Curry duck is surely one of our corner stone dishes here in Trinidad and Tobago, especially when we’re hanging out with friends and family. Gracing many a pot, be it by the beach or by the river, you’re sure to find curry duck bubbling on a three stone fireside…..
Stop!
That writing sounds like a real tourism advertisement don’t you think? OK, here’s the real low down on a good Trini Curry Duck…..
Curry Duck: The Ultimate Lime Experience
Before we even venture to talking I feel I must say a little about the culture that surrounds this and many of our traditional meals……Cooking a curry duck by the river is the ultimate lime experience here in Trinidad and Tobago, at least to me. See if you can picture this: the curry duck bubbling on the fire; children playing in the river water, cool and inviting; some chutney or chutney soca music blasting from a car and of course alcohol flowing like water…. I could almost smell that pot of curry duck now 🙂 Are you?
You may be wondering why curry duck? In this setting the curry duck, although usually served with buss up shut, is used as “cutters” by the men who are drinking alcohol. The spicy curry duck is believed to “cut” the buzz and prolong the drinking of even more alcohol. “Rum till I die lol” 🙂
This and many other cooking traditions has been so interwoven into the fabric of our society that it is Trini to the core. Can you imagine what the dishes would be made around Christmas time, Lent, or even carnival? This is what I’m getting at. The food served at different times or events are part and parcel of who we are as Trinbagonians.
How about this description? Tell me if you can imagine it.
It is Friday evening and you’ve finished working and on your way home to Chaguanas. Before you take the green band maxi taxi to Chaguanas from Curepe you decide to have a little snack….The only thought on your mind now is a piping hot “Sauce Doubles” and you’re in luck. The crowd is still not so thick, so you could try to get a doubles or two before the real rush starts.
“Gimme two doubles, slight pepper with everything”, you blurt out and in no time quick hands place two bara on a piece of wax paper with the spoon in the right hand deftly working the different condiments with just enough of the spoon dipped into the pepper in passing to make it just right; not too hot just a bit of what I call “cool burn”. In one twisting movement of the hands the doubles is wrapped and placed in a brown paper bag for the “checker” who add some napkins and gives you change for ah twenty….all this happens in less than 10 seconds. Next order!…….
It’s an art I tell you. It is part of us. So, in keeping with our favourite cooking traditions I present to you curry duck …..Just curry duck alone though minus the river, fireside and a car blasting “Mousie” and “Jho Jho” lol!! 🙂
Enjoy!
Curry Duck Recipe
Ingredients for seasoning
3 lbs duck, chopped
3 tbsp curry, (chief brand duck and goat curry – see pic)
4 cloves garlic, minced
2 tbsp lime juice
1 tsp black pepper
1 tbsp salt
1 tbsp amchar masala
4 tbsp green seasoning
1 tsp hot pepper sauce
Ingredients to cook
6 pimento peppers, chopped
1 hot pepper
1/2 onion, sliced
6 methi seeds (fenugreek)
1 tbsp curry
1/2 tbsp saffron (Turmeric)
1 tbsp amchar masala, divided
water for curry mixture + water for cooking
2 cups coconut milk
2 tbsp oil
OK this is the curry we’re going to use. Chief Brand has a duck and goat curry powder that gives the duck that extra zing that I love so much. So, make sure and get this curry powder for your duck.
Chop the duck into bite size pieces and wash with lime. Drain.
Add the garlic, salt, black pepper…
…curry and masala,
hot pepper sauce and green seasoning.
Mix thoroughly and place in fridge to marinate for at least three hours or at best overnight.
Heat oil and add methi seeds. In the mean time mix the curry, turmeric and masala in about 2 tbsp of water.
When the seeds start to bubble add the curry mixture and stir for about 2 minutes.
Then add the seasoned duck.
Add a little water and let simmer for about 30 – 40 minutes or until tender.
Within the first 20 minutes of cooking add the coconut milk and hot pepper.
About 10 minutes before the duck is done and a bit tender add the 6 pimento peppers…
and remaining 1/2 tbsp masala.
