Braised Duck Or Mussels W. Red Curry

2 five-pound ducks

Salt and freshly ground black pepper -- to taste 1/4 cup rendered duck fat or vegetable oil

16 medium shallots -- thinly sliced

8 garlic cloves -- minced

2 tablespoons freshly grated ginger

1/4 cup red curry paste -- see recipe

5 cups brown duck stock or chicken stock

1/4 cup fish sauce

1 can coconut milk -- (14 oz)

3 tablespoons palm sugar or brown sugar

1/4 cup fresh lime juice

2 bunches cilantro--chopped -- stems trimmed

2 limes -- peeled and diced

1 bunch scallions:

white & 1/2 green part only -- trimmed & thinly sliced along diagonal 1 recipe jasmine rice -- see recipe

Bone ducks and remove the skin. (You can ask a butcher to do this, reserving the carcass for stock makingand skin for rendering.) Cut breasts in half, then into about 3 pieces across the width. Chop legs and thighs into about 4 pieces each. (Remember: You want to start with generous pieces of meat, since they will shrink when cooked. Don't worry about cleaning the tendons, since they will soften with long cooking.) Sprinkle meat with salt and pepper. Heat rendered fat in a large, heavy bottomed Dutch oven over high heat. Brown duck on all sides, then transfer meat to a platter. Reduce heat to medium low and cook shallots until well browned, about 15 minutes. Add garlic and ginger, increase heat to medium high and cook about a minute, then add curry paste. Cook, stirring constantly, about 3 minutes. Return duck meat to pot along with brown duck stock and cook at a slow simmer, uncovered, until meat is tender, about 40 minutes. With a slotted spoon, transfer meat to a platter and reserve in a warm place. Puree sauce in a blender and strain back into pot. Cook over high heat until liquid is reduced by one third. Stir in fish sauce, coconut milk, sugar, and lime juice, and remove from heat. Stir duck back into warm sauce. Ladle stew over Jasmine Rice. Garnish with remaining ingredients and serve immediately.

Variation RED CURRY WITH MUSSELS: 4 pounds fresh mussels, washed and debearded

Prepare above recipe, substituting vegetable oil instead of duck fat, andfish stock in place of duck stock. After cooking the sauce, add the mussels along with the stock and simmer mussels until shells open. After transferring to platter, remove mussels from shells and stir into warm sauce. TAMALES WORLD TOUR SHOW #WT1A08