My mum used to serve Peking Duck as an intermediary course at her amazing dinner parties. I remember our not so large living room being filled with conversation and laughter as I would go around serve the canapes and my brother would help top up the drinks. My mum was really in her element in those situations, entertaining and listening out for the comments and compliments on the food. I don’t think I have ever seen her happier.
Of course, as many of you know, I try and replicate this nostalgia through my own dinner parties with just an eye to my own plant-based interpretations.
‘Food has no soul, you as a cook must bring soul to the recipe’
Peking Duck also featured heavily in our celebrations, as we would always congregate at our local Chinese restaurant to celebrate birthdays and special occasions. This is a theme for Indian families, and I have never worked out why, apart from perhaps the ability to accommodate large parties and the willingness to supply chopped up chilis to us in abundance.
My brother loves this dish so much that it is also his comfort food at home and so this recipe is dedicated to him. It is my way of showing him that I care, taking his favourite dish and making it heart healthy so he can eat it at will and see it as a healthy snack versus an unhealthy treat. Dev, this recipe is from my heart to yours, in recognition of our memories and the nostalgia we share.
Ingredients
- 2 cans of jackfruit
- 3 tsp. tamari
- 3 tbsp. maple syrup
- ½ tsp coriander powder
- ½ tsp pepper
- 1 tsp. sesame oil
- 3 spring onions, finely sliced
- ½ cucumber, cut into strips
- 8-10 Chinese pancakes
- 150ml hoisin sauce
Method
- Heat the grill on high
- Drain the jackfruit and pat dry
- Combine the tamari, maple syrup, coriander, pepper and sesame oil
- Coat the jackfruit in the mixture and place under the grill
- Grill for 10 minutes, turning 2/3 times until crispy
- Warm the pancakes, serve with the cucumber, spring onion and hoisin sauce
