August 2002

Duck & Thai Vegetable Parcels With Plum Sauce

This recipe was a welcome relief to me last Christmas as I was very jaded with traditional Roast Turkey by Christmas day.

I started of with a breast of duck. Removed all of the skin, as this is very thick and fatty. I then cut the breast into ¼ inch strips, which I fried quickly in a wok to brown. I then wok fried strips of vegetables, in this case spring onions, red and green peppers, but any combination you enjoy will work.

Once all of the ingredients were cold I combined them, adding chopped coriander and crisp bean shoots and bound them with a little shop bought plum sauce.

As it stands it makes a great salad. But to make the parcels you need some filo pastry. Unroll the pack and remove one sheet. Place on a table with the long edge facing you, brush with a little melted butter and add a second sheet atop the original,

Place some of your duck mixture onto the pastry with a spoon, about one inch from the bottom edge leaving two inches of pastry at each side. Fold the pastry sides over and roll from the front away from you making sure the duck doesn't fall out. What you should have after rolling should look like a big spring roll.

Repeat this to form as many parcels as you need.

The parcels need to be chilled for 15 minutes to set and buttered on the outside prior to cooking.

To cook, place in a greased baking sheet and cook in a moderate oven for 15 minutes or until the pastry turns golden brown.

They can be served hot or cold. I've served mine with some stir-fried vegetables and noodles with a little more plum sauce

Merry Christmas!

Paul Vincent
Executive Chef
Crown Venue Catering
The Conference Centre, Church House