This recipe, from FIRE ISLANDS: Recipes from Indonesia by Eleanor Ford, is a deeply flavoursome and complex dish. Hot with chillies and sour with tamarind, the rich and smooth sauce still allows the duck to shine.
To make the bumbu, or spice mix, roughly chop 6 large red chillies, 6 red shallots, 2 cloves of garlic and a similar amount of fresh ginger. Place them in a small food processor with 5 candlenuts (or 10 blanched almonds), 4 tablespoons of tamarind paste (or less if it’s a concentrate), 1 teaspoon of ground coriander and a chopped 3cm (1″) piece of turmeric (or 1 teaspoon of ground turmeric). Blitz to a fine paste, adding a little water if necessary. Score the skin of 4 duck breasts and season them with salt. Lay them in a cold pan, skin side down, and turn the heat to medium. Allow the breasts to cook for 10-15 minutes until the fat has rendered and the skin is crisp. Turn them over and cook for another few minutes until the duck is to your liking. Remove to a plate and allow them to rest. The duck fat which remains in the pan will be used for the next stage so if there’s too much, remove some now. Return the pan to medium heat and when the fat is hot add the spice mix. Cook until it is a shade darker and the fat is separating out of the sauce. Add the duck (I cut mine first) along with any cooking juices and 2 tablespoons of water. Combine and heat through. Adjust the seasoning to taste with tamarind, chilli powder or salt. Serve garnished with fresh mint and accompanied by rice.
michelle picker cooks 