Peking Duck and Other Uneaten Hors d’Oeuvres for the Husband’s Birthday
What I guess I’d heard, but never really believed, was that you don’t really eat at your wedding. Well, it’s true. At least it was for us. I was all nervous and excited until we cut the cake that I didn’t really have time to think about or enjoy the delicious food (and we rocked it out with our food) we had for dinner and cocktails.
Two hors d’oeurves my husband was really pissed he didn’t get to eat enough of was the Peking duck rolls (to signify my New York Jew Chinese Food heritage) and fish tacos (to signify his California heritage).
His birthday is only 24 days after our wedding, so I recreated these appetizers as entrees for his birthday party. Most notable, I think, is the technique I used for the ducks. It was really easy and very, very successful. I rubbed cinnamon and nutmeg in the inside of the duck bodies and placed some star anise in there as well. I brushed the outside in honey and soy sauce and let it marinate over night. I then steamed the ducks in water and cider for an hour. Finally, I glazed them again with the honey/soy sauce mixture, roasted them for 30 minutes each, and raised the temp to 500 degrees for an additional five minutes to get them nice and brown.
The duck was incredibly tender and flavorful: the breasts and the legs and thighs, alike. Even if I’m not going Peking-style, I’ll be rocking the steam and roast technique every time I make myself some duck.
