聖誕火雞 vs. 聖誕烤鴨

聖誕節食火雞由我懂事開始已經知道，由細細個食媽咪焗嘅火雞，酒店自助餐嘅火雞，到自己喺朱氏伉儷或吳牧師家中焗嘅火雞，焗火雞成為我每年聖誕必食之選！記得有一年感冒，但係又應承咗班弟兄姊妹，唔想令佢地失望唯有死頂，捱到將隻火雞放入焗爐，佢哋叫我入房瞓話幫我反隻火雞(當時自己經驗不足，廚藝有限，其實焗任何家禽都唔洗反轉焗)，瞓到咁上下聽到有人係廚房慘叫，但係我太辛苦所以冇理繼續瞓，瞓醒起身行入廚房，班朋友急不及待話俾我知佢地頭先點樣集合幾人之力反隻火雞，差點釀成血案咁話，已經俾佢地笑死，到我攞隻火雞出嚟，見到隻火雞個pat pat燶咗，原來佢地冇鋪錫紙 ...... but anyway，I love these people! 如果唔係呢班弟兄姊妹，我諗我未必捱到過去十幾年一個人喺香港嘅日子。過近年佢地大多做咗父母，冇咁多機會見面借用大焗爐，所以近兩三年改咗用雞，至於今年，唯一嘅聖誕餐係喺屋企煮俾兩個表姐同家姐及其家人食，家姐又食過我嘅Roast Chicken，所以今年決定焗我成世人嘅第一隻鴨 － Roasted French Duck!

雖然賣相麻麻，但係都成當晚最受歡迎嘅食物！

呢隻鴨所需材料超多!

Duck (1 whole)
Red wine (2 1/2 cups)
Water (1 cup)
Bay leaves (2 pieces)
Black peppercorns (1 tablespoon)
Red peppercorns (1 tablespoon)
White peppercorns (1 teaspoon)
Sea salt (to taste)
Thyme (6 teaspoons)
Rosemary (6 teaspoons)
Star anise (5 pieces)
Carrot (1 piece, diced)
Onion (1 piece, diced)
Celery (3 stalks, diced)
Garlic (1 head, cut in half)
Unsalted butter (30g)
Olive oil (4 tablespoons)

1. Saute onion, carrot, celery and garlic with butter and oil in a heavy bottom pot for 2-3 minutes
2. Add rosemary, thyme, bay leaves, peppercorns and star anise, then pour in red wine
3. Submerge the duck in the liquid and simmer under medium low heat for 30 minutes
4. If the liquid is not enough to submerge the entire duck, turn the duck every 15 minutes
5. Preheat oven to 200 c. for 10 minutes
6. After the duck has been braised, roast the duck for 20 minutes or until done
* Remember to drizzle oil before roasting, this will help the skin to become crispy

過去 (Bread Pudding)

每個人都有過去，原來食物都唔例外，Bread Pudding就有一個唔係幾好嘅過去。Bread pudding由13世紀嘅英國開始，初時叫"Poor's man pudding"，當時嘅英國人用唔再新鮮嘅麵包，浸入啲水度再加糖。因為窮唯有食過期甚至開始轉壞嘅食物，令我諗起以前喺英國寄宿，廚房成日俾啲壞咗嘅牛奶我地飲，原來英國人有前科!

今日嘅Bread Pudding當然唔再用過期麵包，而且仲用牛奶代替水，好味好多呢！

Bread (3-4 slices)
Egg (3)
Milk (300 ml)
Sugar (40g)
Vanilla extract (3-4 drops)
Cinnamon (to taste)

1. Cut bread in cubes, place in baking pan
2. Mix eggs, milk, sugar and vanilla oil
3. Pour the mixture to the bread, bake for 20 minutes or until set
4. Sprinkle sugar and cinnamon on top of the pudding, bake for another 8 minutes

Vanilla sauce:
All-purpose flour (2 tablespoons)
Butter (50g, half stick)
Condensed milk (1 can)
Vanilla extract (1 teaspoon)

