Recipes

Around The World in 80 Ways

Mock Duck Pancakes

Serves 2
10-15 minutes

This is a brilliant alternative to the traditional recipe – and much kinder to ducks, of course!  Lots of small dishes of food on the table also make it look appetizing and because you assemble each wrap yourself and pass dishes around, it’s a very communal-style meal – a great conversation starter!  

Stir-fry
1 tbsp cooking oil (not olive)
1 large red pepper
225g/8oz seitan (pronounced ‘satan’ and available from health food shops, e.g Vegetalia or Yakso brands. Also ‘mock duck’ or gluten available in tins from oriental supermarkets)
Large handful of beansprouts

Accompaniments
4 radishes, cut into slices
4 spring onions, cut into approximately 7cm/3 inch slices and then into thin slivers lengthways
4-6 soft tortillas/wraps OR 1 pack of Chinese pancakes (available in freezer of oriental stores)

Sauce
60 ml/4tbsp shoyu soya sauce
2 tbsp rice or cider vinegar
2 tsp date or maple syrup
2 tsp cornflour
1 tsp grated root ginger
1 large clove garlic, crushed
½ -1 tsp dark miso, to taste

1. Prepare all vegetables for stir-fry, accompaniments and sauce.
2. Slice seitan or mock duck into thin slices.
3. Place sliced spring onions and radishes in separate small bowls.
4. Make sauce:
   • Place all ingredients (except miso) in a small pan.
   • Heat gently until simmering, stirring continuously.
   • When sauce is thickened, add the miso to taste.
   • Place in a small serving bowl and keep warm until rest of meal is ready.
5. Slice wraps into 2 or 4 pieces, depending on size (no need to do this if you have Chinese pancakes, as they are small).
6. Gently warm the wraps in oven or microwave and keep warm in a clean tea-towel or foil.
7. Heat a wok or large frying-pan.until hot.
8. Add oil, then stir-fry red pepper and seitan until red pepper softened and seitan browned – about 3 minutes.
9. Just before the end, add the bean sprouts and warm through with rest of stir-fry.
10. Place stir-fry in a serving bowl.
11. Put all bowls of food and wraps on the table.
12. Each person takes one wrap and smears some sauce on it.
13. Add a few spring onions, radish slices and stir-fry mix to wrap.
14. Roll up and eat.
15. Repeat!