Photo of the Day: November 27, 2009
Car Pushed Into Anacostia River By Train
Morning Roundup: Black Friday Edition
Devendra Banhart @ 9:30 Club
Saturday Thanks Don't End At Thanksgiving Photo: November 28, 2009
So, why shouldn't we jump on the Bangkok 54 bandwagon? The Arlington Thai restaurant is one of the rare few places where a very satisfying two-person dining experience will come in at less than $70. And for you skeptics, no, we didn't leave a Rachael Ray-esque $2.32 tip or refuse to pay sales tax on our several cocktails. Even though it's received more than its fair share of press in recent weeks, we had to pay homage to what we also believe is great spot for Thai.
And so, we settled on recreating their tasty duck spring rolls – not in small part because of how short the shopping list for the dish is. At only nine ingredients, it's perhaps our simplest recipe yet. And if you've ordered Chinese take-out recently, you probably already have the requisite packet of spicy Asian mustard in your fridge! Although Bangkok 54's menu incorrectly cited plum sauce as an ingredient (it's actuallyaka hoisin), the error terminology was only a minor distraction in completing the task at hand. Tender morsels of duck share space with cool cucumber and crunchy green onion. Bangkok 54 ditched the traditional spring roll wrapper for a thin pancake usually paired with roast duck. The result is a substantial appetizer.
Shopping List
1 boneless duck breast
Chinese five-spice powder
Chinese pancakes*
1 cucumber (preferably seedless)
hoisin sauce
spicy Asian-style mustard
1 bunch of green onions
1 egg
neutral frying oil
*If you can’t find Chinese pancakes, a spring roll wrapper or an egg roll wrapper is fine. To make the version pitcured, we opted to use a store-bought egg roll wrapper.
Remove the skin and fat from the duck breast. With a sharp paring knife it should separate cleanly and easily. To keep this dish lighter, you can discard the skin and fat. You might consider however hanging on to what some see as a precious commodity. We decided to slice it into small pieces, render over low heat, and use the resulting oil to cook our duck slices. The aroma and flavor was amazing, but if you’re not into duck fat, a little olive oil will work fine.
With duck fat out of the way, you can concentrate on slicing the breast into thin pieces with a sharp knife. Placing the breast in the freezer for 10 minutes will firm up the flesh making it easier to slice. Season with 1/4-teaspoon of Chinese five-spice powder, a dash of salt, and some fresh ground pepper. Separate the meat into two batches. Sauté the first batch over medium-high heat to cook through. When the meat is cooked, slice it into bite-sized pieces. Repeat with second batch. Return both batches to the pan with any accumulated juices, and a tablespoon of hoisin sauce. Stir to combine, and transfer the duck to a plate to avoid overcooking.
Slice the green onion into matchsticks. Peel the cucumber if the skin is waxy. Seed (if necessary) and slice as thinly as possible into long narrow strips. Using the pictures as a guide, you should stuff your wrappers and seal with a beaten egg. Fry at 350° for 2-3 minutes or until they're golden.
Shaving the end off each spring roll will allow you to stand them on end for an interesting presentation, but it's unnecessary. Make sure you cut them in half on a bias however, which will allow you to slide a single green onion matchstick into each half. The resulting cut is not only pleasing visually, but it also keeps the onion raw and provides a contrasting crunch to the tender duck inside.
This recipe will yield six small spring rolls. Purchasing an extra duck breast will give you twice as many spring rolls, as the remaining items on your shopping list should easily accommodate the extra portion.
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How do we feel about a meat substitute (Chicken? Pork?) for those of us who accidentally ate duck on a french airline and no longer can think about eating quackers without turning a little green?
Chicken and pork are both great substitutes, and will work fine with the same treatment. If you are using airline food as an indication for duck though you are really missing out. Stop by 54, and try them at least.
You can't find a "very satisfying two-person dining experience" for less than $70? Man, what do you consider satisfying?
This included two premium cocktails at the bar, two appetizers, two entrees, a split dessert, a drink or two for dinner +tax and a 20% tip. Find that elswhere in the area, with great service, great food, and swank decor, and I contend you've found a gem. (I'd also like to hear about it)
Would I be far off if I guessed that the alcohol (and associated tip) added $20 or more to the total bill? With that in mind, the "hard-to-find-a-place-cheaper-than" threshold you're describing is probably closer to $50 than $70 for those of us who choose not to have wine or booze with dinner.
With out itemizing my bill I'd say you're dead on Nate. Try the ultra sweet Thai iced tea for a great non-alcoholic alternative.
actually, plum sauce=hoisin. It's the thick dark stuff that comes with mu-shi pork. Perhaps you are confusing plum sauce with duck sauce, which is orange and made with apricots? (and comes with your eggroll)
When researching different sauces I found 'plum sauces' containing actual plum flavoring, and hoisin. After a bit more research I see that another name for hioisin, is actually plum sauce, even though there is no plum at all. Great catch, I'll make the change.
Scott, if you rolled the egg roll wrappers a little thinner could you make dumplings out of these for steaming?
I've been playing with dumplings a lot recently. First I'd just buy a wonton or dumpling wrappers, instead of fiddling with ones made for eggrolls. You'll find them much easier to work with and they'll be the right size from the start. Otherwise chopping the duck extra fine would help form them, and you'll have to use smaller cucumber slices as well. Dont steam them too long, you're filling will already be cooked. In fact, I'd probobly boil them for 2-3 minutes, to keep your cucumber cool, and use the raw green onion elswhere. Dipping sauce perhaps?
I went there for lunch, and for 2 people with appetizers, drinks, and a main course it worked out to be about $40 with tax and a generous tip. The service there is amazing.
Love the food, but I had horrible service there about two weeks ago (granted, it was right after the Washingtonian issue came out, so they could have been slammed). The bartenders took a half hour with drinks, our waitress kept disappearing, pineapple fried rice not containing pineapple, etc. That said, my duck was DAMN good, and their soup is killer.
Guys, plum sauce is not hoisin sauce except in American's incorrect language. Plum sauce is made from plums and is quite sweet, and a pale transparent yellow in color, hoisin contains no plums, is not that sweet, and is dark like barbeque sauce.
Jar of plum sauce (from Hong Kong, they claim): http://importfood.com/sakc1509.html
Jar of hoisin sauce: http://importfood.com/sakc1501.html
So in other words, plum sauce and hoisin sauce aren't the same . . . unless you're speaking about them in English and you're in the United States. Thanks for that correction!
I tried a few of your recipes. They were very good.