guests build their own ultimate lettuce wrap.
The ingredients:
(serves 4)
- 600 g duck breast
Garnish and Toppings
- 2 heads butter lettuce, leaves picked and washed
- 1/2 oz (100 g) carrot, sliced julienne
- 1/2 oz (100 g) cucumber, sliced julienne
- 1/2 oz (100 g) soybean sprouts
- scallions, sliced julienne
- 1/2 oz (100 g) daikon radish, sliced julienne
- 1/2 bunch fresh cilantro (coriander)
- 1/2 bunch Thai basil, leaves only
- 1/2 bunch fresh mint, leaves only
- 2 limes, in wedges
- 1 fresh chili pepper, thinly sliced
- 5 tbsp roasted peanuts, coarsely chopped
- a scant 1/2 cup (100 ml) hoisin sauce
Marinade / Glaze
- 4 tbsp maltose (Chinese malt sugar, available in Asian supermarkets)
- 2 tbsp rice wine (preferably Shaoxing wine)
- 2 tsp soy sauce
- 5 tsp 5-spice powder
- 1 tsp soybean oil
- pinch of salt
- 2 tsp minced chili pepper
Gear:
- BBQ for direct grilling
How to make:
Prep: 1 hour
Cooking about: ½ hour
Begin by making the marinade. If you find the maltose too thick, heat it up to liquefy it (you can use a microwave), then combine with all the other marinade ingredients.
Remove any excess fat from the duck breast and crosshatch the remaining fat layer with a knife. Use a brush to thoroughly work the marinade into the carvings in the fat layer and let the duck breast marinate in the fridge for at least 2 hours.
Set up a BBQ for direct grilling and heat to about 390 ºF (200 ºC). Grill the duck breasts, brushing them now and again with the marinade, until they have reached an internal temperature of 122 ºF (50 ºC) (medium rare) or 131 ºF (55 ºC) (medium).
Let rest briefly and then cut into thin slices. Serve along with the leaves of lettuce and the garnish selection.
