Duck Breast Over Greens Food

DUCK BREAST

Steps:

• The day before: score the skin of the duck breast to help render the fat. Either use a very sharp knife to score the skin in a criss cross, diagonal pattern, being careful to only cut the fat, not going into the duck meat at all. The second option for scoring duck breasts: use a sausage pricker. By gently pressing down all over the surface of the duck skin and fat, you're creating lots of tiny holes.
• Dry out the skin. Once the skin is scored (or pricked), place duck breasts on a rimmed baking sheet and refrigerate uncovered for 8-12 hours, or up to 3 days. The cold air from the refrigerator will help to dry out the skin. This is key to getting crispy skin when you render the fat.
• Preheat oven to 350F. Heat a small amount of canola oil (or other high smoke point oil, such as grapeseed or vegetable oil) in a large skillet over medium heat, no higher!
• Cook the duck breasts. Season the duck on both sides with salt and pepper, then add skin side down. Cook undisturbed for 5-8 minutes, or until the fat has rendered. You'll know the duck is ready to flip when it easily pulls away from the pan, the fat has shrunk significantly, and the skin is crispy and golden brown.
• Flip the duck. Gently turn the duck breasts over, being careful not to puncture the skin. (If you're adding any aromatics -- garlic, fresh herbs, etc -- this is the time to do so). Transfer the pan to a preheated oven and cook for 5-7 minutes (Pekin duck will only take an additional 3-5 minutes). Check temperature to ensure desired doneness is reached. For medium-rare, look for an internal temperature of 135 F.
• Rest the duck. Allow the duck breasts to rest for 5-10 minutes before slicing into ¼ - ½" thick slices. Meanwhile, make the sauce.
• Make the port cherry sauce. Sauté olive oil, garlic cloves, fresh thyme, and cherries in a sauce pan, about 1-2 minutes over medium-high heat, breaking up the jam with a spatula. Pour in port (or red wine) and chicken stock, then bring to a boil and reduce by half. Turn off the heat, add 1 Tbsp unsalted butter, then swirl the pan until butter gently melts. Serve over sliced duck with flake sea salt sprinkled on top.

DUCK BREASTS WITH CITRUS PORT CHERRY SAUCE

Steps:

• Preheat the oven to 400 degrees F.
• Score the skin of the duck breast with a knife in 2 directions, crossing over each other (makes a crosshatch). Season both sides of each duck breast with salt and pepper.
• In a large nonstick skillet, over medium-high heat, place the duck breasts skin side down. Sear the breasts until the skin is golden brown about 10 minutes, flip and sear the other side for just 3 minutes. Place the seared duck breasts in a baking dish skin side up, and put them in oven. Bake for 12 minutes. Remove the duck breasts from the oven and allow them to rest for 5 minutes.
• Meanwhile, pour off most excess fat from skillet, and place it back on the stovetop over medium heat. Add the shallots and saute until translucent. Pour in the port wine and orange juice, and scrape up any brown bits on the bottom of the pan. Add the orange zest and chopped cherries and bring to a boil. Simmer for about 5 minutes to reduce the mixture and thicken, mashing the cherries with the back of a wooden spoon to extract flavor as they cook.
• Slice the breasts into 1/4-inch slices on a diagonal. Pour the cherry port sauce over the top and enjoy!
• Cook's Note: excess duck fat can be refrigerated and is great for cooking potatoes or eggs.

PAN ROASTED DUCK BREAST

Steps:

• Preheat the oven to 400 degrees F.
• With a sharp knife score the fat of the duck breasts in a criss-cross pattern. Season the duck with salt and pepper. Warm a heavy bottomed ovenproof skillet over medium heat.
• Place the duck breasts, fat side down, in the skillet to render off the fat, about 6 minutes. Reserve rendered duck fat. Turn the duck breasts over and sear for 1 minute. Turn the fat side down again and place the skillet into the oven to roast for 7 to 9 minutes, until breasts are medium rare. Let the duck breasts rest for 5 minutes then thinly slice.
• Grate the potatoes and squeeze out excess liquid using your hands. Toss the potatoes with the melted butter, rosemary, salt, and pepper. Heat 1 tablespoon of duck fat in a 6-inch cast iron pan over medium-high heat. Press some of the potato mixture into the hot pan to make a 1/4-inch thick cake. Reduce the heat to medium and cook until the rosti is golden brown, about 5 minutes. Flip the rosti in the pan and add more duck fat. Continue cooking until golden and crisp. Place the finished rosti onto an unlined baking sheet and continue cooking the rest of the potato mixture. Reheat rosti in a 400 degree F oven for 10 minutes.
• Combine the brown sugar, raspberry vinegar, red wine vinegar, and white wine vinegar in a medium pot. Place over medium-low heat and stir to dissolve the brown sugar. Simmer for 5 minutes.
• Add the blueberries, onion, green peppercorns, lemon juice, and ginger. Reduce the heat to low and simmer for 45 minutes or until thickened, stirring occasionally to prevent scorching.
• The chutney will keep for several weeks stored in the refrigerator in an airtight container.

