BRING in the Chinese New Year on January 31 with Ching-He Huang’s new take on the Spring Roll, perfect alongside whole steamed fish and golden nuggets of dumplings.

Marinade time: 1 hour     Cook and prep time: 50 minutes

INGREDIENTS

2 large Freedom Food-labelled duck legs with skin on, 8 sheets of spring roll pastry (21cm by 21cm), 6 tbsp groundnut oil.

For the rice: Cup shortgrain brown rice (washed), 2 cups cold water

For the Hoisin Roast Duck Marinade: 2 cloves garlic, 2 tbsp ginger, 1 tbsp rice wine or dry sherry, 1 tsp Chinese five spice powder, 2 tbsp runny honey, 2 tbsp Hoison sauce, 1 tbsp dark soy sauce, pinch sea salt.

For the pickled vegetables: Half a cucumber,  4 small carrots, 4 celery stalks, 4 spring onions, half red pepper, cup rice vinegar, tbsp mirin, large tbsp soft brown sugar, quarter tsp sea salt, granny smith apple.

Garnish: 2 Spring onions, sliced into thin strips, soaked in ice-cold water to give spring onion curls

Dipping sauces: 3-4 tablespoon Hoisin sauce, 3-4 tablespoon Sriracha chilli sauce

METHOD

1. Place the duck legs in a zip lock bag, add all the marinade ingredients. Marinade for at least one hour.

2. Heat the oven to 180 degrees. Place the duck legs (including the marinade) round side up on a roasting tray lined with kitchen paper/foil. Roast for 40 minutes, then turn heat up to 220 degrees, cook the duck legs for a further 10 minutes to cook well done.

3. Add water to washed rice and bring to boil. Reduce the heat to low and simmer covered for 35 minutes until all the moisture is absorbed. Fluff up, remove from the heat and let it stand for 10 minutes.

4. In a small shallow non-metallic bowl, add all the pickled vegetable ingredients together with the pickling seasonings and place in the liquid in the fridge. Quick pickle the vegetables for 10-15 minutes.

5. Let the duck rest out of the oven for five minutes then shred.

6. Take two pieces of the spring rolls pastry. Spoon four tablespoons of rice along the middle from the left to the right corner leaving half an inch off the end. Place a small handful of the pickled vegetables and spread across the top of the rice. Then spoon a few tablespoons of the duck meat across on top of the vegetables. Place a few slices of granny smith apple over the top. Bring the two corners together to meet in the middle. Fold each of the opposite corners in over the filling and roll the wrapper into a large “cigar shape”. 

7. Heat up a frying pan or wok, add 6 tablespoons of groundnut oil and place the roll into the hot oil and cook until the wrapper is crisp and lightly golden.

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