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The Kitchen At Huaihailu
Set in a nineteenth century lane house on a quiet residential cul-de-sac sits The Kitchen At Huaihailu; a small culinary concept offering Shanghaiers a new take on a favourite past-time. Bubbling over with condiments, crockery, ingredients and innovation, aficionados and amateurs alike have the chance to try their hand at all things frying pan with an assortment of global recipes bringing back the kind of comfort that only good home-cooking can concoct.
Three Enjoy Editors headed down there in the hope of gaining some new expertise and recipes to pass off as our own. Our recipe was Confit of Duck with Red Grape Sauce and Lyonnaise Potatoes. For three novices this was seriously posh nosh that far usurped our Spag Bol dinner party staple. We heaved a sigh of relief when Chef Norris stated we wouldn't have to prepare the duck ourselves. Marinated overnight it was ready to place in the oven. For future reference we were given a handout with ingredients and instructions that proved both fool and fire-proof.
Firstly, we donned an apron which at least made us look the part. The sauce proved simple enough as we melted some butter and some spliced de-seeded red grapes into the pan with a splash of wine and seasoning. One small onion and a colossal chopping knife in hand we diced our onions, some bacon and pepper and put them in a pan. Stirring them on medium heat, they slowly browned, or in chef-speak ‘caramelised' and softened. By this point we were getting increasingly competitive over whose mixture held the most promise. On cue, Chef Norris stepped up to the pan and proceeded to critique our culinary prowess, which lead to many laughs. A bit of healthy competition never goes amiss, and in this calming and accommodating environment, even Gordon Ramsay would have trouble seeing red.
We chopped the potatoes into slim slices and then we had our initiation in deep-fat frying! Chef Norris made it look like a piece of cake of course, and with our competitiveness still unabated we nonchalantly sauntered up to the skillet one by one. A little worried about tossing my perfect potatoes out of the frying pan and into the fire I sneakily tested out my sautéing on someone else's spuds.
And voilá! With all our tantalizing accompaniments prepared, we were eager to move onto the taste test. The duck had been placed in the oven to perfectly synch-in with our prep time. Fitting the bill, a duck leg a piece was placed on a bed of Lyonnaise potatoes and it was down to our artistic creativity to come up with the finishing touches With a spoon dipped in our saucepot a few Picasso-inspired swishes saw splodges flying skywards before landing on our plates. Finally, knife and fork in hand, we tucked into a well-deserved and delicious meal in the dining room and enjoyed the fruits of our labour. A fantastic fun-fuelled feast in great company and also decidedly therapeutic, The Kitchen At Huaihailu is an entertaining and inspiring weekend or evening pursuit.
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Contact Miranda Yao (6433-2700) for more information on classes. The Kitchen At Huaihailu - House 40 Ground Floor, 1487 Middle Huai Road, near Wulimuqi Rd. www.thekitchenat.com
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Duck Confit with Raisin Red Wine Sauce
1 serving
1pcs duck leg
5 red raisins
4 garlic cloves
1 rosemary stick
80ml red wine
2.5 tablespoons sugar
5g butter
olive oil, duck butter (of pork lard)
salt, pepper
Make 3-4 shallow cuts on both sides of the duck leg, season with salt and pepper, and marinate overnight.
Take a big bowl, combine the olive oil and duck butter (or pork lard) in half-half proportion, add the garlic and rosemary stick, soak in the duck leg, and send to oven, 150℃ for about 60min.
Raisin Red Wine Sauce
Cut the ra