- Yield: 4 plates
Pan-Seared Duck Breast with Parsnip Purée, Duck Fat Parisienne Potatoes, Wilted Swiss Chard, Roasted Maitake Mushrooms, and Blackberry Red Wine Sauce
Recipe courtesy of Jesus Aguilar, Banquet and Event Chef, Wee Burn Country Club (Darrien, Conn.)
Ingredients
- Ingredients for duck breast:
- duck breast - 2 ea., 453 gms.
- garlic cloves - 42 gms., peeled, whole
- thyme sprigs - 1 gm.
- salt - to taste
- pepper - to taste
- Ingredients for Parsnip Purée:
- parsnip - 85 gms., peeled, medium dice
- Spanish onion - 43 gms., julienned
- butter - 14 gms., soft
- heavy cream - 459 gms.
- kosher salt - to taste
- Ingredients for duck fat Parisienne potatoes:
- Yukon gold potatoes - 280 gms., approx. 20 spheres
- butter - 56 gms.
- duck fat - 56 gms., rendered from trimmings
- thyme sprigs - 1 gm.
- flaky sea salt - to taste
- Ingredients for wilted Swiss chard:
- Swiss chard - 92 gms., cleaned, stems removed
- olive oil - 28 gms.
- garlic - 28 gms., minced
- salt - to taste
- pepper - to taste
- Ingredients for roasted maitake mushrooms:
- maitake mushrooms - 114 gms., florets or 2 large pieces
- thyme sprigs - 1 gm.
- extra virgin olive oil - for tossing
- salt - to taste
- pepper - to taste
- Ingredients for Blackberry Red Wine Sauce:
- shallots - 57 gms., small dice
- blackberries - 57 gms., fresh
- pinot noir - 459 gms.
- black peppercorns - 16 ea.
- reduced veal stock - 549 gms.
- Ingredients for garnish:
- gooseberries - 6 ea., cut in half
- borage blossoms - to taste
- fennel fronds - to taste
Instructions
Procedure for duck breast:
- Trim excess fat from the duck and reserve it for the potatoes.
- Score the skin in a crosshatch pattern, pat it dry, and leave it out to air dry while preparing the other components.
- Generously season the skin side; season the flesh side just before cooking.
- Place the duck skin-side down in a cold pan over low heat. Render the fat for 7-8 minutes, keeping the breast flat for even cooking.
- Flip the breast, add garlic cloves and thyme, and baste with rendered fat.
- Cook over medium heat until the internal temperature reaches 120°F (medium-rare).
- Rest the duck, allowing carryover cooking to finish, then slice lengthwise to serve two plates.
Procedure for parsnip purée:
- Peel and dice parsnips; julienne the onion.
- In a small pot over low heat, sauté the onion in butter with a pinch of salt until translucent.
- Add parsnips and heavy cream, then increase to medium-low heat. Do not allow the cream to boil.
- Cook until parsnips are tender (test with a fork or toothpick).
- Blend until smooth, adjust seasoning, and return to the stove to thicken to a purée consistency.
Procedure for duck fat Parisienne potatoes:
- Using a melon baller, cut out 20 potato spheres.
- Cook the potato spheres in salted water until tender, then pat dry.
- Fry in reserved duck fat with butter and thyme until golden brown. Sprinkle with flaky sea salt.
Procedure for wilted Swiss chard:
- Tear Swiss chard into ribbons without stems.
- Heat olive oil in a pan until smoking, then reduce to medium heat.
- Add Swiss chard and minced garlic; season with salt and pepper.
- Cook for less than a minute, keeping the leaves intact. Transfer to a cold pan and set aside.
Procedure for roasted maitake mushrooms:
- Toss mushroom florets with olive oil, thyme, salt, and pepper.
- Roast in a convection oven at 325°F for 4 minutes.
- Transfer to a cold pan and hold for plating.
Procedure for blackberry red wine sauce:
- In a small pot, combine shallots, blackberries, and pinot noir. Reduce by half.
- Add peppercorns and veal stock, then reduce to desired thickness.
- Strain out solids and blend to emulsify the sauce. Adjust seasoning if needed.
- Hold in a small pot for plating.
To plate:
- Starting with the parsnip purée, place a spoonful at 11 o’clock on the plate. Put the spoon at the center of the purée and swoosh it down to 7 o’clock.
- Place swiss chard ribbons center plate right next to the purée swoosh.
- Place the maitake mushrooms at 2 o’clock on the plate, slightly overlapping the swiss chard.
- Lay duck breast with the flesh side up, over the Swiss chard from 1 o’clock to 4 o’clock.
- Place 5 potatoes around the duck, inverting in space with 2 on the parsnip purée side and 3 on the opposite side.
- Place gooseberries near the potatoes.
- Spoon the red wine blackberry sauce at the 4 o’clock tip of the duck breast.
- Decorate with borage blossoms and fennel fronds.
