Recipe reprinted with permission from The Whole Duck: Inspired Recipes from Chefs, Butchers and the Family at Liberty Ducks (Abrams, 2022).
Chefs John Stewart and Duskie Estes are Sonoma County favorites. They cook with big hearts and are always at the center of community outreach. In that spirit, these lettuce cups are great for a party or other crowd. The pickled shiitake mushrooms and spice-roasted duck are an effortless pairing and will keep your guests coming back for more. Serve them with a bowl of rice and you’ve got yourself a whole meal.
Ingredients
- 1 teaspoon kosher salt
- 1 teaspoon ground Sichuan pepper
- ½ teaspoon ground cinnamon
- ¼ teaspoon ground star anise
- ¼ teaspoon ground fennel
- Pinch of ground cloves
- 3 duck legs
- 1 cup stemmed and thinly sliced shiitake mushrooms
- ½ cup water
- 2 tablespoons sugar
- ¼ cup reduced-sodium tamari or soy sauce
- ¼ cup rice vinegar
- 1 slice fresh ginger
- Pinch of Sichuan peppercorns
- 1 teaspoon sesame seeds, toasted
- ½ cup hoisin sauce
- 1 tablespoon grated orange zest
- 1 teaspoon grated fresh ginger
- ½ teaspoon ground Sichuan pepper
- ¼ teaspoon ground cinnamon
- Pinch of ground star anise
- Pinch of ground fennel
- 1 head butter lettuce
- Chopped fresh cilantro and mint
- Sliced green onions, white and green parts, for garnish
Preparation
For the Spiced Roasted Duck
Preheat the oven to 400°F. In a small bowl, stir together the salt, Sichuan pepper, cinnamon, star anise, fennel and cloves. Liberally season both sides of the duck legs with the spice mixture. Place the legs, skin side up, on a sheet pan.
Roast the legs, rotating the pan back to front halfway through roasting, until dark golden brown—about 1 hour. Allow the legs to rest on the pan on a wire rack for 5 minutes. The legs may stick a little to the bottom of the pan; use a spatula to loosen them. Pull the meat and crisp skin from the bones and discard the bones. Chop into bite-size pieces and transfer to a small serving bowl.
While the duck is roasting, prepare the mushrooms and the sauce.
For the Sesame Shiitake Mushrooms
Place the mushrooms into a small heatproof bowl. In a medium saucepan, combine the water, sugar, tamari, vinegar, ginger and Sichuan peppercorns and bring to a boil over medium-high heat, stirring until the sugar dissolves—about 1 minute. Pour the hot mixture over the mushrooms, then stir in the sesame seeds. Allow to sit for at least 10 minutes before using. The prepared mushrooms will keep in an airtight container in the refrigerator for up to 1 week.
For the Sauce and to Plate and Serve
In a small saucepan, combine all the ingredients and bring to a simmer over medium heat, stirring constantly, for about 1 minute. Thin the sauce with some of the mushroom marinade. Add half of the sauce to the warm duck and toss to combine. Transfer the remaining sauce to a small bowl.
About this recipe
TO SERVE
Separate the lettuce into individual leaves. Pile the lettuce leaves on a platter. Arrange the cilantro, mint and green onions in separate mounds on a plate. Transfer the mushrooms to a small bowl. Set out the bowls of duck and sauce. To assemble the cups, spoon some duck meat onto a lettuce leaf and top with some of the mushrooms. Drizzle withextra sauce, if desired, and garnish with the cilantro, mint and green onions. Enjoy at once.
