Divine Smoked Duck Breast And Roasted Apples Food

CRISPY DUCK & BAKED APPLES

Steps:

• Heat oven to 120C/fan 100C/gas ½. Pull any excess fat from the duck's cavity and use a roasting fork or skewer to prick the skin of the duck all over - do this lightly as you don't want to pierce the meat. Rub the duck generously inside and out with flaky sea salt, then lay, breast-side down, on a rack over a roasting tray. Roast the duck for 3 hrs, pricking again every now and then should you happen to pass by. While the duck is cooking, score a line gently around the middle of each apple and set aside (this stops them exploding when they cook).
• After 3 hrs, remove duck from the oven and turn the heat to 180C/fan 160C/gas 4. Sit the duck on a plate and carefully pour away most of the fat from the tin. Return the duck to the rack, right way up, and continue to roast for 30 mins. Put the apples in under the duck or around the side and roast for a final 30 mins. By now you should have the crispiest duck and apples on the verge of collapse. Leave the duck to rest for 10 mins, then carve and serve with the apples.

DUCK BREAST WITH APPLE-POMEGRANATE SAUCE

Steps:

• Heat a medium saute pan over medium-high heat and add the oil.
• Cut a crosshatch pattern into the skin of the duck breasts. Be careful to not cut through to the flesh.
• Season the skin side with the curry and the flesh side with salt. Place in the pan, skin side down. Cook on the skin side to render of some of the fat and crisp up the skin, 5 to 7 minutes. Once the skin is crisp, flip the breasts, reduce the heat to medium, and cook on the flesh side for about 4 minutes for medium-rare. Once cooked, remove from the pan and allow the meat to rest for 5 minutes.
• Make the sauce in the same pan used for the duck. (Wipe out the pan if you have burned bits on the bottom, and add some butter.) Place the pan over medium-high heat and add 1 tablespoon butter. Deglaze the pan with the pomegranate juice. Allow the juice to simmer and reduce by half. Turn off the heat and stir in the remaining 2 tablespoons butter. Taste and season with a pinch of sugar if the sauce tastes too tart.
• When plating, slice the duck breast thinly and spoon the warm sauce over the duck. Serve with Mashed Sweet Potatoes with Goat Cheese and Sauteed Julienned Vegetables.
• Peel and slice the sweet potatoes into 1/2-inch pieces. Place the potatoes in a large saucepan, fill with water to cover the potatoes, and add some salt. Bring the water to a boil over medium-high heat. Cook the potatoes until fork tender, about 13 minutes. Stick a fork in a potato piece and if it goes in easily, it's done.
• Drain the potatoes well. Transfer them to a food processor and blend until smooth. Add the goat cheese, honey, ginger, cinnamon, butter, and 1/2 teaspoon salt. Blend again until everything is well combined. Transfer to a bowl and let cool for 1 minute.
• Spoon the potatoes into a zip-top plastic bag or a pastry bag with a tip for piping, or spoon directly onto plates. If piping, cut a hole in the tip and pipe onto the plate.
• Heat a saute pan over medium heat and add some oil. Saute the julienned vegetables and season with salt and pepper. Cook until the vegetables are just softened, 3 to 5 minutes. Taste a bite and cook for another minute if the vegetables are still hard.

DIVINE SMOKED DUCK BREAST AND ROASTED APPLES

Steps:

• Reduce the apple juice until only 50 ml remains.
• Cut the apples in four quarters and then in thiner slices (french fries style) but leaving on every slice one side with the skin of the apple.
• Heat the butter in a pan and roast the pieces of apple. Add in sugar and lemon juice. .
• Remove from heat and let cool.
• Add in the boiled apple juice and honey, then mix with the apples. I use the Leatherwood Tasmanian Honey that is more consistent and stronger in taste than regular honey (like Acacia).
• Chop the hazelnuts and grill them in a fat-free pan until they start to smell. You can substitute hazelnuts for pinenutes (no need to roast them).
• Peel the shallot, slice it into small cubes and mix with the balsamic vinegar, olive oil, salt and pepper to taste. Season the young lettuce with this vinaigrette. Add on top of the lettuce the slices of roasted apples and smoked duck breast. Personally I add in my plate a little bit of the juice cooking from apples as well because I find it delicious. Top everything with roasted hazelnut or pinenutes.

DUCK BREAST WITH POMEGRANATE APPLE GLAZE

Steps:

• For the duck breast: Heat a medium saute pan over medium-high heat and add the oil.
• Cut a crosshatch pattern into the skin of the duck breast, being careful to not cut through to the flesh. Season the skin side with the curry powder and the flesh side with some salt. Place in the pan, skin-side down. Cook, to render of some of the fat and crisp up the skin, 5 to 7 minutes. Flip, reduce the heat to medium, and cook on the flesh side for about 4 minutes for medium-rare. Remove from the pan and allow the meat to rest for 5 minutes.
• For the pomegranate apple glaze: Make the sauce in the same pan used for the duck. (Wipe out the pan if you have burned bits on the bottom, and add some butter.) Place the pan over medium-high heat and add 1 tablespoon butter. Add the apple and onion and saute until onion is just translucent. Deglaze the pan with the pomegranate juice, then allow the juice to simmer and reduce by half. Turn off the heat and stir in the remaining 2 tablespoons butter. Taste and season with sugar if the sauce tastes too tart.
• For the julienned vegetables: Heat a saute pan over medium heat and add some oil. Add the julienned vegetables and season to taste with salt and pepper. Cook, stirring occasionally, until the vegetables are just softened, 3 to 5 minutes.
• Slice duck breast and serve with sauce on top and vegetables on the side.