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GLOSSARY / METHODS

DUCK STOCK

This quantity of stock is made with the bones, trimmings and gizzards (except the liver) of one duck.  If you are lucky enough to get lots of bones, just increase the rest of the ingredients.

bones, trimming and gizzards (excluding the liver) of one duck
50 ml olive oil
½ medium onion, roughly chopped
1 small carrot, roughly chopped
½ cup/125 ml celery, roughly chopped
1 garlic clove, crushed
½ cup/125 ml Shaoxing rice wine
1 teaspoon/5 ml ginger
1 star anise
1 tablespoon/15 ml Sichuan peppercorns, crushed

Heat the olive oil in a big enough saucepan for your stock and brown the bones, trimmings and gizzards, excluding the livers.  Add the onion, celery, carrots and garlic and lightly fry them.  Deglaze with the  Shaoxing rice wine and as soon as all the wine has evaporated, add cold water (about four times the volume of the solids), and bring to the boil.  Add the ginger, star anise and Sichuan peppercorns, then turn down the heat.  Simmer gently over low-medium heat, regularly skimming the brown foam that forms on the surface. After 5 hours, turn off the heat and cool to room temperature, then strain.  Do not press down on the solids as this will cause the stock to become cloudy.  Cover and refrigerate until cold, then remove the fat from the  surface.  Refrigerate for up to 2 days or freeze in smaller containers for up to 3 months.  Discard the solids.

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By STELLA

I have had no formal chef’s training. Classical piano was my parents’ choice, and that took care of the first 20 years of my life. Journalism and radio followed (my own choices, this time), and these opened many doors for me into different countries, people, cultures — and, of course, foods. In a six week series on radio I used it as a platform for my love of food and shared lots of interesting recipes and food news with listeners.
My earliest memories of food come from the family kitchen at home; I can still remember the wonderful smells of the dishes my mother prepared. I became aware of the flavors of her creations at an early age. Some I enjoyed and preferred, while others depressed me with their lack of interesting flavors. My mother was a good cook, but not a gourmet, and sadly this often showed. What I did appreciate was that she always involved me in the preparation, sharing her knowledge of nutrition, flavor, color, and the harmonies of each plate she dished up. She was also a genius with leftovers and quick meals when unexpected guests arrived. This is one of the things that stands out in my mind, and it inspired me to create wonderful dishes from leftover foods myself.

I carried on with the tradition of carefully planning meals to combine nutrition, color and flavor, while at the same time offering variety and elegant presentation. In the process, I developed a passion for seeking out the best available products, adhering to each season’s offerings, and treating it with the respect it deserves, which eventually became part of my daily culinary life and travels. I did these things not because I wanted to become a chef, but to satisfy myself, family and friends with creations of gorgeous food and exciting flavors. All of which, I hope, is reflected in this blog.

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