Carribbean Coconut Duck Curry

Preparation Time: 40 minutes
Cooking Time: 1 hour 15 minutes Serves: 6 people

This is a truly delicious curry that captures all the flavours of the Caribbean in a tasty colourful way.
This dish works equally well with turkey, chicken and beef and is great for an unusual buffet main course.

I have included Yams in this recipe which are a staple part of the Caribbean and West African diet. They can be mashed and are popular with spicy stews. Yams have a brown, tough, inedible, bark-like skin but inside the flesh is sticky –either white, yellow or even purple! Choose firm yams which are light for their size and cook as potatoes.
To prepare yams peel and place into water with lemon juice to stop discolouration. Dice, slice or cut into chunks and boil in salted water for 20- 30 minutes. To serve them mashed add butter and season well or make chips by boiling for 10 minutes first, pat dry with kitchen paper then fry. Alternatively bake them in their jackets wrapped in foil.

They can be stored for several weeks in a cool dry place but do not refrigerate.

Ingredients

  • 1 x 2.3kg ( 5lb duck) – cut into 6 pieces
  • 2 tablespoons – olive oil
  • 2 red onions – peeled and roughly chopped
  • 2cm (1 inch) fresh ginger – peeled and grated
  • 1 Yam – peeled and roughly chopped
  • Juice of 1 lemon
  • 2 sweet potatoes – peeled and roughly chopped
  • 1 butternut squash – peeled and roughly chopped
  • 2 cloves of garlic – peeled and roughly chopped
  • 3 tablespoons of mild curry powder
  • -2- Carribean Coconut Duck Curry
  • 1 – 2 green chillis – seeded and finely chopped
  • 2 x 400g (14 oz) tin coconut milk
  • 570ml (1 pint) chicken stock
  • 3 tablespoons – creamed coconut
    For the rice
  • 340g (12 oz) Thai or Basmati rice
  • 6 cardamom seeds
  • Salt and Freshly ground black pepper

For the garnish

  • 1 bunch of coriander leaves
  • 1 bunch of spring onions
  • 3 tablespoons – desiccated coconut

Method
1) Pre-heat the oven to 200º/400º/ Gas mark 6.
2) Place the duck pieces into a roasting tin. Score the skin and sprinkle with salt.
3) Roast uncovered for 30 minutes. Remove the fat and meat from the bone and cut the meat into large pieces. Set aside.
4) Heat a large saucepan with olive oil and sauté the chopped red onions until softened.
5) Place the roughly chopped yam in lemon juice before cooking. ( This prevents de-oxidisation.)
6) Add the ginger, yam, sweet potato, and butternut squash and cook for 5 minutes.
7) Stir in the curry powder and chilli and cook for an additional 2 minutes.
8) Add the chicken stock, coconut milk, creamed coconut and the duck meat.
9) Simmer for 30 minutes or until the vegetables are cooked. (Do not boil the coconut milk as it will separate – the flavour will be the same but the appearance and texture of the sauce will be different.)
10) Cook the rice according to the packet instructions with the cardamom pods.
11) Remove the cardamom pods from the cooked rice and check seasoning.

To serve the stylish way

Place a serving of rice onto the plate. Spoon on some duck curry and garnish with coriander leaves, chopped spring onions and sprinkle with some desiccated coconut.

For more information about my recipes or to purchase a copy of ‘The Book of Jewish Cooking’ published by Salamander Books $12.00 log into www.jewishcookery.com

For further information please contact:

Denise's Kitchen
Northwood, Middlesex, HA6 2HD

Telephone - +44 (0)1923 836456, Fax - +44 (0)1923 826180
E-Mail - denise@jewishcookery.com