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Our life @ Birmigham UK

Chinese Roast Duck to Take Away

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I have always been wanting to try Chinese Roast Duck, but I have not tried so far, because... I wasn't sure if I like it. :D

I like duck, but I am not particularly keen on the Chinese spices used for the roast. I did not have the courage to eat a plateful of roast duck that I might not like. So I decided to go for Take Away!

If I can take it home, I can eat as much as I can/want, and keep the rest in the fridge.

This is half a duck.



I did order half a duck, but it seems there is more than a half. I think I am seeing two legs. Did they put two legs, instead of putting one breast and one leg? Who knows, as this is my first try.

Cost of half a duck is £8.50 and a whole duck is £16 I believe.

In Birmingham Chinatown, there are 5 or 6 shops selling various kinds of roasted meat both to eat in and take away. I don't know if the meats are cooked on the promises or they just buy in from whole sellers. These shops are really small and I don't see such a large oven to cook big birds like ducks. It is not about cooking a 5 or 6 birds a day; it should be order of tens, as these roasts sell as if fly away! :wink:



Close-up of duck.

Do you see the holy trinity of crispy skin, white fat and pink-grey meat? Wow, beautiful. And taste? It was heavenly. It was fragrant, soft, juicy and ... meaty-fatty. Spicing was not strong as I was afraid. It was very nice! :yes:

However, I could not manage to eat more then 5 or 6 pieces at a time as it was so full of fat! And I don't through fat away, as it is the best part of duck! He he :jester: . The rest of the bird is sleeping in the fridge, and I will enjoy it for some days! :cheers:

Onde onde mochiFalooda

Comments

Leonore 20. July 2008, 06:35

It looks delicious! I love roast duck; it's one of my favourites. The best way to eat it, I think, is with plum sauce. :smile:

Froggy 22. July 2008, 06:07

Hi Kayoko,

The duck looks lovely! I can only imagine the taste of it, from what you described... and that's enough to make me drool! :D

What do you eat the roasted duck with?

Kayoko 27. July 2008, 21:28

Hello Guys,

I have been relocating to a new flat and did not have time to check the opera comunity!

AND I have just written the replies, then I've got error message and have lost everything!:faint:

Kayoko 27. July 2008, 21:30

OK, it seems now it works.

Hello Shinjitsu,

This duck came with a mixture of soy sauce, oil and something else, so I ate with it. However, the duck was pretty well seasoned and I could eat it on its own.

The plum sauce that I find here tends to be too sweet. Do you have a favorite brand, or do you make it by yourself?

Kayoko 27. July 2008, 21:37

Hello Aida,

I am pretty sure that you can find the same staff also in KL. Roast duck and roast chicken are the typical things sold by Cantonese places in UK. Often you see them hang in their show window.

I ate it with white rice, as many CHinese people do, but I have seen it eaten also with noodle in soup. I have not tried yet, but it should work well. You can eat it on itsown, of course :yes:

Kayoko 27. July 2008, 21:52

Hello Aida,

I am pretty sure that you can find the same staff also in KL. Roast duck and roast chicken are the typical things sold by Cantonese places in UK. Often you see them hang in their show window.

I ate it with white rice, as many CHinese people do, but I have seen it eaten also with noodle in soup. I have not tried yet, but it should work well. You can eat it on itsown, of course :yes:

Leonore 27. July 2008, 23:57

Oh, I think I know that sauce. It's very delicious as well with duck. :happy: No, I haven't treid making my own plum sauce. I find most brands the same.. maybe because I am not sensitive to its sweetness! :lol:

Froggy 28. July 2008, 12:21

Hi Kayoko,

Yea, Opera is a bit moody these days, uh? :frown:

Yea, you are right.. there are lots of ducks "hanging" in cafes/stalls here. I think I would have the stomach to order some, if I didn't see them ducks hanging with their heads still attached :D.

With rice, noodles.. on its own, all sounds yummy! :yes:

Kayoko 3. August 2008, 07:45

Aida,

Opera community is driving me nuts these days :irked:

Anyway...

Oh, you ghave to try hanging ducks! You can ask chef to chop the head off and not put it on your plate. For some reason, the Chinese, especially the continental Chinese, prefer to see the entire body of birds when eating them. I remember that offspring was complaining about it (evidently the Singaporean Chinese are not used to it).

Just... it is highly carolific because of all the fat under the skin, so I recommend you to do as I do (take some back home and eat it in small portions) or go to eat it some friends.

Kayoko 5. August 2008, 16:08

shinjitsu

to be honest, i have tried plum sauce only once or twice and it is all in the thick mist of historical past :wink: Maybe I should try again.

offspring 17. August 2008, 20:10

hungry!!!

Kayoko 18. August 2008, 15:16

Hello Offspring,

It has been a long time! (although I visit your blog from time to time).

I did not have my usual Chinese meal this weekend and I am already craving for it!

Froggy 3. September 2008, 01:04

Hi Kayoko,

I've been away from OPERA for quite a while, so I've been spared of the 'nuttiness' of it :D

Hanging ducks! Yea asking the head to be chopped off first is a good idea :D.

I've seen documentaries of roasted ducks in China and it seems that it's a very important dish. The roasting itself has to be with a proper techniques, to get the amazing color.

Offspring was complaining too? :D

Kayoko 10. September 2008, 16:21

Hello Aida,

I have been away from Birmingham and from my computers for a while and have not noticed you commented about the 'nuttiness' of Opera :D

Yea, Offspring was complaining about a chicken head served together with some chicken dish he ordered in China. :D

I have seen a documentary about how the roasted ducks are made in a factory in England :eyes: This Chinese guy has a very sophisticated system to heat and cool down the ducks while roasting to achieve a perfect crispiness. I guess some of the Chinese restaurants buy these ready-made ducks in, instead of making by themselves.

Froggy 11. September 2008, 00:51

Hi Kayoko,

Ahh.. so you have been spared of OPERA 'nuttiness' for a while too then :D.

Head served together in a dish? :eyes: Well, seeing the whole cooked duck hanging together with its head is one thing. But having the head served together with your meal is a whole different story :faint: :D.

Ahh.. so there are ready-made ducks. Well, I guess it's reasonable since the process of making it ( from what I watched in documentaries ) is not easy.

Hmm.. but made in factory? Now, thats an :eyes: thought! Everything is mass produced now, uh?

Kayoko 16. September 2008, 15:44

Hello Aida,

Next time I find a photo of a chicken served with its head, I will show the photo :D.

Chinese roast ducks seem to require also a large oven, so I think it make sense for smaller restaurants to buy them in, I think. The factory I saw on the tv was not large like a car factory, but it was larger than a "kitchen" or "laboratory". I don't know if we should call it "mass-production", but much of the procedure was automatised, like temperature management.

Writing this I started to feel hungry :D

Froggy 19. September 2008, 05:35

Hi Kayoko,

Ahh.. no no no! Don't show me the photo! :faint:

Ahh.. so it wasn't like a car factory then :D. I was thinking like, huge building and etc :D. Automazed procedures and temperature management. Well.. as long as the result is :cheers:! :D

You been busy? Haven't seen you blog for quite a while now..

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