Crab dim sum, prawn wontons, duck spring rolls with tamarind and vegetable dipping sauces

Ingredients

For the duck spring rolls
  • 300g/10½oz duck legs
  • 1 star anise, lightly crushed
  • 2 tbsp hoisin sauce
  • 2 tsp honey
  • 1 tbsp dark soy sauce
  • 1 tsp finely chopped root ginger
  • 12 small spring roll wrappers
  • 50ml/1¾fl oz water
  • 4-6 spring onions, finely shredded lengthways
  • ¼ cucumber, julienned
  • vegetable oil, for deep frying
For the crab dim sum
  • 150g/5¼ white crabmeat
  • 4 dried shiitake mushrooms, soaked in boiling water until soft, finely chopped
  • 1 tbsp finely chopped spring onions
  • 1 tsp grated root ginger
  • 1 tsp sesame oil
  • 1 tsp caster sugar
  • 1 tsp light soy sauce
  • 1 tsp Shaoxing rice wine
  • ½ lime, juice only
  • 12 dumpling wrappers
For the prawn wontons
  • 100g/3½oz raw tiger prawns, finely chopped
  • 50g/1¾fl oz minced pork
  • 1 garlic clove, peeled, crushed
  • 2 tbsp finely chopped fresh coriander
  • 1 tsp sesame oil
  • ½ tsp caster sugar
  • 1 tsp dark soy sauce
  • 1 tsp Shaoxing rice wine
  • pinch dried red chilli flakes
  • 12 square wonton wrappers
  • 50ml/1¾fl oz water
For the tamarind dip
  • 2 tsp cornflour
  • 3 tbsp tamarind pulp
  • 300ml/10½fl oz water
  • 3 tbsp caster sugar
  • 1 tbsp Shaoxing rice wine
  • 1cm/½in piece root ginger, julienned
  • 1 red chilli, seeds removed, julienned
  • 1 clove garlic, peeled, sliced
  • 1 tbsp light soy sauce
  • 1 tbsp honey
  • fish sauce, to taste
For the vegetable dipping sauce
  • 1 carrot, peeled, julienned
  • 3 spring onions, julienned
  • 2cm/¾in piece root ginger, julienned
  • 1 red chilli, seeds removed, julienned
  • 100ml/3½fl oz rice vinegar
  • 30g/1oz caster sugar
To serve
  • 1 red chilli, seeds removed, julienned
  • 1 spring onion, julienned

Preparation method

  1. For the duck spring rolls, preheat the oven to 170C/325F/Gas mark 3.

  2. Sprinkle the duck legs with the star anise and roast in the oven for 1-1½ hours until cooked. Drain off the fat and set aside to cool.

  3. Once the duck has cooled, shred the meat and place in a bowl with the hoisin sauce, honey, soy sauce, ginger and stir until well combined.

  4. Lay the spring roll wrapper on the board and wet the edges. Place the mixture in a line down the centre at the end closest to you. Lay the spring onion and cucumber on top of the mixture, fold in each end of the wrapper, then roll the spring roll into a cylinder shape.

  5. Heat the oil in the deep fat fryer or deep saucepan until very hot (caution: hot oil can be dangerous. Do not leave unattended). Fry the spring rolls for 2-3 minutes, then drain on kitchen paper before serving.

  6. For the crab dim sum, place all the crab dim sum ingredients apart from the dumpling wrappers in a medium bowl and mix together.

  7. Press your thumb and index finger together at the tips to make a circle. Take a dumpling wrapper and place it in over the circle, just so the wrapper slightly overlaps your thumb and finger.

  8. Place a teaspoon of crab mixture in the centre of the wrapper and push the sides up and around the filling, so the top is still exposed (don’t enclose the dumpling completely).

  9. Place the dumplings into a bamboo steamer over a pan of simmering water and cover. Steam for 4-5 minutes, or until the crab mixture is completely cooked through. Remove from the steamer and serve immediately.

  10. For the prawn wontons, place the prawn wonton ingredients except for the wrappers in a medium bowl and mix together.

  11. Place the prawn mixture off-centre in the wonton wrapper, wet the edges and fold over to form a triangle shape and fold in both opposite corners.

  12. Gently lower into a deep fat fryer and fry for 2-3 minutes. Drain on kitchen paper before serving.

  13. For the tamarind dip, stir together the cornflour with 2 teaspoons of water and set aside.

  14. Place the rest of the tamarind dip ingredients in a small pan and simmer until the volume of the liquid is reduced by half. Stir in the cornflour mixture stir until thickened. Transfer to a small serving bowl.

  15. For the vegetable dipping sauce, place all the vegetable dip ingredients in a medium saucepan and simmer for 10 minutes or until the sauce is has a syrupy consistency.

  16. To serve, place the crab dim sum, prawn wontons and duck spring rolls on a plate, sprinkle with the chilli and spring onions and serve with the tamarind and vegetable dipping sauces.

James Martin recipes from Saturday Kitchen

1-2 hours preparation time

1 to 2 hours cooking time

Serves 4

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