Bebek Bengil Bali with Spiced Coconut Vegetable Salad & Sambal Matah

Ingredients

• 1 whole young duck, cut into 4 pieces, cleaned
• 1 juice of lime, to remove the gamey smell
• 5 kaffir lime leaves
• 2 stalks lemongrass, root removed and bruised
• 2 cm galangal, bruised
• 2 tbsp chicken seasoning powder (optional)
• 1 tsp white sugar
• 2 litre canola oil for frying
• 7 shallots
• 5 garlic cloves
• 3 candlenuts
• 3 tsp coriander seeds, toasted
• 1 tsp whole black pepper
• 2 tsp salt
• 3 cm ginger
• 3 cm fresh turmeric
• 1 stalk lemongrass, white part only, finely sliced
• 5 cm young galangal, grated
• 200 g snake beans or long beans, cut into bite sized pieces
• 100 g bean sprouts, briefly blanched in hot water
• 100 g freshly grated coconut
• 4 shallots
• 3 garlic cloves
• 3 cm kencur (aromatic ginger)
• 2 cm fresh turmeric, lightly charred
• 1 tsp toasted shrimp paste (terasi or balacan)
• 2 bird’s eye chilies, to taste
• 2 kaffir lime leaves, torn
• 2 tsp palm sugar
• 1 tsp salt
• 5 shallot, thinly sliced and fried until crisp
• 5 garlic, thinly sliced and fried until crisp
• 7 bird’s eye chilies, sliced and roughly crushed
• 1 tsp toasted shrimp paste
• 1/2 tsp salt, to taste
• 1 calamansi or lime juice
• 12 red bird’s eye chilies, thinly sliced
• 8 shallots, thinly sliced
• 2 kaffir lime leaves, central veins removed and thinly sliced
• 1 stalk lemongrass, white part only, thinly sliced
• 1/2 tsp toasted shrimp paste (balacan or terasi)
• 1 juice or lime or calamansi
• 1/2 tsp salt
• 1/4 tsp caster sugar
• 1/3 cup coconut oil, preferably virgin coconut oil for extra fragrance, or vegetable oil

Steps

1. Rub the duck pieces with the lime juice, massaging well to coat. Place in a covered container and refrigerate for 30 minutes. Rinse and drain well.
2. Sauté the spice paste until fragrant and cooked. Add the kaffir lime leaves, bruised galangal, chicken seasoning and sugar. Add the duck pieces and stir well until evenly coated with the spices. Pour in enough water to cover the duck. Bring to a boil over medium heat, then reduce the heat and simmer until the duck is tender. Add more water if necessary. Taste and adjust the seasoning to your preference.
3. Remove the duck and allow it to cool so the flavours can absorb. Refrigerate for 1 hour.
4. Deep-fry the duck in plenty of hot oil until crispy and golden. Serve hot.
5. Make coconut vegetable salad: Cook the vegetables. Bring a pot of water to the boil with a little salt to help the long beans retain their bright green colour. Boil the long beans until tender, then drain. Briefly blanch the bean sprouts and drain well.
6. Make the spiced coconut mixture. Blend or pound the shallots, garlic, kencur, turmeric, shrimp paste and chillies into a spice paste.
7. Heat a little oil in a pan and sauté the spice paste together with the kaffir lime leaves until fragrant and cooked.
8. Add the grated coconut, palm sugar and salt. Cook over low heat, stirring frequently, until the coconut is cooked and relatively dry. Remove from the heat and allow to cool.
9. Make the Sambal Embe. Combine the crispy fried shallots and garlic with the sliced and roughly crushed bird’s eye chillies, shrimp paste and salt. Add the calamansi/lime juice and mix well.
10. To serve: Combine the blanched long beans and bean sprouts with the spiced coconut mixture, tossing until evenly coated.
11. Top with Sambal Embe and mix it through.
12. Make the sambal matah. Slice the ingredients. Thinly slice the shallots, bird’s eye chillies, lemongrass and kaffir lime leaves.
13. Combine the ingredients. Place all the sliced ingredients in a bowl. Add the salt, sugar and toasted shrimp paste.
14. Lightly massage. Wearing disposable gloves, gently massage the mixture for a few seconds to release the aromas and slightly soften the ingredients.
15. Add the citrus. Pour in the calamansi or lime juice and mix well.
16. Add the hot oil. Heat the coconut oil until very hot, then carefully pour it directly over the sambal mixture.
17. Mix and serve Toss everything together until well combined.
18. Enjoy..