Global Holiday Recipe: Rangoon Roast Duck (Batek Roast

Holiday Feature

Rangoon Roast Duck

Batek Roast—Burma

2 tablespoons sesame oil
3 tablespoons soy sauce
2 tablespoons chopped ginger
2 tablespoons chopped garlic
2 tablespoons malt vinegar
2 medium onions, diced
A few black peppercorns
A few coriander seed
1 level teaspoon cumin seeds
2 medium tomatoes, diced
1 whole duck, 1.6 to 1.8 kg (3 to 3-1/2 lb)
A little water
2 tablespoons corn flour (cornstarch)

This multinational recipe comes from the Rangoon Club, a colonial club built for the British "gentry". The chefs were great innovators, especially when it came to fusing cuisines. In this recipe, we find Indian, Chinese and Western influences.

Method:
Combine the sesame oil, soy sauce, ginger, garlic and vinegar in a large bowl. Place the duck in the bowl. Coat with the marinade and allow to marinate at room temperature for 1-2 hours.

Preheat the oven to 240 degrees to 260 degrees C (475 degrees to 500 degrees F/gas mark 9-10). Place the onion, black peppercorns, coriander and cumin seeds and tomatoes in a roasting pan. Lay the duck on top and roast in the oven for 45 to 50 minutes, until done, basting frequently with the dripping fat.

When cooked, remove the duck from the pan. Skim off the fat, strain the remaining liquid and pour into a small saucepan. Bring to the boil. Mix a little water with the corn flour to make a thin paste. Add to the boiling liquid and whisk until the sauce thickens. It should be smooth and slightly thick. Serve the duck hot, accompanied by the sauce and some crusty bread.

Recipe from:

The Spice Trail:
One Hundred Hot Dishes From India to Indonesia
by Sandeep Chatterjee
Illustrations by Helen Semmler
$15.95 (paperback)
Ten Speed Press
ISBN: 0-89815-781-1
141 pages
Full color illustrations throughout
Recipe reprinted by permission