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Seared and sliced duck breast glazed in a hoisin ponzu, served on a pillow of seasoned sushi rice with nori seaweed and garnished with matchsticks of cucumber and spring onion/scallion. This baked duck sushi recipe is inspired by delicate duck tataki, a Japanese dish of flash-fried duck fillets which are thinly sliced and served with a sweet soy dipping sauce, and a classic Chinese Peking duck with the traditional accompaniments of hoisin sauce, shredded cucumber and spring onion. Served as large individual nigiri, this warm duck sushi dish is not only easy to prepare, it tastes incredible and looks absolutely stunning too.
Duck tataki itself is a spin on the original, beef “tataki” that literally translates as “pounded”, which sees a quality cut of beef that has been seared in an incredibly hot pan very quickly so that it is served rare but charred on the outside. It is then sliced into bite-sized pieces similar to how sashimi is served, which is considered the finest dish of Japanese formal dining, then served with a ponzu sauce, a flavoursome citrussy soy dip.
Duck sushi - inspired by tataki
Quality beef such as Wagyu, which is highly prized for its marbling, buttery texture and full flavour is an excellent candidate to be served rare and accentuated by aenriched soy sauce. Original tataki recipes often use a soy glaze or dip made with pounded ginger, which is maybe how the original recipe received its name but more often than not, a ponzu sauce made with soy, Japanese rice vinegar and yuzu is used, brushed over the meat and served on the side to dip.
One of the key aspects of the dish is that the meat is served rare, so using duck as an alternative protein to beef works exceptionally well as a fresh duck breast can be cooked so that the skin crisps up nicely yet the meat stays wonderfully tender, pink and rare. The sweet, salty and acidity of ponzu sauce works exceptionally well with the flavour of the duck.
Japanese Chinese fusion
Duck also pairs very well with hoisin sauce, another soy-based sauce, which is a prevalent accompaniment to duck dishes in Cantonese cuisine. Traditionally, this rich sweet and salty BBQ sauce is spread on thin steamed dough pancakes and enjoyed with shredded Peking duck and crisp spring onion and cucumber strands. Combining hoisin sauce with ponzu sauce elevates the umami notes and creates a Japanese / Chinese fusion of flavours that seems perfectly designed for duck.
As the duck is served rare and accentuated by the sweet, salty and acidic profile of the hoisin ponzu, the juxtaposed textures of crispy spring onion and cucumber that are traditionally served with duck pancakes work well, however, the pancake aspect is just too thin so a thicker more flavoursome base is required. Sushi rice is often served on the side of tataki, so to make individual large nigiri sushi pieces to present this elegant duck dish is the ideal solution.
Warm sushi nigiri
Sushi, of course, isn’t just raw fish, it refers to any dish made with vinegared rice. Whilst raw fish is a traditional ingredient of sushi, the two can be mutually exclusive. Even sashimi, which is generally thought of as sliced raw fish, can be made with slices of raw red meat. Creating duck sushi is a great way to expand on the many varieties of sushi already available and in this case we’re following the baked sushi craze and making warm duck sushi nigiri ideal for the whole family to enjoy or to serve up at more special occasions.
Nigiri is typically a small squeezed bed of seasoned sushi rice with a slice of meat, fish, seafood or vegetable draped on top. This is traditionally served with wasabi and soy and is one of the easiest but most decadent sushi items to make. The quality of the ingredients you use really get a chance to shine. This duck nigiri is just as impressive but larger and perfect to present a whole duck breast.
To make the sushi rice bed we prepare it a little like you would uramaki which is rolled sushi where the rice is on the outside, but in this case, spread rice on both sides of the nori seaweed and just not roll it. A little togarashi seasoning on the rice adds a little heat and colour too.
What rice to use
We’re using Japanese shortgrained rice which contains a lot of starch. This helps the grains stick together to make sushi, however, some starch needs to be removed to stop the rice from becoming gluey. Wash the rice in cold water a few times until the starch visually stops coming out, then add fresh water and let it soak for up to 30 minutes which will help to soften the grains for a better texture. Always remember, however, to drain and add new water to cook the rice.
Sushi rice requires less water to cook it than longer-grained varieties. A ratio of 1 part rice to 1 part water will produce a soft tender grain that is perfect for sushi. Add a tablespoon of rich kombu dashi for added depth of flavour and authenticity.
Place the washed and soaked rice in a pan with a lid and add fresh water and the dashi and bring to a low boil. At this point turn the heat down to the lowest setting you can and simmer the rice for 10 - 15 minutes until cooked. it is important to take the pan off the heat and set aside for a further ten minutes with the lid on so that the rice can rest and firm up in the residual steam. Once done, fold in seasoned rice vinegar for a traditional sushi taste.