Let it dry down a bit ( Bonje). You could leave a bit of water for sauce.
Serve with dhal puri or buss up shut, curry aloo and channa, with some pommecythere kuchela.
Curry Duck
Ingredients
- INGREDIENTS FOR SEASONING
- 3 lbs duck chopped
- 3 tbsp curry (chief brand duck and goat curry)
- 4 cloves garlic minced
- 2 tbsp lime juice
- 1 tsp black pepper
- 1 tbsp salt
- 1 tbsp amchar masala
- 4 tbsp green seasoning
- 1 tsp hot pepper sauce
- INGREDIENTS TO COOK
- 6 pimento peppers chopped
- 1 hot pepper
- 1/2 onion sliced
- 6 methi seeds fenugreek
- 1 tbsp curry
- 1/2 tbsp saffron Turmeric
- 1 tbsp amchar masala divided
- water for curry mixture + water for cooking
- 1 hot pepper
- 2 cups coconut milk
- 2 tbsp oil
Instructions
- Chop the duck into bite size pieces and wash with lime. Drain.
- Add the garlic, salt, black pepper curry and masala,
- hot pepper sauce and green seasoning.
- Mix thoroughly and place in fridge to marinate for at least three hours or at best overnight.
- Heat oil and add methi seeds. In the mean time mix the curry, turmeric and masala in about 2 tbsp of water.
- When the seeds start to bubble add the curry mixture and stir for about 2 minutes.
- Then add the seasoned duck.
- Add a little water and let simmer for about 30 – 40 minutes or until tender.
- Within the first 20 minutes of cooking add the coconut milk and hot pepper.
- About 10 minutes before the duck is done and a bit tender add the 6 pimento peppers…
- and remaining 1/2 tbsp masala.
- Let it dry down a bit ( Bonje). You could leave a bit of water for sauce.
- Serve with dhal puri or buss up shut, curry aloo and channa, with some pommecythere kuchela.
I can’t provide you with a car blasting some stinging chutney music but I could sure hit you with a video while you enjoy your curry duck lol!! Here’s “Mousie” and “Jho Jho”. Enjoy!
Well I don’t have to tell you what to do by now. But, just in case…just leave a comment or two for my curry duck recipe.
Ah gone!
Cut that pepper and take a bite…
love curry duck with provision…yum.
Best with breadfruit!
Thank you Felix. Finally! :-))
Yes Mark I always deliver 🙂
Curry Duck competition in Orlando soon…
Hey Felix it doesn’t need some geera? I will follow your recipe since everything you have posted came out excellent.
Since we used Chief Brand duck and goat curry we had no need to add geera. That type of curry already has geera in it.
With roti
curry duck,yummy anytime
Thank you Felix…will try. As always your recipes have been a success and my friends love it!!!! Can’t wait for the Divali sweets line up especially the ladoo…..
Yes! Finally Felix! *happy dance*
Curry almost anything and ah in dat….
I REALLLLLLLLL enjoyed this article
Felix I have to give you props for great recipes and great writing 🙂 You certainly know how to trigger great memories some from childhood and others from not so distant past. Keep up the great job…
Thank you Rachel 🙂
boy yuh don no the real river vibes, with ah little mousi playing.
Keep up the good work.
Going and bubble ah duck now
I usally place a tea spoon of amchar masala in my curry mix and a whole hot pepper. Curry duck is not curry duck without pepper
Totally agree 🙂
Thank you Chef, I have been using this recipe for a few years now and it’s always a success!!!!
Thanks for a real nice recipe . The only thing that i was wondering about i see hotpepper 2 times and hotepepper sause as well.
I am looking forward to do this today.
Best regards
Matt
Hey Matjaz, the pepper sauce is for seasoning the duck. The other pepper is to cook the duck. The second hot pepper was a typo. Fixed it. Thanks for noticing 🙂
Trying this tonight but couldn’t find when the onion goes in. I did right before putting the duck in. Will see how it goes.