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A Decadent, Refined Dinner That is Hard to Match

Duck is one of the first things I ate that made me realize that food could be something to be elevated. From the perspective of the uninitiated, duck seems foreign and a bit odd. As its flesh is more like a steak than other poultry, duck’s preparation and cooking does have a bit of a learning curve to it. However, the uniqueness of well-prepared duck lends a decadence and refinement that’s hard to match.

This recipe seems to have a lot going on with it and may come off as a lot to handle at once. Approaching it step by step, and moving through it in sequence will simply it for you. Don’t worry about taking your time as you go. With the exception of the duck breast, all the other components are meant to be served at or near room temperature to get their full flavor.

I used a D’Artagnan Muscovy duck breast, which has both sides of the duck breast still attached and bones removed, and weighs about 2.25 pounds. I used half of it for the recipe.

The culinary term “suprême” refers to the best part of an ingredient. When referring to citrus, it means segments of the citrus fruit free of any pith or peel. Achieving this does require a bit of practice with your knife work, but is one of the fundamental culinary skills to master. There are several video tutorials on the Internet that illustrate the technique much better than I could deliver in words here without getting too in depth.

When cooking the duck, it is important to cook it slowly so all the fat from the skin fully renders. If the pan is too hot, the skin will begin to burn before the fat has all cooked out, and you will have a cap of unpalatable fat just under the skin. You will have to drain some of the fat from the pan as you cook; save all of this. Duck fat is culinary gold and has many, many applications as an instant flavor enhancer.

As mentioned earlier, the flesh of duck breast is much more similar to t filet mignon than other poultry. Serving temperatures match those of a steak ranging from medium rare to well done. However it’s strongly suggested, much like a filet, to serve duck at medium rare to avoid overcooking. Cook the duck in the pan until about 115 degrees before moving to the oven and taking it to 125°. Let it rest on a wire rack or paper towel for 5 to 10 minutes. This should give you a nice rosy medium rare.

Chef David Ferguson of Guilford offers personal chef services, cooking classes, and special events. To find out more, visit www.familymealdfh.com

Roast Duck Breast, Beets 2-Ways, Parsnip Puree, Grapefruit Suprêmes, Tarragon, Mint, Duck Fat Vinaigrette

Prep Time: 40 minutes. Cook Time: 1½ hour. Serves: 2

INGREDIENTS:

1 whole duck breast

ground nutmeg

salt and pepper to taste

2-3 large ruby grapefruit; 1 reserved for

suprêmes, 1-2 juiced

¼ cup fresh picked tarragon leaves

¼ cup fresh picked mint leaves

Pickled Golden Beets

2 medium sized golden beets; scrubbed and

slice very thin on a mandolin

½ cup white wine vinegar

¼ cup reserved fresh grapefruit juice

¼ cup sugar

1 tbsp coriander seeds

2 sprigs fresh tarragon

2 sprigs fresh mint

Parsnip Puree

1 large parsnip; peeled and chopped into

1” pieces

2 cups vegetable stock

1 tbsp unsalted butter

salt and pepper to taste

Steamed Red Beets

3 medium sized red beets; scrubbed and

stems removed

½ cup water

¼ cup reserved fresh grapefruit juice

¼ brandy

2 tbsp honey

4 fresh tarragon sprigs

4 fresh mint sprigs

Duck Fat Vinaigrette

1 shallots; finely chopped

1 golden beet; finely chopped

¼ cup brandy

¼ cup reserved steaming liquid

2 tbsp white wine vinegar

¼ cup reserved fresh grapefruit juice

¼ cup reserved duck fat

½ cup extra virgin olive oil

METHOD:

Preheat your oven to 400 degrees. Toss the red beets in oil in a 13” x 9” baking pan and season with salt and pepper. Add water, brandy, grapefruit juice, honey, tarragon, and mint. Cover the pan tightly with foil to allow steam to build up, and roast beets until fork tender, 60–75 minutes. Remove the beets from the oven and cool on a wire rack, reserving ¼ cup of the steaming liquid. To remove the skins, drop each beet in a bowl of cold water and gently brush off skin. Halve or quarter once skins are removed.

Using a sharp knife, score the skin of the duck breasts in crisscross pattern. It’s best to do this when the duck has been held in the fridge for a while and is still quite cold. Placing the cuts becomes more difficult with the breast and skin at room temperature. Be careful, and work slowly so you cut the skin only; do not cut through the meat. Space the cuts 1 inch apart. Sprinkle duck breasts on both sides with salt, pepper, and nutmeg. Return the duck to the fridge to hold until you’re ready.

Place the yellow beets in a mixing bowl. Combine vinegar, sugar, and grapefruit juice in a small saucepan. Bring up to a boil and cook until sugar completely dissolves. Remove from heat; stir in mint, tarragon, and coriander seeds. Pour vinegar mixture over beets; cover and chill.

Place finely diced shallots and beets in a sauté pan along with 1 tbsp of vegetable over medium-high heat. Cook until shallots become fragrant and turn translucent. Turn off all flames on your cook top and add brandy to the pan. Keeping the pan at a distance, use a stick lighter or kitchen match to ignite the brandy. Return the pan to low heat, allowing the brandy to burn off and reduce. Add in reserved steaming liquid and vinegar and reduce, stirring occasionally, until liquid has almost completely reduced to a thin syrup.

Place parsnips in a medium saucepan with vegetable stock and set over medium-high heat. Bring the pan up to a low boil and simmer until parsnips are tender, about 10-12 minutes. Drain the parsnips reserving ½ cup of the vegetable stock. Place parsnips in a blender or food processor and run on high, drizzling in reserved vegetable stock until a very smooth puree develops. Add butter and mix until fully incorporated. Season with salt and pepper to taste.

Heat a large skillet over medium-high heat. Add duck breasts, skin side down. Reduce heat to medium and cook slowly, stopping occasionally to drain off and reserve rendered fat. Cook until skin is crisp and golden, about 10-12 minutes. Turn duck breasts over and just “kiss” with the fat for about 30 seconds. Turn the duck breasts skin side down again and place the pan in the oven and cook for about 3 minutes longer for medium-rare. Remove from heat and let duck rest 5 minutes.

Add reduced shallots and beets along with ¼ cup grapefruit juice to mixing bowl. Whisk in ¼ cup of reserved duck fat along with ½ cup extra virgin olive oil. Season with salt and pepper and lightly dress the picked tarragon and mint leaves.

Thinly slice duck crosswise. Plate parsnip puree and arrange duck, along with red beets, on top of puree. Garnish with grapefruit suprêmes, pickled golden beets, and dressed tarragon and mint leaves.