crispy duck breast with duck-leg croquettes, drunken cherries, Marcona almonds, spiced butternut squash purée, duck jus
Recipe courtesy of Peter Spear, WCMC, CEC, CCA, PCII, Executive Chef, MacGregor Downs Country Club (Cary, N.C.)
Ingredients
- duck breast - 2 ea., trimmed and skin scored
- Ingredients for duck-leg brine:
- apple cider - 1 qt.
- water - 1 qt.
- bay leaves - 2 ea.
- thyme - 6-8 sprigs
- sugar - 1/4 cup
- shallot - 1 ea., split in half
- garlic cloves - 2 to 4 ea., crushed
- duck-leg quarters - 2 ea., skin trimmed
- Ingredients for duck-leg croquettes:
- butter - 6 oz.
- flour - 6 oz.
- allspice - 1 tsp.
- heavy cream - 1 qt.
- thyme - 6 sprigs, picked and chopped
- Manchego cheese - 10 oz., grated
- duck legs - 2 ea., shredded (see recipe above)
- salt - to taste
- pepper - to taste
- flour - as needed
- egg - as needed
- panko - as needed
- Ingredients for drunken cherries:
- fresh cherries - 1/2 lb., pitted
- spiced rum - 2 cups
- sugar - 1/4 cup
- Ingredients for spiced butternut squash purée:
- butternut squash - 2 cups, small diced
- vegetable stock - 2 cups
- heavy cream - 1 cup
- butter - 8 oz., small diced
- allspice - 2 tsp.
- brown sugar - 1 oz.
- salt - to taste
- pepper - to taste
- Ingredients for duck jus:
- duck carcass - 1 ea.
- celery - 2 cups
- oil - 1/2 cup
- white wine - 2 cups
- carrot - 1 cup
- white onion - 1 cup
- bay leaves - 4 ea.
- thyme - 10 sprigs
- garlic cloves - 6 ea.
Instructions
Procedure for duck-leg brine
- In a pot, bring ingredients to a slow boil.
- Chill until below 40°F. Pour over duck legs and let stand for 24 to 48 hours.
- Preheat oven to 300°F. In a deep, 1/3 hotel pan, add the duck-leg quarters, then top with brine. Cover with parchment paper, then aluminum foil.
- Slow-cook until fork-tender, about 3 to 4 hours
- Remove from the oven, take out of brine, and shred the duck legs while still hot.
Procedure for duck-leg croquettes:
- In a sauce pot, melt down the butter. Add the flour and allspice to the butter once it’s melted and mix until fully incorporated.
- Cool the roux. Slowly add cream, whisking to keep it from getting lumpy.
- Add thyme, Manchego and shredded duck legs. Mix until all ingredients are fully incorporated.
- Season with salt and pepper to taste.
- Spread thin on a sheet pan to cool.
- Once cooled, use a 1/2-oz. to 1-oz. scoop. Roll into a ball and bread with flour, egg and panko.
- Place into the freezer for 1 hour.
- Fry in 350°F oil until golden-brown and internal temperature reaches 165°F.
Procedure for drunken cherries:
- Remove the pits from the cherries.
- In container, add the cherries, sugar and spiced rum.
- Let sit for 24 hours.
Procedure for spiced butternut squash purée:
- In a sauce pot, add the butternut squash and vegetable stock. Bring to a boil and then reduce to a simmer until tender. Strain the butternut squash from the liquid. Save the liquid.
- In a second sauce pot, reduce the heavy cream by half.
- Place the butternut squash into a Vitamix. Set to purée and add heavy cream and allspice.
- Adjust the consistency with the vegetable stock. Once it has reached the consistency you want, add butter. Season with salt and pepper.
Procedure for duck jus:
- In a large stock pot, add the oil.
- Once the oil is hot, add the duck bones. Stir until golden-brown.
- Remove the duck. Add the aromatics and stir until golden-brown. Deglaze with the 2 cups of white wine and reduce by half.
- Cover with cold water and bring to a boil. Reduce to a simmer.
- Reduce the stock by half, then strain. Add the stock back to a pot and reduce by half
- Add 2 to 3 pats of butter to the stock and whisk in.
Procedure for duck breast:
- In a cold pan, place the seasoned duck breast skin-side down on. Place over a medium-heat to render the skin. Flip the duck breast and baste with rendered duck fat. Continue cooking until you achieve the desired cooking temperature.