Making a nori rice sandwich
When the rice is cool enough to handle, dip your hands in water and carefully spread a thin layer of rice over half a sheet of nori seaweed paper sprinkle over togarashi seasoning, turn it over and cover the other side so that you have effectively made a nori rice sandwich. Repeat this process to make however many rice beds you are serving. Set the rice aside on baking paper until you are ready to use them.
How to cook duck for duck sushi
When cooking the duck, there is a fail-safe method to use so that the skin is crispy but the inside remains rare which looks just the part when thinly sliced. First of all, score crisscross lines on the skin with a sharp knife being careful not to penetrate the flesh and season it with salt. Salt helps draw out moisture and helps to make crispier skin as well as adding flavour.
Put the duck breasts skin-side down directly in a cold frying pan with no oil. Place the pan on medium to low heat and cook for about four minutes. You will notice the fat starting to render out of the skin. After four or so minutes turn the heat up high and briefly turn the breasts over to cook the other side in the fat but quickly turn them back skin side down and cook for a further two minutes. This will produce a crispy skin but the heat will not have penetrated enough into the breast leaving them nicely rare. Set them aside to rest within which time you will see juices running out but leaving the meat to firm up.
At this point, you have your sushi rice beds ready and your ducks resting. Simply preheat your oven and direct your attention to making the hoisin ponzu and cutting the cucumber and spring onion/scallion garnishes.
Make duck sushi nigiri
Combine two parts rice vinegar to one part soy sauce and one part hoisin sauce, you can add a little sesame oil if you like but the ponzu sauce is as simple as that. For the garnishes, just slice the spring onion/scallion and cucumber as thinly as you can. A chopped mild red chilli is also a nice addition to add a little heat and colour.
To build the duck sushi nigiri, use a bed of sushi rice the size of half a sheet of nori seaweed and one duck breast per person. The ducks will have rested enough by this time so that when you cut the thin slices the juices will not run all over the place. Neatly arrange the sliced duck over the bed of rice and then brush a liberal amount of the hoisin ponzu sauce over the top. Complete each portion and place them in the oven for six/seven minutes. This will heat the dish but keep the duck nicely pink.
When ready to serve, brush a little more ponzu over the duck breasts and garnish with the cucumber, spring onion and a little chilli and togarashi to taste. For the full sushi feast, it’s always nice to have a little wasabi and pickled ginger on hand too.
This duck sushi is a very impressive-looking dish, a little difficult to eat with chopsticks mind you but get stuck in anyway and enjoy.
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Duck sushi recipe
Ingredients
- 2 skin on duck breasts
- 195 g or 1 cup of rice
- 1 tablespoon of Kombu dashi
- 1 sheet of nori seaweed cut in half
- ¼ of a cucumber soft middle seeds removed.
- 5-6 spring onions/scallions
- 1 mild red chilli de-seeded and diced
- Togarashi seasoning
- 2 tablespoon of Japanese rice vinegar
- 1 tablespoon of hoisin sauce
- 1 tablespoon of soy sauce
- A dash of sesame oil
- Serve with wasabi and pickled ginger
Instructions
- Place the rice in a pan and run cold water through to wash the rice. Repeat a few times until the starch stops coming out, then add fresh water and let it soak for 30 minutes.
- Drain the rice, add 250m/1 cup of water and the dashi and bring to a gentle boil. As soon as the water starts bubbling, place a lid on top, turn the heat down to the lowest setting and simmer for 10-15 minutes until the water has been soaked up. Take the pan off the heat and set aside for a further 10 minutes with the lid on. Once rested, fold in seasoned rice vinegar.
- When the rice is cool enough to handle, dip your hands in water and carefully spread a thin layer of rice over each half of nori seaweed paper and sprinkle over a little Togarashi seasoning, turn it over and repeat the process. Set the rice aside on baking paper.
- Place the duck breasts skin side up on a chopping board and score crisscross lines over each one with a sharp knife. Season with salt and rub over each fillet.
- Put the duck breasts skin side down directly in a cold frying pan with no oil. Place the pan on medium to low heat and cook for about four minutes. Turn the heat up high and briefly turn the breasts over to cook the other side in the rendered fat but quickly turn them back skin side down and cook for a further two minutes. Set aside to rest.
- Combine the rice vinegar with the soy sauce, hoisin sauce and sesame oil.
- Take the heads of the spring onions and slice/ julienne very thinly as well as the cucumber.
- Slice each duck breast into 3mm thin slices and arrange over each bed of rice. Brush the hoisin ponzu sauce over the top to glaze.
- Place the duck sushi in the oven at 200℃/392°F for 6-7 minutes.
- When ready to serve, brush a little more ponzu over the duck breasts and garnish with the cucumber, spring onion and chilli and Togarashi to taste.
- Serve with wasabi and pickled ginger.
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