Roasted Duck with Polenta
Shuai created this dish for Top Chef ™ 22. His ode to Chinatown barbecue sets five-spice roast duck over deliberately plain creamy polenta, finished with an aromatic broth and a fragrant scallion-ginger oil. The judges called the duck beautifully cooked and singled out the restrained polenta and the broth-and-oil pairing, in a dish that won its round and advanced Shuai to the final three.
- Time: 145 min
Source: Relaxed Recipes
Ingredients
- FOR THE FIVE-SPICE ROAST DUCK
- Duck breasts, skin on — 4 , skin scored in a crosshatch
- Chinese five-spice powder — 2 tsp
- Kosher salt — 1½ tsp
- Granulated sugar — 1 tsp
- Shaoxing wine — 1 tbsp , or dry sherry
- Light soy sauce — 1 tbsp
- Maltose or honey — 2 tbsp
- Rice vinegar — 1 tsp
- FOR THE AROMATIC BROTH
- Duck or chicken stock — 3 cups , unsalted or low-sodium
- Fresh ginger — 4 slices, smashed
- Scallions — 2, white parts, smashed
- Star anise — 1 whole
- Light soy sauce — 2 tsp
- Shaoxing wine — 1 tbsp
- FOR THE INFUSED OIL & GARNISH
- Neutral oil — ¼ cup , such as grapeseed
- Scallions, finely sliced — 3
- Fresh ginger, julienned — 1 tbsp
- Toasted sesame oil — 1 tsp
- Cilantro or microgreens — to garnish
- FOR THE CREAMY POLENTA
- Water — 4 cups , plus extra to loosen
- Kosher salt — 1 tsp
- Polenta — 1 cup , not instant
- Unsalted butter — 1 tbsp
- White pepper — ¼ tsp , freshly ground if possible
- EQUIPMENT NEEDED
- Heavy ovenproof skillet or cast-iron pan
- Heavy-bottomed saucepan
- Small saucepan
- Small pan or heatproof bowl
- Fine-mesh sieve
- Sharp knife
- Instant-read thermometer
- Wire rack and tray