...So, this was our Christmas Dinner...
...the main course was the Duck with Orange Sauce - and it was almost too perfect...
...I started early in the afternoon simmering some soymilk to make the Yuba...
...I've never made Yuba before but my Book of Tofu has excellent instructions on how to make it...
...this is my first poorly formed sheet of yuba - and I didn't have any place to hang my sheets to dry so I had lined the counter top with parchment and laid the yuba sheets there to dry a bit - I got better at is as I went along...
...the skin would form every 5-6 minutes or so...
...and I would lift it off and set it to dry a bit - see I got better at it...
...then I got worried that they were still too wet - so I got out the dehydrator...and dried the sheets for a few minutes there - it made handling them much easier...
...and by the end I was getting full - intact - yuba sheets from my round pot...
...then I sort of followed the recipe on Bryanna's blog for Roast Duck...but I didn't want an Asian flavor - so I used just a little bit of sesame oil mixed with some canola - to brush over the sheets...
...first I brushed some oil on the parchment and then on top of each sheet of yuba...
...I just kept layering and brushing...
...I used up all my sheets - even the not so pretty ones...
...and I baked my 'duck' instead of frying it...
...it puffed up so nicely...
...then I got busy on the sauce...I peeled some oranges...
...that always smells so good...
...then julienned the strips...
...boiled them in water...
..then drained them...
...then made the sauce base...with wine vinegar and sugar...
...vegetable stock...
...and arrowroot powder mixed with red wine...
...simmer until clear, limpid and lightly thickened...
...add the orange peels...
...then you were supposed to cut the oranges into neat skinless segments - I've done this successfully before - but not today - my segments pretty much fell apart...
..arrange the orange 'segments' over the 'duck'...
...add some orange liqueur to the sauce...
...then stir in some butter (Earth Balance)...
...pour the sauce over the 'duck'...
...and serve...
...it was so very good - Scout loved it - I really have no idea what duck tastes like - but this was very rich - sweet and orangey - and layers of chewy nutty goodness surrounded by a crispy 'skin'...
...really a perfect Christmas Dinner...
Substitutions:
Earth Balance for Butter
Vegetable stock for stock
Yuba Roast Duck for the duck
Recipe here: Mastering the Art of French Cooking
pp. 276-278
