Best Tamarind Barbecued Duck With Smoky Plantain Crema Recipes

Chipotle Vinegar image

Provided by Norman Van Aken

Yield Makes 1 3/4 cups

Number Of Ingredients 2

2 chipotle chiles, stemmed, halved, and seeded
1 3/4 cups Spanish sherry vinegar

Steps:

In a small pot, toast the chipotles over medium heat for 2 minutes. Add the vinegar, bring to a simmer, and simmer for 2 to 3 minutes. Remove from the heat and pour into an airtight container. Allow the vinegar to sit for at least 24 hours before using. Stored in a cool, dark place, this spicy vinegar will keep for 6 months.

Sugarcane Marinade image

Yield Makes 4 1/2 cups

Number Of Ingredients 12

1 1/2 cups dark molasses
3/4 cup Spanish sherry vinegar
6 tablespoons fresh lemon juice
3/4 cup Creole mustard
1 1/2 cups top-quality canned tomato sauce
3 cloves garlic, minced
2 Scotch bonnet chiles, stemmed, seeded, and minced
3/4 teaspoon cayenne pepper
1 1/2 teaspoons peeled and minced ginger
1 1/2 teaspoons grated orange zest
1/8 teaspoon minced fresh thyme
1/8 teaspoon grated nutmeg

Steps:

In a food processor, combine all the ingredients, and pulse until smooth. Refrigerate until needed; this keeps for 1 month.
Makes about 1 cup.
This is the marinade we use on the Tamarind Barbecued Duck with Smoky Plantain Crema .
Combine 1 1/4 cups Sugarcane Marinade with 1/2 cup tamarind pulp in a small pot and heat over medium-low heat, stirring to dissolve the tamarind. When the mixture just begins to simmer, remove from the heat and pass through a coarse strainer. Let cool.

Smoky Plantain Crema image

Provided by Norman Van Aken

Yield Makes 2 cups

Number Of Ingredients 19

1 chipotle chile
1 tablespoon Chipotle Vinegar or Spanish sherry vinegar
2 1/2 ounces smoky bacon, diced
1 tablespoon olive oil
1 poblano pepper, stemmed, seeded, and minced
1/2 large red onion, diced
1 carrot, peeled and diced
2 cloves garlic, sliced
1 Scotch bonnet chile, stemmed, seeded, and minced
Kosher salt and freshly ground black pepper
1 teaspoon annatto seeds
1 bay leaf, broken in half
1 teaspoon toasted and ground cumin seeds
1/2 cup fresh orange juice
1/2 cup Chicken Stock
2 cups heavy cream
1 vanilla bean, split lengthwise
1 tablespoon canola oil
1/2 very ripe plantain (the skin should be almost black)

Steps:

Toast the chipotle in a small skillet over medium heat. Remove the stem and seeds.
Combine the vinegar and toasted chipotle in a small bowl. Set aside to soften.
In a medium pot, cook the bacon in the olive oil over medium-low heat until beginning to crisp. Turn the heat up to medium, add the poblano, onion, carrot, garlic, and Scotch bonnet, and season with salt and pepper. Cook until the vegetables begin to soften, about 4 minutes.
Add the annatto seeds and stir. Then add the chipotle-vinegar mixture, the bay leaf, cumin, and 1 teaspoon pepper, and simmer until almost all of the liquid has evaporated, 2 to 3 minutes. Add the orange juice and simmer until only a small amount of liquid remains, 4 to 6 minutes.
Add the chicken stock and reduce almost to a glaze, about 7 minutes (you'll know it is done when the bubbles start getting bigger). Add the heavy cream and vanilla bean, stir, and simmer for 8 to 10 minutes, until the cream in quite thick. Pass the mixture through a fine-mesh strainer; discard the solids. Reserve.
In a sauté pan, heat the canola oil. Add the plantain, season with salt and pepper, and cook over medium heat, turning occasionally, until dark golden brown on all sides. Transfer to a paper towel to drain.
In a blender, puree the plantain with the strained liquid. If any lumps of plantain remain, strain one more time. Refrigerate until needed; this will keep for 4 or 5 days.