Special Feature: Intangible Cultural Heritage — Fusion with the World of Washoku Part 1: Citrus-scented roast Barbary duck paired with furofuki daikon and grilled leeks
2021/2/12
For this instalment, we have chosen a “canette” (a small female Barbary duck) as the central ingredient. With its tender and juicy meat, canette goes well with Japanese ingredients and can be cooked in a variety of ways.
We chose to first marinade the duck in yuanji (yuan sauce), which is used in Japanese cuisine, before pan-grilling and roasting it. Yuanji is usually made by mixing soy sauce, sake (rice wine), and mirin (sweet sake), before adding slices of yuzu. In this case, however, we added kumquats instead of yuzu as they go well with duck.
When preparing fish fillets with yuanji, we would only marinate them for about 30 minutes, but in order to ensure the duck meat remains tender we left it to marinate for two days. To cook, we wiped off any excess marinade before pan-frying the duck slowly skin-side down at a low heat in a copper pan while keeping the temperature constant. We then finished by roasting the duck in the oven until the skin was golden and crispy.
When preparing fish fillets with yuanji, we would only marinate them for about 30 minutes, but in order to ensure the duck meat remains tender we left it to marinate for two days. To cook, we wiped off any excess marinade before pan-frying the duck slowly skin-side down at a low heat in a copper pan while keeping the temperature constant. We then finished by roasting the duck in the oven until the skin was golden and crispy.
We chose to serve the duck with a red wine sauce with the image of sangria in mind, using primarily kumquat juice combined with the juice of some other fruits.
We paired the duck with leek and daikon (Japanese white radish), two vegetables that taste great in winter. For the leek, we borrowed from how it is cooked with yakitori (chicken on skewers) — grilling it just enough so it retains some bite and has a nice mix of sweetness and sourness. We simmered the daikon in dashi broth to make furofuki daikon — thick, flavorful slices of radish that have soaked up plenty of broth. Finally, we drizzled the vegetables with a little miso, to which we added a touch of kumquat fragrance. In combination with the sangria-inspired sauce, this creates an exciting blend of flavors on the palate.
Through providing meals that combine Japanese and western ingredients and techniques in this way, we would be happy if even just a few people from around the world discover the wonders of washoku.
MIYAHARA Yutaka