DUCK BREAST WITH MUSTARD GREENS, TURNIPS, AND RADISHES

Steps:

• Preheat oven to 400°. Score fat side of duck breasts 1/8" deep in a crosshatch pattern; season both sides with kosher salt and pepper. Heat 1 tablespoon vegetable oil in a large ovenproof skillet, preferably cast iron, over medium. Cook 2 duck breasts, skin side down, until fat is rendered and surface is deeply browned and crisp, 10-15 minutes; transfer to a plate. Wipe out skillet and repeat with remaining duck and 1 tablespoon vegetable oil.
• Arrange all duck breasts in skillet, fat side up, and roast in oven until an instantread thermometer inserted into the center of breasts registers 135°, 5-8 minutes. Transfer to a cutting board and let rest at least 5 minutes and up to 2 hours.
• Whisk Dijon mustard, mustard powder, lemon juice, and 3 tablespoons olive oil in a small bowl; season mustard sauce with kosher salt and pepper.
• Toss radishes, turnips, greens, vinegar, and remaining 2 tablespoons olive oil in a large bowl; season with kosher salt and pepper.
• Thinly slice duck. Scatter greens over a platter (or two) and top with duck. Sprinkle with sea salt and serve with mustard sauce alongside.

DUCK BREAST OVER GREENS

Steps:

• Toss the mesclun with the cubed Asian pear and salad dressing; season with salt and pepper and divide it among 4 dinner plates.
• Make sure to remove fat and skin from each duck breast half. Lightly season with salt and pepper.
• Heat a non-stick skillet until hot. Add olive oil and duck breasts, skin side down. Saute for to 4 minutes on one side and 2 minutes on the other for very rare duck (or longer if you don't like it rare).
• Remove duck to a cutting board. Add spices to skillet with tomatoes and stock. Simmer for 2 to 3 minutes or until reduced. Remove from heat.
• Cut the duck in thin diagonal slices and fan them over the salad in the center. Spoon the sauce over the duck and serve, garnished with olives.

DUCK BREAST WITH PINEAPPLE SALSA

Steps:

• Score the skin on each duck breast in a crosshatch pattern with a small, sharp knife. Flip over and sprinkle 1 1/2 teaspoons salt, 3/4 teaspoon pepper and the chile powder over the meat sides of the breasts.
• Heat a large, heavy skillet over medium-high heat until hot. Add the duck, skin-side down, and cook until the fat begins to render, about 2 minutes, then lower the heat to medium. Continue cooking, uncovered and without turning, until the fat has rendered and the skin is golden brown and crisp, about 15 minutes. (Spoon the excess rendered fat from the pan into a heatproof bowl as needed during cooking.) Flip the duck breasts and continue cooking until an instant-read thermometer inserted in the thickest part of the breast registers 135 degrees F for medium rare, about 5 minutes more. Transfer the duck to a cutting board and let rest 5 minutes.
• Meanwhile, combine the pineapple, jicama, cilantro, chile and lime juice in a large bowl, stirring well to combine. Gently fold in the avocado and season to taste with salt.
• Thinly slice the duck breasts crosswise and serve with the pineapple salsa on the side.

