Tag Archives: duck

Duck Neck Sausage and Ale Chutney matched with my IPA

Kris: It’s been a bit hectic lately, so it has been a while since posting on the blog.
We’re back!
It’s Autumn (Fall for Caroline) and eating Duck matched with some hearty ales is my favourite way to enjoy the crisp Tasmanian evenings this time of year. I am also starting to enjoy the fruits of my labour after busily homebrewing the last couple of months. I thought my Tasmanian IPA would be a great match for some homemade Duck Neck Sausage with Ale chutney.

Duck Neck Sausage and Ale Chutney

1 duck neck

1 duck breast

20g almond meal

20ml thickened cream

fresh sage

fresh oregano

2 garlic cloves

1 rasher bacon

3-4 walnuts

olive oil

salt and pepper

1 large potato

4 brussel sprouts

40g butter

2 ripe tomatoes 

1 small brown onion

1 red chilli

100ml IPA

40g raw sugar

fresh parsley

Method

Thinly slice the brown onion

Fry on a medium heat in some olive oil until translucent

Add finely chopped chili and sugar

 Cook for a few minutes

Add the beer and tomatoes

Season with salt and pepper

Simmer the chutney until thick (about 25 minutes)

Stir through some finely chopped parsley

Chill the chutney in the fridge

Chop the duck breast and blitz it in a food processor until minced

In a bowl combine the duck mince, almond meal, cream and a few chopped walnuts

Add some finely chopped sage, garlic and oregano 

Add some finely diced bacon

Combine all the ingredients

Season well with salt and pepper

Cover and set aside

Remove the fat from inside the duck neck

Stuff the duck mince mixture into the duck neck

Make sure it is packed really tight with the mixture

Using toothpicks, seal up each end of the duck neck

(I left the sausage uncovered in the fridge overnight. It dried it out and makes the sausage more crispy)

Thinly slice a large potato

Preheat an oven to 200 C

Fry ther sausage on a medium heat until the duck skin is brown and crispy

Place the sausage in the oven and cook for 15 minutes

Fry the potatoes in the left over duck fat in the fry pan

Steam the brussel sprouts for 10 minutes

Refresh in ice water

Remove potatoes and fry the brussel sprouts in the butter and a clove of crushed garlic

Season the potatoes and brussel sprouts with salt and pepper

Let the sausage rest for a few minutes and slice thickly

Plate it up with the fried potatoes and chutney

Serve with a side of the brussel sprouts

Kris: I bought a whole duck and seeming it was such a nice day outside, I thought I would drink some of my IPA and carve up the duck.I removed the neck, the legs and breast. Make sure you have a sharp knife.I used one breast and the duck neck for this recipe. I am going to do Duck confit with the legs and the other breast. The rest of the duck I am going to roast and use in a Vietnamese style soup.

 Kris: I am pretty happy with my home brew IPA. Its 6.5% and I used all Tasmanian grown hops. It has a good balance of biscuity malt and hop bitterness. I think I will dry hop it more next time to get a bigger, fruity hop aroma . It was a great match with the Duck Neck Sausage and Ale Chutney too.

 

Beer Malt Peking Duck with Pooley Reserve Pinot Noir

Kris:I have to admit, Peking Duck is one of my all time favourite dishes. It’s also one of the most challenging I have attempted to make. There truly is an art to getting perfectly cooked meat and super crispy skin. I also thought this time around I would add a beer element. Instead of honey or maltose, which is common in a lot of recipes, I used some sweet beer malt extract (again the type used for home brewing). I should also mention that you can’t rush this recipe, allow yourself half a day of preparation. The perk is you can enjoy a couple of beers in between steps and the final product is definately worth the wait.

Malt Peking Duck

1 1.5kg-2kg Duck

3 litres water

6 Tbs Beer Malt Extract

50 g piece of ginger (sliced)

4 cloves of garlic (crushed)

4-5 star anise

100ml soy sauce

120ml rice wine vinegar

sea salt

Pancakes

1 cup plain flour

1 Tbs corn flour

1/2 cup milk

2 eggs

1/2 tsp salt

Method

Combine the water, malt, ginger, garlic, soy sauce, star anise and rice wine vinegar in a large saucepan

Bring to the boil then allow to simmer for 15 minutes

Cut off excess fat from the duck and pat dry the cavity and skin

Using a bicycle pump, insert it under the skin around the neck and inflate the skin (separating the skin helps it get crispy when cooking)

Rub the skin with some good quality sea salt

Tie some twine around the neck and dip the duck into the stock

Using a ladle keep coating the duck skin with the stock for 2-3 minutes

Hang the duck over a bowl and place in front of a fan for 2 hours

Preheat an oven to 170C

Place the duck on an oven rack over a roasting tray

Place 2-3 cups of stock in the tray (Use this to baste the duck throughout the cooking time)

Cook the duck for 1 hour 15 minutes

Pancakes

Wlile the duck is cooking, sift the flour into a bowl

Add the salt

Make a well in the flour and add the eggs and milk

Whisk until a nice thin consistency (add more milk if needed, the key is to have a really thin mixture)

Allow the mixture to sit for at least 20 minutes

Heat a fry pan to medium

add a small amount of vegetable oil (between each pancake)

Use a ladle and cook off small, thin pancakes

Place them in a bamboo steamer

Turn the oven up to 220C and cook the duck for a further 15 minutes (this helps to get the skin really crispy)

Take the duck out and rest for at least 20 minutes before serving

Place the pancakes in the steamer over a saucepan of simmering water (to warm)

Serve the duck with hoisin sauce, pancakes and pieces of spring onion or cucumber

 Kris: I know the beer nazis out there will disagree with me for drinking wine, but come on, a good Pinot Noir and Peking Duck are something you need to experience. On numerous occasions, particularly in Chinatown in Brisbane and Melbourne, Caroline and I have drank some amazing Pinot matched with equally fantastic Peking Duck. I do love a Belgian Brune or Dubbel or an Amber Ale with this dish, but believe me, Peking Duck and Pinot Noir are a classic pairing for very good reasons. The skin wasn’t quite as crispy as I have had at Chinese restaurants that specialize in this dish, but it’s a recipe that continues to challenge me and one that I will continue to attempt to perfect.

Caroline: The Pooley Family Reserve Pinot is a BEAUTIFUL wine. Thanks so much to the Carlson’s for the gift! It was a perfect match for the duck! The wine is from 25 year old vines in the coal river valley. It’s a perfectly balanced wine with soft tannins and hints of cherries and summer berries, I would easily drink this wine by itself as well! The duck was delicious, as Kris said, the skin could have been crispier, but hey, you live and you learn.