1. Combine all ingredients in a saucepan, cook over low heat, stir until thicken

History of Food (Stuffed Portabello)

烹飪帶俾我嘅樂趣唔單只來自烹調嘅過程，仲有嘅係研究每種食物背後嘅歷史。鍾意歷史因為我鍾意問點解，我覺得歷史俾我睇到世界嘅變化，所以細個當所有中國同學會去晒讀Chinese six pack時，得番我一個中國人去跟啲鬼妹去讀History，唔夠皮，仲要加多科Art History，成日都要腳震震咁做presentation，可能就係咁練到今日咁口若懸河！(嘻嘻，我幾叻，口若懸河都識呀!)

叉遠咗添，返番嚟歷史，以Pesto為例，佢只係由Basil、Garlic、cheese 同 salt樁爛成為香草醬，好似冇乜特別，但係原來呢種香草醬係由古羅馬時代嘅人食開嘅芝士醬 (Cheese spread)演變出嚟，嘩，古羅馬時代已經有芝士醬?!

Anyway，而家嘅超市都有得賣Pesto sauce，唔洗自己樁。Pesto sauce亦唔一定要用嚟煮意粉咁boring，你地可以試下以下呢個:

鮮蝦8隻(最好買游水嗰啲，揾水烚熟)

mini portabello 8隻

Pesto sauce (適量，視乎個人喜好)

Olive oil & salt

1. 用平底鑊加Olive oil煎下啲portabello約1-2分鐘，放上碟 (唔洗好熟因為portabello係可以生食)

2. 釀隻蝦落隻portabello度，一隻蝦 for 一隻portabello，加salt

3. 用平底鑊加Olive oil (1-2 tbsp) 炒Pesto sauce，淋煮好嘅Pesto sauce上啲釀咗蝦嘅Portabello上面即成。

Pick me up

好多人都知道Tiramisu嘅意思就係 'pick-me-up'，但佢嘅歷史就有好多說法，有啲人話係兩個世紀前嘅義大利人將啲leftover撈埋一齊，又有個講法係呢個係40年前由喺義大利一個叫Treviso嘅城市裡面嘅一間餐廳發明。其實都唔知邊個係真！除此之外，亦因為佢好似English Trifle，所以都有人叫佢做Italian Trifle。傳統嘅Tiramisu，filling會用生蛋黄、mascarpone cheese同埋糖，底部同中間夾層就用Lady fingers浸啲Espresso coffee & Tia Maria。我第一次整嘅時候都係用呢個recipe，都整咗almost廿年啦，實在有點悶！早排睇番啲cook books發現可以用橙酒橙汁代替coffee，即刻試下，果然味道清新好多，加上橙味朱古力喺面，令我諗番起小時候最愛的積及朱古力橙餅，好味!

以下呢個Orange-Chocolate Tiramisu係我嘅改良版因為家陣食生雞蛋非常危險，我改咗落whipped cream，一樣咁好味架!

半包 Ladyfingers (通常一大包裡面再分兩小包，呢個份量用一小包就夠)

1 cup orange juice (千祈唔好買果汁先生因為佢橙汁冇橙味，西柚汁冇西柚味，不知所謂！請用Tropicana!)

2 tbsp Grand Marnier

1 cup whipped cream

1/4 cup sugar

500g Mascarpone cheese (整之前喺雪櫃攞出嚟放1小時，make sure佢夠「林」)

適量 Orange-flavoured chocolate, finely grated

1. Combine whipped cream and sugar in a large bowl, beat in high speed until firm

2. Add Mascarpone cheese, beat until smooth and creamy

3. Lay the ladyfingers flat in a shallow 2-quart serving dish. Drizzle with orange juice and Grand Marnier

4. Pour the mascarpone mixture over the ladyfingers and smooth the top

5. Cover and chill for at least 4 hours or overnight

6. To serve, garnish with grated orange-flavoured chocolate

唔like橙汁味，可以用番Espresso and Tia Maria，面嗰層就用番朱古力粉instead of 橙味朱古力。