crispy buttermilk fried duck breast, herb and sweet corn pancake, dark blackberry balsamic glaze, sweet red wine poached peach
Recipe courtesy of Trever Travis, Executive Chef, River Bend Club (Great Falls, Va.)
Ingredients
- Jurgielewicz Duck Breast
- local duck - clean and trim the breasts, removing excess fat
- salt - to taste
- pepper - to taste
- aromatics such as thyme and rosemary - to taste
- garlic clove - 1 piece, smashed
- Blackberry Balsamic Glaze
- blackberries - 4 pints
- sugar - 4 cups
- balsamic vinegar - 2 quarts
- cinnamon stick - 1 ea.
- lemon - 1 ea., juice
- cornstarch - to thicken
- Herb Corn Pancake
- milk - 125 gms.
- heavy cream - 125 gms., 36%
- all-purpose flour - 130 gms.
- egg yolk - 1 ea.
- egg whites - 3 ea.,
- sugar - pinch
- Red Wine Poached Pears
- pears - fresh, peel, slice 2 pieces off each side and reserve the remaining fruit for other application
- red wine - as needed
- sugar - a little
- For Service
- buttermilk
- flour
- cornstarch mix
- BBQ rub
- For Garnish
- corn kernels
- nasturtium leaf
- golden fennel fronds
Instructions
Procedure for Duck Breast:
(Chef's note: I like to use a local duck raised in Pennsylvania.)
- Clean and trim the duck breasts, removing excess fat.
- Season with salt and pepper and pan-sear, rendering as much of the fat as possible.
- After cooling, place in vacuum bag with aromatics such as thyme and rosemary, 1 piece of smashed garlic clove and a bit of the rendered fat.
- Sous-vide at 130°F for 45 minutes to an hour until rare. Chill in ice bath and reserve for later.
Procedure for Blackberry Balsamic Glaze:
- In a pot, place 4 pints blackberries, 4 cups sugar, 2 quarts balsamic vinegar, 1 cinnamon stick and juice of 1 lemon.
- Reduce until approximately 3 cups pf product is remaining and thicken with corn starch until a nice consistency is reached.
- Mix all ingredients together and fold egg whites at end. (Chef's note: Flour amounts may need to be adjusted prior to adding whipped egg whites. I believe I had to add more flour. )
- Once finished, you should have a little thicker than normal batter. I then added corn kernels sauteed in butter seasoned with citrus seasoning and a little chipotle powder.
- Add fresh herbs for the final touch.
Procedure for Herb Corn Pancake:
(Chef's note: The technique on this pancake is a little unusual but makes for a clean-looking blini.)
- Take a nonstick pan and heat on medium heat. Spray the pan with pan coating.
- Place metal cylinders approximately 2 inches wide and 2.5 inches tall in the pan and spray sides with pan coating also.
- Pour batter into metal molds about 3/4-full. Place in 350°F oven for about 8 minutes until fully cooked through.
- Cool for 5 minutes and use a paring knife to remove from mold. Reserve for later.
Procedure for Red Wine Poached Pears:
- Take fresh pears and peel. Slice 2 pieces off each side and reserve the remaining fruit for other application.
- Place in vacuum bag with red wine and a little sugar, depending on sweetness of peaches.
- Sous-vide at 170°F for about 20-30 minutes. (Chef's note: The time will definitely vary depending on the ripeness of the fruit.)
- Once soft, place in ice bath and reserve. (Chef's note: The simple syrup produced is great for making sangria!)
Assembly:
- One hour before service, slice duck breast about ¼-inch thick and marinate in buttermilk seasoned with a conventional BBQ rub. (Chef's note: We make our own.)
- Dip into flour and cornstarch mix seasoned with BBQ rub and place on tray. Rest in fridge for 1 hour
- Immediately prior to serving, dredge in flour mix again and fry until crispy. Season with salt immediately after.
- Serve with warm pancake, poached peach and sauce. Add corn kernels for garnish if desired.
- Garnish with nasturtium leaf and golden fennel fronds.
