Duck Pancakes with Asian Slaw

I had the best ‘work’ day ever on Friday. Our first port of call was to the ACMI to see the Hollywood Costumes exhibit. This is a must-see for anyone who loves movies, costume design or fashion. Tim Burton’s Catwoman costume, the Marilyn Monroe dress (you know, THE dress) and the period costumes were amongst my faves… BUT it’s not just for the girls; Seb’s ears pricked up when I told him about the costumes from The Big Lebowski, Terminator and Batman. Definitely worth checking out. It’s open until August 18th 2013 and you can buy tickets here.

After the Hollywood Costumes exhibit we then got a VERY special sneak peak at the theatre show King Kong. Let me tell you – this looks absolutely incredible! The King Kong puppet is huuuuuuuuge! It weighs a massive 1.5 tonnes, it’s facial features are all controlled by animatronics so it can snarl and blink while huffing through it’s nose. It’s chest also moves as if it’s breathing. It’s main body is suspended from the roof (the whole theatre roof had to be completely reconfigured especially for the show) and his appendages are controlled by 10 puppeteers (also known as the Kings Men). I hadn’t heard much about the show but after seeing the sneak peek I booked my tickets STRAIGHT away! Preview shows start from May 28th.

After King Kong we then went to see Monet’s Garden as part of the Melbourne Winter Masterpieces at the NGV. It was really interesting to read about Monet and his travels around France, Norway and the UK. It was also interesting to see his artworks in the period where he had lost the majority of this eyesight. If you love art you should take some time out to see it. It’s open until 8th September and yes, you can buy tickets here.

Phew! So Seb’s mum Leonie (hi Lone!) happened to be over here on the weekend and her absolute favourite dish in the world is duck. We popped down to the deli at Vic’ Market and picked up a whole duck along with our slaw ingredients. Anyway, I thought I’d put a little spin on the classic hoisin-duck-pancakes dish. This really was phenomenal, and we had oodles between the four of us.

x e.

PS: FYI – I’m not being paid for any of these endorsements. These are my own thoughts and opinions. :)

PPS: I’m having a few weeks off from the blog for a much needed holiday (the kind where you sit by a pool all day!!!) and I’m also working on some other projects I’ll be sharing with you shortly. I’ll be back in a jiffy but you can follow what I’m up to on social media if you’re really interested :) Speak soon lovelies…

Duck Pancakes with Asian Coleslaw

Roast Duck

whole duck
2 oranges (to use both zest and juice)
olive oil
sea salt
2 tbsp brandy
1 tbsp brown sugar
orange segments from one orange

1. Preheat oven to 180ºCRinse the duck cavity with cold running water and then pat dry with kitchen towel. Drizzle with a little olive oil and grate the zest of one orange over the entire body of the duck.

2. Place duck on a wire rack placed over a roasting pan (this will help the duck’s fat to render off) and roast until skin is golden (roughly 1 hour). After an hour, reduce the oven to 150ºC until the flesh is tender when pierced with a knife (about 1.5 hours). Meanwhile, orange juice, brandy and sugar in a saucepan over high heat until reduced by half (8-10 minutes). Season to taste and add orange segments. With about half an hour left in the oven baste the chicken with the orange sauce.

Pancakes

1/2 cup plain flour
2 tablespoons cornflour
1/4 cup water
1/4 cup milk
2 eggs
2 tablespoons butter, melted

1. Combine flour, cornflour, water, milk, eggs and half the butter in a mixer and mix until smooth. Let stand for 15 minutes. 2. Heat a frypan over medium heat and brush with a small amount of butter. Pour a tablespoon full of batter into pan and spread the pancakes out to about 16cm wide. Cook for 2 minutes each side or until light golden brown. Repeat with the remaining batter. Note: if you’re really hungry you might need to double the quantities!

Asian Slaw

1/4 purple cabbage
1/4 white cabbage
1 large carrot
handful of beansprouts
sesame seeds

Dressing

1/4 cup soy sauce
1/4 cup lemon juice
1/4 cup vegetable oil
2 tbsp grated fresh ginger
2 tbsp honey
2 tsp sesame oil 1/2 a small chilli diced finely 1. Add finely grated purple, white cabbage, carrot and beansprouts into a large salad bowl and mix through with your hands. To make the dressing, combine all ingredients into a jar and shake vigorously to mix. Just as you’re about to serve, dress the salad with a few tablespoons of dressing. Ensure you keep some aside if you wish to pour a little extra over each pancake. To serve: carve up the duck into small pieces, place a small amount of duck and salad on a pancake. Drizzle with a little extra salad dressing and enjoy! Pancakes – recipe by Recipe by Dixie Elliott from Food Ideas. Roast Duck – Inspired by the recipe of Rodney Dunn from Gourmet Traveller Slaw Dress – inspired by the recipe of Dave Lieberman form Food Network