Chinese for dummies

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Many of us reach as far as noodles and fried rice when it comes to cooking Chinese dishes and baulk at the thought of making main course. Though many Oriental dishes do need special ingredients that are not easily available, there are some delicious recipes that can made by anyone working out of even the most basic kitchens.

Mandarin Sesame Duck

The rind, juice and flesh of sweet oranges give a different dimension to this dish. Chicken breasts can be substituted for the duck and whole baby potatoes and broccoli can be a vegetarian alternative.
Ingredients
4 duck legs or breast fillets, with skin
2 tbsp light soy sauce
3 tbsp clear honey
1 tbsp sesame seeds
4 sweet oranges
1 tsp corn flour

Method
Preheat the oven to 180°C. Prick the duck skin all over and slash the breast diagonally at intervals. Roast the duck in the oven for around 1 hour. Mix 1 tbsp of soy sauce with 2 tbsp of the honey and brush all over the duck. Sprinkle the sesame seeds on top and roast for another 15 minutes.
Grate the rind of one of the oranges and squeeze the juice from two of them. Place a small pan on the gas and add the grated rind, orange juice, corn flour and the remaining soy sauce and honey. Heat and stir till the sauce has thickened and becomes clear. Season with salt and pepper.
Peel and slice the remaining oranges. When ready to eat, pour the sauce and the oranges over the duck and serve.

Sticky Ginger Chicken

This one is super easy and delicious. For a fuller flavour marinate the drumsticks in the glaze for 30 minutes.

Ingredients
8 chicken drumsticks
2 tbsp lemon juice
25 gm brown sugar
1 tbsp grated ginger
2 tsp soy sauce
Ground black pepper

Method
Slash the drumsticks thrice through the thickest part of the flesh. Mix all the remaining ingredients in a bowl and then add the drumsticks and mix well. Marinate for around 30 minutes.
Cook the drumsticks on a barbecue or under a hot grill, turning occasionally and basting with the marinade until the drumsticks are golden and the juices run clear when the thickest part is pierced.
Serve hot with fried rice.

Fruity cocktails
Fruits and alcohol make the best cocktail combos. From pineapples to oranges to watermelon, fruits always give a different dimension to a drink.

Peardrops

Though pears are hardly used in cocktails in India, it is one of the best fruits that go with alcohol. Even without adding any liquor, a pear drink always gives off a heady aroma.
We have used perry as the base liquor here. It is basically pear cider and is very common in the UK.

Ingredients
30 ml pear schnapps
Perry, chilled
Slice of pear to garnish

Method
In a chilled champagne flute, pour the schnapps first and then slowly top up with the perry.
Garnish with the slice of pear and serve.
Dragon Lady

Orange, pomegranate and lemon combine perfectly with white rum in this great summer cocktail.

Ingredients
30 ml golden rum
30 ml orange juice
Dash of white Curacao
Dash of grenadine
Ice
Bitter lemon, chilled, to top up
Slice of orange and twist of peel, to garnish.

Method:
Stir the rum, orange juice, white Curacao and grenadine over the ice, strain into an ice-filled highball glass and top up with bitter lemon. Add the orange slice and peel and serve.