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CHICKEN
The
chicken is a descendant of a jungle fowl that was domesticated over four thousand years ago.
Today chicken feature in almost every cuisine. Its universal popularity is due to the fact
that the flesh combines perfectly with a huge variety of different ingredients. Nowhere is
this more amply illustrated than in Asia, where it is used in soups, salads, stir-fries,
curries, roasts and braised dishes. Every part of the bird is utilized, including the liver,
gizzard, heart and even the feet, which are used to make a delicious stew in South-east
Asia.
preparation
& cooking techniques..
Chicken can be cooked whole, jointed, or taken off the bone and chopped or cut into thin
strips - this is the usual practice if meat is to be stir-fried. In China, chicken breast on
the bone are sometimes cut into as many as twenty pieces before being stir-fried. The
ability of the Chinese to pick up these tiny pieces of chicken with chopsticks and to remove
the meat from the bone in the mouth is a marvel of dexterity.
Serving meats and other foods in manageable morsels in the norm in Asia, where knives are
viewed as weapons, and therefore not appropriate for such enjoyable communal activities as
meals. Chopsticks are widely used, except in Thailand, where it is more common to find a
spoon and fork at each table setting.
In
Japan, chicken is the most important meat in the menu, second only to fish in terms of
popularity. Chicken breast is the favorite cut, mainly because it cooks so easily and
quickly and remains beautifully tender in dishes such as the famous yakitori or
teriyaki. Skinless, boneless chicken breast are readily available in Japan, unlike in
most other parts of Asia, where it is more usual for cooks to buy chickens whole, as
portions are regarded as wasteful, of simply too expensive.
Throughout the East, frugality is a virtue, so one chicken might be used in three dishes;
the breast sliced into strips for stir-fry; the rest of the meat braised in a red cooked
dish or a curry; and the carcass used to make stock.
The
skill that is exhibited by oriental cooks with the simplest equipment is testament to their
creative love of food. Using a cleaver and a small sharp knife, a chicken can be chopped
into appropriate portions in no time at all.
DUCK
Duck
symbolize happiness and fidelity, which doubtlessly contributed to their popularity in
the Chinese cuisine. Duck is central to celebratory meals, and is served in countless
imaginative ways. During Chinese New Year, for instance, duck is an essential part of
every banquet. Duck is also popular in Vietnam, Thailand and Indonesia but is seldom served
in Japan.
preparation
& cooking techniques..
The
most famous duck dish has to be Peking duck. The classic way of making this
universally popular restaurant dish involves hanging the prepared birds in a windy place to
dry before roasting them in a special oven. At one time, only the skin is eaten, but it is
now more usual to eat the succulent meat as well. This is wrapped in a Mandarin pancake
which has been spread with a little plum sauce and sprinkled with a few pieces of shredded
spring onion and slivers of cucumber. This dish is so popular that it is now possible
to buy packages of Peking duck, with all the trimmings, in the West.
The
Chinese technique for preparing duck for roasting involves pricking the skin lightly all
over with a fork, placing the bird on a trivet in the sink, then pouring a kettle of freshly
boiled over the top. The bird is then drained well, and the cavity wiped with kitchen paper,
before being suspended from duck hooks or butcher's hook and left to dry overnight. Once the
bird is dry the skin is sprinkled with a little salt. The bird is then placed on a trivet in
a roasting tin and roasted in a hot oven until the skin is quite crisp and golden brown and
the bird is fully cooked.
cook's
tip..
To
make duck sauce to serve with the Peking duck, heat 3 tablespoons sesame oil in a small
saucepan, then add 6 tablespoons of yellow bean sauce and 2 tablespoons of soft light brown
sugar and stir until smooth. Leave to cool before serving.
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