When my sister and her cousin Kim came to visit me in Beijing this week, we naturally made the trip to sample the city’s most famous meal, Peking Duck.
The duck was acquired as leftovers because of the abundance of other meals served alongside the crispy bird. As a result, I made the world’s greatest grilled cheese sandwich using Peking duck.
It’s a perfect example of fusion cooking. You can buy the pre-made duck from an Asian market or quickly create your own by searing a skin-on duck breast.
Ingredients:
- 6 ounces of cooked duck with crispy skin (sliced)
- 4 thin cucumber slices
- 4 slices of Gruyère or cheddar
- 4 thin, crisp cantaloupe slices
- 2 slices of high quality thick soft white bread
- 1 tablespoon of softened butter
- 1 tablespoon of chopped green onion
- 2 teaspoons of hoisin sauce
- 2 teaspoons of mayonnaise
- 1 teaspoon of chopped cilantro
- a pinch of five-spice powder
Instructions:
- Get a half tablespoon of butter and spread it on each piece of bread. Mix the mayonnaise, green onion, cilantro, hoisin, and five spice powder together in a small bowl to spread the green onion hoisin. The mixture should be spread over the uncut side of each slice of bread.
- Warm a pan over low to medium heat. Butter-side down, and add one bread piece to the pan.
- To finish, layer the rest of the ingredients on top, starting with the cheese and ending with the cantaloupe and cucumber. Place the remaining buttered slice of bread on top of each sandwich.
- Brown the bottom of the pizza on the grill while the cheese melts. Flip the sandwich carefully and press down lightly with a spatula. Turn the bread over and continue grilling until both sides are toasted and the cheese is melted.