Duck Breasts A La Dartagnan Food

DUCK BREASTS A LA D'ARTAGNAN

Steps:

• Using a sharp knife, score the skin side of each breast in a cross-hatch pattern, making the squares as small as possible without cutting into the meat of the breast. Season with salt and pepper.
• Heat a large skillet over medium-high heat. Add duck breasts to skillet, skin-side down, and reduce heat to medium. Cook, removing fat from pan as necessary, until skin is crisp, about 6 minutes. Turn, and cook until firm, about 3 minutes more. Transfer duck breasts to a cutting board and tent with parchment paper-lined aluminum foil and let rest.
• Drain all but 1 tablespoon fat from skillet and place over medium heat. Add shallots and cook, stirring, until translucent; add wine and cook until reduced by half. Remove skillet from heat and add Armagnac; carefully ignite to flambe. Add demi-glace and figs or plums and jam, if making fig or plum version; cook until reduced by half. Season sauce with salt and pepper and stir in blackberry jam and 1/2 cup blackberries for blackberry version or truffle butter for truffle version.
• Slice each duck breast crosswise into 1/4-inch-thick slices and fan out on each of 4 plates. Drizzle sauce over duck and serve immediately. If making blackberry version, garnish with remaining blackberries.

SEARED BREAST OF MOULARD DUCK A LA D'ARTGNAN ON POTATO GALETTE

Steps:

• For the galette, blot potatoes dry on paper towels. Combine in a large bowl with onions and a liberal amount of salt and pepper, and mix well. Heat fat until hot in a 10-inch nonstick skillet, over medium high heat. Add potatoes, shaking the pan and turning them to cover evenly with fat. Once a few slices begin to brown, press potatoes with a spatula to flatten into a disk. Adjust heat to medium low, cover tightly, and cook until several slices are golden brown on the bottom, about 5 to 7 minutes. Carefully lift off cover so condensation does not fall on potatoes, and wipe dry. Mix cooked slices into other potatoes and than add shaved truffles, if desired. Replace cover, and cook until bottom of galette is golden brown, about 5 minutes longer. Shake galette onto a plate, cover with a second plate of the same size, invert then slide galette back into pan. Do not worry if some slices need rearranging. Flatten potatoes again, and cover. Cook 10 to 12 minutes longer, removing lid after 5 minutes, or until potatoes are golden brown, turning heat up slightly if needed to color potatoes. Turn galette again, if necessary, and cook uncovered for a few minutes longer, or until golden brown. Galette may be loosely tented with aluminum foil and kept warm in the oven or on top of the stove. Slide galette onto a flat plate. Season with salt and pepper. Combine parsley with garlic, and sprinkle over potatoes. Cut into 8 wedges and serve.
• For the duck, score the skin. Season both sides of duck breasts with salt and pepper. Heat 2 heavy skillets until medium hot, over medium high heat. Put duck breasts in pans, skin side down, without any butter or fat. Cook for 8 minutes, checking to avoid burning. Remove fat as it accumulates. Flip breasts over, lower heat to medium and cook 4 minutes longer. Remove duck from heat and keep warm in one of the skillets. Meanwhile, heat the port wine in a saucepan to a boil. Add the diced plums and 2 tablespoons of demi-glace and simmer, partially covered, until the plums are cooked and tender (10 to15 minutes.) Puree with a hand mixer until smooth. Adjust seasoning and keep warm. Heat 2 tablespoons of sugar until lightly caramelized. Add the Armagnac in which prunes have marinated for no less than 15 days. Reduce by half. Add 3 tablespoons prune juice. Reduce until almost syrupy. Strain and season. Keep warm. Cut the breasts across the grain into 1/4-inch slices. Place the plum compote in the center of the warm plates, fan the duck slices on top and drizzle the reduction over it. Serve immediately with a potato galette. Use the prunes to make prunes in Armagnac ice cream, or prune tart, or eat them as is as a digestif.

MAGRET DUCK BREAST

Steps:

• For the duck:
• Score the top of the duck breast in a criss-cross pattern. Mix the garam masala, five spice powder, and salt in a bowl and liberally season the duck on both sides.
• Heat a saute pan on high heat. Char the grapes until they almost split open, about 2 to 3 minutes. Add the Zinfandel and reduce the juices into a syrup on medium heat, about 15 minutes. Add the demi-glace. Season with salt and pepper and set aside.
• In a large saute pan over medium high heat, cook the duck, fat side down, with no oil, until golden brown, about 5 minutes. Turn the breast over and brown again, about 5 minutes. The duck should be served rare to medium rare, but if you desire more cooking, bake it in a 350 degree F oven until desired doneness, for medium about 15 minutes.
• Remove from heat and let rest for 5 minutes before slicing on the bias. Spoon sauce over the duck prior to service.
• For the Spaetzle:
• In an electric mixer, add the flour, salt, pepper and nutmeg. On slow speed, drop 1 egg at a time, until the mixture is smooth, then add the yolks. Add the milk and the melted butter. Let the mixture relax for at least a half an hour.
• Over boiling water, squeeze the batter through a spaetzle press, once it floats, spoon it out into a cold water bath to stop the cooking process. When ready to serve, saute in butter and season with more salt and pepper, if needed.