Valentine's Treats

With temperatures in our area dipping below the -30°C mark we were happy to spend much of the weekend cozied up to the fire, but we did still manage to use the grill for dinner!  Our Valentine's dish was inspired by a column in the Washington Post, but instead of using prepared duck confit, we slow-roasted the duck legs in the Broil King Rib Roaster, and added some stir-fried vegetables for crunch and colour.  Samantha was in charged with cutting the red peppers into heart shapes for the occasion!

Tender Duck over Coconut Rice Noodles

Serves 4

4 duck legs

¼ cup sherry or vermouth

1-2 tablespoons yellow mustard

for the rub:

¼ cup brown sugar

1 tablespoon chili powder

1 tablespoon paprika

1 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper

1 teaspoon dry mustard

1 teaspoon 5-spice powder

½ teaspoon ground ginger

for the broth:

1 1/2-inch piece ginger root

1 bunch (3 ounces) cilantro

1 can coconut milk

1 cup chicken broth

2 tablespoons Thai fish sauce

3 whole star anise

1/2 teaspoon Sambel Olek

2 limes

8 ounces flat rice noodles

for the sautéed vegetables:

1 tablespoon vegetable oil

1 cup sugar snap peas

1 cup red bell peppers (cut into heart shapes, optional)

1 cup sliced mushrooms

for the garnish:

1/4 cup flaked or shredded coconut

1/2 cup roasted, unsalted cashews

Prepare the duck legs the night before cooking by CAREFULLY piercing the skin in several areas with a fork or sharp paring knife.  Lay them in a flat glass dish and pour the sherry or vermouth over the duck, leaving them uncovered in the refrigerator overnight.  By the end of the roasting time, the fat will have dripped away, leaving moist succulent meat, with a crispy skin.  DO NOT PIERCE THE FLESH, as you do not want the juices to escape during cooking.

Coat the duck legs in a thin layer of yellow mustard. This will allow the rub to adhere to the duck and will help develop a zingy, crispy skin. Coat them with a layer of the rub and lay in a large flat glass dish.  At this point you can either cook the duck legs in a smoker set at 200°F, or in side a rib roaster or other heavy cast iron vessel in a barbecue with the outside burners set on LOW and the middle burners off.   Cooking time will be 3-4 hours at these very low temperatures.  Continue cooking until the internal temperature of the duck legs is 165-170°F.  Shred the duck meat and crispy skin and keep warm.

Meanwhile, peel the ginger, then cut it lengthwise into very thin slices. Coarsely chop the cilantro leaves and some of the tender stems. Arrange the coconut in a single layer on one side of a small baking sheet; spread the cashews on the other side. Bake at 350 degrees for 5 minutes, until lightly browned. Let the coconut cool on the baking sheet. Transfer the nuts to a cutting board and coarsely chop.

Combine the coconut milk, broth, fish sauce, star anise, crushed red pepper flakes, the ginger and half of the cilantro in a large saucepan over medium heat. Once the mixture starts to bubble at the edges, reduce the heat to medium-low and cook for about 10 minutes. Remove from the heat. Cut the limes in half, then squeeze their juice into the saucepan, stirring to incorporate. Discard the star anise.

While the sauce is simmering, stir-fry the sugar snap peas, mushrooms and red peppers in a wok set on MEDIUM-HIGH, until just tender-crisp.

Meanwhile, add the rice noodles to the boiling water; reduce the heat to medium-high and cook for about 3 minutes or according to the package directions. Drain, and divide evenly among individual wide, shallow bowls, piling the noodles in the center of each bowl.

Scatter equal amounts of the duck meat over each portion, then pour equal amounts of the broth around the noodles in each bowl. Arrange the vegetables over top, then sprinkle with the toasted coconut, the cashews and the remaining chopped cilantro.

Serve right away.

Wicked Chocolate Brownies

Jane Peirce from Toronto shared this amazing recipe with us.  The mini marshmallows make them both moist and chewy, and our gluten free version turned out beautifully.

1 cup butter

4 ounces unsweetened chocolate

1 cup milk chocolate chips

2 cups sugar

4 eggs

1 teaspoon vanilla

1 cup flour (either gluten free or regular)

1 teaspoon baking powder

½ teaspoon salt

2 cups mini marshmallows

Line a 9 x 11 baking pan with parchment paper, and lightly grease the paper.  Preheat the oven to 350°F

In a medium bowl set over gently simmering water, melt the butter, unsweetened chocolate and chocolate chips stirring often.  Set aside to let cool slightly.

Beat the sugar, eggs and vanilla until thick and pale, about 3 minutes.  Fold in the cooled chocolate mixture. 

In a small bowl, mix together the flour, baking powder and salt.  Fold this into the chocolate and eggs.  Stir in the marshmallows, and scrape the mixture into the prepared baking pan. 

Bake for 35 – 37 minutes.

Cool completely before cutting, because they are very gooey.  Serve with ice cream and raspberries.