A creative food dish to satisfy a hunger and an inventive drink to quench a thirst
A spectacular sausage
Chef Michael Wilson of PHÉNIX eatery & bar from The PuLi Hotel and Spa has added a spectacular new dish to his menu — a whole duck neck sausage that will leave salivating at first sight.
Influenced by cuisine in the south of France, this dish is quite a wild game recipe. Taking a duck neck as casing, with the head still on, Wilson then stuffs it with a filling made of lean duck leg meat, pork belly meat and foie gras.
But it’s not as simple as making a common sausage. Wilson explained that the minced duck leg and pork belly meat is frozen for one day, then it’s put into a blender with salt, sodium nitrate, anisette, gin and water. Inspired by a pastry chef who adds water to the wonton fillings to soften the meat, Wilson adds water and wine to make the sausage softer in texture.
Then, you mix in the crumbs of foie gras, stuff everything into the hollow duck neck, vacuum and cook it slowly at 65 degrees Celsius. The sausage is air-dried for two days and baked till fully cooked at 220 degrees before serving.
Duck neck sausage is made by using the bird's neck as casing.
The duck’s thicker skin not only hugs the fillings nice and tightly, but also elevates the flavor of the sausage as there’s a layer of fat on the inside of the neck skin.
The dish, sliced and served tableside, comes with several sauces, including kumquat, a sour flavor which complements the duck neck sausage exceptionally well, as well as yellow mustard and duck reduction flavored with sherry and grapes. The two sides are endive salted plum salad and parsnip puree.
Price: 440 yuan with sauces and sides, ideal for three to four people to share, plus 10 percent service charge and prevailing tax.
Address: 2/F, The PuLi Hotel and Spa, 1 Changde Rd
Tel: 2216-6988
The duck neck sausage has a filling of duck leg meat, pork belly and foie gras.
Kimchi in cocktail?
THE CUT Rooftop has launched a new brunch menu that, not only features some favorite egg dishes i.e. the Eggs Benedict, Scotch egg and egg frittata, but also a new Bloody Mary idea that bowls you over.
First, there is a kimchi Mary, which blends the strong kimchi flavor into the vodka and tomato juice-based cocktail. If you manage to get over over the overwhelmingly intense smell of the cocktail, which is topped with kimchi and lemon peel, the savory beverage is very appetizing.
Kimchi Bloody Mary at The CUT Rooftop.
For Chinese foodies there is the Sichuan Mary, which uses the green Sichuan peppercorns (on the branch) in the cocktail. Compared to brown Sichuan peppercorns, the green kind has a spikier yet more refreshing taste.
The creative Bloody Mary menu also includes a cornichon Mary, alongside the classic Bloody Mary and non-alcoholic virgin Mary.
And the best part? You can customize your own cocktail at the two stations for Bloody Mary and gin and tonic. The sweet and fresh passion fruit tonic is perfect for the dessert, and the banana cake with banana caramel sauce and walnut ice cream is not to be missed.
Sichuan Mary is topped with green Sichuan Peppercorns.
As for the dishes, the sliced roasted veal with tuna creamy mayonnaise and capers, lamb gigot, chicken leg and Iberico pork loin are all excellent choices to pair with the cocktails.
The brunch menu set prices are: 148 yuan for two dishes, 198 yuan for three and 238 yuan for four. For drinks, it’s 158 yuan per person for free flow drinks including cocktails, add 40 more to include Chandon sparkling wine, and 98 yuan for free flow non-alcoholic drinks including juices and smoothies.
Address: 7/F, iapm mall, 999 Huaihai Rd M.
Tel: 6443-5136
