Sake Duck Makes Ideal Special Entree or Appetizer for Dinner Party

Dear SOS: The sake duck served at a special event by the chef from the New Otani Hotel in downtown Los Angeles was outstanding. I’d love a recipe.

--JOAN

Dear Joan: Executive chef Robert Seabolt has graciously complied. It’s a terrific treatment for duck which can be served either as an entree or as an appetizer if the duck is cut into pieces or slices.

NEW OTANI SAKE DUCK

1 (2- to 4-pound) duckling

Sake Sauce

Honey

Peel of 1 orange or mandarin orange

1/2 bunch green onions or 1 leek, finely julienned

Place duckling in baking pan. Pour Sake Sauce over duck and bake at 300 degrees 2 hours, basting with honey every 15 minutes. Remove from oven and cool to room temperature. Remove bones from duck and slice meat. Grate orange peel over duck and sprinkle with green onions. Makes 2 to 4 servings.

Sake Sauce

1 cup mirin

1/2 cup soy sauce

1/4 cup fresh orange juice

1 teaspoon grated ginger root

1/4 cup brown sugar, packed

1 tablespoon arrowroot or cornstarch

1 leek, finely julienned

Combine mirin, soy sauce, orange juice and ginger. Remove from heat and stir in brown sugar. Stir arrowroot with some water until smooth and return to pan. Cook and stir until sauce thickens slightly.

Strain sauce through fine strainer into another pot or sauce boat. Add leek to sauce and mix gently. Let stand 10 minutes to blend flavors. Makes about 2 cups.

Dear SOS: A group of us at work constantly crave frozen yogurt. Our only problem is that the nearest outlet is too far away. Can you help us by providing us with a recipe that is very close to the commercial type so we can make it ourselves?

--SANDY, CHERYL, SHIRLEY, SUSAN AND ROSE-MARIE

Dear Sandy, Cheryl, Shirley, Susan and Rose-Marie: Sure.

YOGURT ORANGE FREEZE

1/2 cup orange juice

1/4 cup honey

1 cup orange yogurt

1/4 teaspoon salt

1 tablespoon lemon juice

2 egg whites, beaten until stiff

Mix orange juice with honey. Add yogurt, salt and lemon juice. Turn into freezing tray and freeze until firm. Remove to bowl and stir until free of lumps. Fold in egg whites and return to freezing tray to freeze until serving time. Makes 4 to 6 servings.

Dear SOS: I enjoyed the Minced Squab at the Mandarin restaurant in Beverly Hills. I wonder if you can obtain the recipe.

--READER

Dear Reader: It so happens we have the recipe in our files. These Chinese-style tacos (using lettuce instead of taco shells) make wonderful assemble-your-own party fare or appetizers.

MANDARIN’S MINCED SQUAB

(Chinese Tacos)

Oil for deep-frying

1/4 (8-ounce) package rice noodles

1 tablespoon soy sauce

1 tablespoon Worcestershire sauce

1 1/2 teaspoons sesame oil

Dash sugar

Dash white pepper

4 squabs

4 ounces dried black mushrooms

1 (3- or 4-ounce) can water chestnuts

3 or 4 green onions

1 ounce Virginia or other ham

1 head iceberg lettuce

1 tomato

Few sprigs cilantro

Oyster Sauce, optional

Heat oil about 1 inch deep in wok or large skillet until hot. Add noodles and fry until puffed, but not golden, about 1 to 3 seconds. Remove at once from wok since noodles continue to cook. Drain on paper towels. Set aside.

Combine soy sauce, Worcestershire, sesame oil, sugar and pepper in small bowl. Set aside.

Bone and mince squab flesh, reserving bones and skin for soup or other stock. (Any poultry may be used.) Soften mushrooms in warm water 5 minutes. Drain and mince. Mince water chestnuts and green onions.

Heat 1/2 cup oil in wok or skillet. Add minced squab and ham. Saute 1 minute. Add half of sauce mixture and saute until squab is done. Remove from wok and set aside.

Add mushrooms and water chestnuts. Saute 30 seconds. Add remaining sauce mixture and saute 30 seconds longer. Remove from wok and add to minced squab mixture. Add green onions to wok and saute 30 seconds. Add to minced squab mixture.

Cut off 1/4 of lettuce head at stem end. Plunge larger portion in cold water to help separate layers of leaves. Remove individual leaves, reserving gnarled inner portion for other use.

Crush fried noodles and place in serving platter. Make well in center. Place minced squab mixture in well. Garnish with tomato wedges or or tomato butterflies and sprigs of cilantro. Arrange lettuce cups on separate platter.

To serve, spoon heaping tablespoon or 2 of minced squab mixture in center of lettuce cup. Fold like taco to eat, using Oyster Sauce for drizzling or dipping. Makes 4 to 6 servings.

Note: To form tomato butterfly shape, cut tomato wedge lengthwise in center, cutting almost but not quite completely in half. Cut peel almost to stem. Do not remove. Butterfly tomato.

Oyster Sauce

1 tablespoon soy sauce

2 tablespoons canned oyster sauce

Dash white pepper

Dash sugar

Combine soy sauce, oyster sauce, pepper and sugar.

Only recipes of general interest will be printed. We are unable to answer all requests. Please include restaurant address when requesting recipes from restaurants. Send your letter with self-addressed, stamped envelope to Culinary SOS, Food Section, The Times, Times Mirror Square, Los Angeles 90053.