Day Three - Intro The Vietnamese Kitchen - Honey-Roasted Duck Legs

I'm not sure why, but I'm having a bit of trouble getting my head around this new cookbook.  It could be the painkillers or maybe I'm just stepping out of my comfort zone. I love Vietnamese food.  The soups, the noodle bowls, spring-rolls etc.  So I figured this week I would enjoy every meal.... depending if the book brought out the tastes I'm familiar with.  

One thing about Vietnamese food that I took for granted is the many steps you have to take to make a great meal.  The recipes are not complex by any stretch.  But there are numerous steps you have to take before you get your reward.... The food!  I'll be honest.  If it weren’t so snowy and cold outside, I would have ordered the food instead. But I didn't so in the kitchen I stand.

I made the Honey Roasted Duck Legs first.  The legs were steamed, roasted, baked and glazed.  I swear they got the full spa treatment. The taste was well worth being an esthetician for a few hours.  The duck tasted like it came from a restaurant.  A pretty good restaurant that is.  The crispy skin, roasted color, sticky finger savory glaze left me wanting for more.

I also made the Garlicky Noodles with Maggi and Butter. I would consider Maggi a secret sauce in this book.  No mixing or blending is required to create the sauce.  Just go to your nearest Vietnamese store and buy a bottle.  The sauce apparently is a staple in Vietnamese food, which was originally introduced to them by the French.  Maggi Sauce is a condiment, very much like Soy Sauce.

The Garlicky Noodles was a fast and easy recipe.  I added bean sprouts and green onion for texture and color, which really brought the dish alive.

Both dishes were delectable.

The Cookbook Addict