Everybody seems to be going to a works Christmas party, everyone that is except me.
Not that it actually causes me any pain, i have no desire to be one of those unfortunate few who mange to seasonally embarrass themselves by pulling some awkward looking shapes on the dance floor and allowing their red wine infused breath to have over the bosses facial exterior as they finally pluck up the courage to make conversation with them after not dare utter a word since last years festive fiasco.
Its more the festive atmosphere i miss, the cheesy songs that everyone knows all the words to ( even if they don't admit it ), the hours spent idly daydreaming on what best to wear so i don't look like the heavily adorned and meticulously decorated Christmas trees sister and probably most of all i miss the merry moods that the festive period seems to bring out in people, even my very own Christmas holiday hater buckles under the infectious pressure with a bit of Elvis's Blue Christmas and a mince pie by candle light on Christmas eve.
With all this said i decided to host my own works shindig, there was just one small minor issue - I had no staff.
Well no employed staff anyway, what i do have are a couple of loyal and selfless friends who ignore my stubborn single minded ways and help me with my work load without even being called upon, without their tireless assistance i would be unable to function a normal life.And so in honour to them i decided host my own party, complete with timeless Christmas classic tunes, crappy prize winning crackers and yule time inspired food.
Fast to respond to my invitation but even quicker to retort to my menu suggestions, one of my persnickety casual staff chose to voice her best opinion on my choice of a traditional turkey feast - ' Turkeys too complicated, do crispy duck pancakes instead ' .
The above space indicates the unamused silence that possessed my body, was this some kind of jolly tomfoolery she decided to ambush me with or was she actually being serious? Turkey complicated ? With all those thousands of newspaper and magazine column lines dedicated to which way best to cook our feathered friend turkey couldn't be easier, it was the crispy duck that was proving a more enigmatical mystery to me. Visions of violently passionate Chinese restaurant kitchens came to mind , all churning out one sickly over cooked looking duck after another, all looking as if they have spent a little too long on the sunbeds in the local tanning salon.
Never one to shy away from a challenge i surprisingly discovered that cooking a whole duck Chinese style is incredibly easy and a perfect choice for a party, whether its the appropriate option for a Christmas celebration is questionable given the lack of Chinese inspiration around at this time of year and my traditionally themed decorated home.
None the less with preparation time at practically zero and cooking time at around 4 hours with no interference ( even if your a nervous creature of habit like me who would happily sit opposite the oven door for the given time choosing not to trust the recipe, this really is one that requires no work), Crispy duck makes an excellent alternative to the usual yule time suspects and a refreshing change from the root vegetable heavy and carb infused meals were accustomed too at this time of year.
OK, so i didn't opt for a Chinese version of jingle bells as background music nor did we finish with fortune cookies and sweetened canned lychee's but we did manage to enjoy an intercontinental fusion of festive themes that managed not to embody the traditional downfalls of the usual Christmas work related gatherings, there may of been a gingerbread man induced brawl but that's another story.
Christmas Crispy Duck Pancakes
1 free range best quality duck
Cucumber - sliced into thin strips
Spring onions - sliced into thin strips
Jar of hoisin and plum sauce
Chinese Pancakes
Pre heat the oven to 170 oc
Cut the flap of skin off that covers the ducks cavity then pour over freshly boiled water from the kettle
Allow the duck to dry completely, pop a couple of star anise inside then sit it on a rack over a roasting tray and place in the oven for 4 hours
After 4 hours increase the temperature to 220oc for half an hour just to give it that final crisping
Ceremoniously shred the duck in front of your awe inspired guests and serve with all the appropriate accompaniments.
Nb - Keep your guests out of the kitchen as the oven can tend to get a bit smokey given the amount of fat that is released from the duck. One of my hospitality sucking guests ignorantly implied and shouted across my living room that i needed to clean my oven - and she calls herself a friend!
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