DUCK BREAST WITH DRIED FRUIT AND VIN SANTO

Steps:

• Duck is one of those dishes that can be intimidating because it seems fancy and elegant. But there's nothing to be scared of-making great duck just takes patience. To get a really beautiful, crackling, brown piece of skin you have to take your time and render the fat SLOWLY. If you rush it, you'll end up with crispy skin but a thick layer of fat between the skin and the meat-which is totally icky. Taking your time to render the fat will not only make your duck absolutely delicious, but it will also leave you with a treasure trove of duck fat-an ingredient that in restaurant kitchens is considered liquid gold and makes killer duck fat potatoes. I think that duck lends itself to sweet flavors, so in this dish I use a sweet Tuscan wine-Vin Santo-to reconstitute dried fruit to make a chutney-like sauce with rich chicken stock. Together the rich, meaty, succulent duck and the intense, fruity sauce make this dish perfect for a holiday, a special occasion, or even a Tuesday.
• In a small bowl, soak the apricots, apples, and cherries in the Vin Santo.
• Using a knife, cut or score the fat of the duck breasts in a crosshatched pattern, cutting through the fat, down to the meat, but not into the meat (this allows the fat to escape more easily as it cooks). Season generously with salt.
• Preheat the oven to 350 degrees F.
• Coat a large saute pan with about a tablespoon of olive oil. Place the duck breasts skin side down in the pan (be sure that the duck fits in the pan comfortably and is not crowded). Bring the pan to low heat and render the fat from the duck breasts. This needs to be done S-L-O-W-L-Y; otherwise the fat will be sealed into the skin and will not render out. This process will take about 20 to 25 minutes, maybe more. As the fat builds up in the pan, scoop it out, but SAVE IT!
• When the fat has rendered from the breasts you will see the meat through the score marks. At this point, crank up the heat and brown both sides of the duck, 2 to 3 minutes per side. Then move the duck to a rimmed baking sheet and place it in the preheated oven for 5 to 6 minutes for medium-rare. Remove any remaining fat from the pan and set the pan aside to make the sauce (look at me-saving you dishes!). Remove the duck from the oven and let rest for about 10 minutes before slicing.
• Strain the Vin Santo from the dried fruit, add it to the saute pan, bring to medium-high heat, and reduce it until it's almost a syrup. Add 1/2 cup of the chicken stock, all the dried fruit, and the thyme leaves to the pan; season with salt. When the chicken stock has reduced and the sauce looks kind of chunky, add the remaining chicken stock; bring to a boil (BTB), cook for 2 to 3 minutes, and turn off the heat. Taste to make sure the sauce is yummy and reseason if needed.
• Slice each duck breast on the bias, fan the meat on a plate, and spoon some of the sauce on and around the duck.

ONE-PAN FRAGRANT DUCK & VEGETABLE CURRY

Steps:

• Heat a wok or frying pan over a low heat and lay the duck breasts in the pan skin-side down. Reduce the heat to low and sizzle gently for 10-15 mins until the skin is golden and the fat has rendered into the pan. Remove the breasts to a plate and leave to cool.
• With the pan still on a low heat, scatter the sugar over the leftover duck fat and stir in the curry paste and fish sauce. Cook, stirring, for 3-4 mins until fragrant, then add the aubergine and potatoes, and stir to coat. Let the veg absorb some of the paste for a few minutes, then pour over the coconut milk and half a can of water, add the lime leaves (if using) and bring to a simmer.
• Meanwhile, finely slice the duck breasts. Stir the meat and resting juices into the curry and simmer for 40 mins, stirring occasionally, until the potatoes are just cooked and the duck is tender. Stir in the green beans and simmer for 10 mins more until the beans are cooked. Remove from the heat. Stir in the lime juice, taste and add more lime, sugar or fish sauce if needed. Scatter over the chillies, coriander and peanuts. Serve with cooked rice.

ONE-PAN CORIANDER-CRUSTED DUCK, ROASTED PLUMS & GREENS

Steps:

• Heat the oven to 200C/180C fan/gas 6 and put the coriander seeds on a plate. Score the skin of the duck breasts as many times as you can with a small sharp knife, then season with salt and press the skin into the coriander seeds. Heat an ovenproof frying pan and add the breasts, skin-side down. Put a heavy pan on top to weigh them down, and cook for 7-8 mins to render the fat, occasionally draining off the excess.
• Add the plums and pak choi to the pan, flip the breasts over and add half the stock. Transfer to the oven and cook for 4-5 mins. Remove the duck breasts from the pan and transfer to a plate to rest along with the pak choi.
• Return the pan with the plums to the heat and add the honey, soy, vinegar and remaining stock. Bring to the boil and continue to cook until syrupy. Carve each duck breast into four chunks. Arrange two halves of pak choi over each plate, and nestle the chunks of duck breast and the plums among the greens. Drizzle with the sauce, then sprinkle over the chilli flakes.