Grilled Duck Breast Food

GRILLED DUCK BREAST

Steps:

• Take your duck breasts out of the fridge and salt them well. Let them sit on the counter for 30 minutes to come to room temperature. If you are working with skinless breasts, keep wild duck breasts in the fridge and take domestic duck or goose breasts out of the fridge only 15 minutes before you cook them.
• Get your grill ready by setting up a hot side and a cooler side. Make sure the grates are clean. When you are ready, pat the duck dry with paper towels and coat them with a little oil. Set the duck breasts skin side down on the hot side of the grill. Keep the cover open, and have a spray bottle of water ready. If the breasts are skinless, you won't have flare-ups. If they are skin-on but fairly lean, there might be one or two, but it'll be OK. If they are fat, however, you will need to be diligent with the spray bottle to douse flare-ups. Keep grilling the skin side until the skin is nice and crispy, about 6 to 8 minutes.
• Turn the duck over and grill on the meat side until they're nicely browned, about 2 minutes on a hot grill.
• Move the duck to the cooler side of the grill and poke it with your finger. Use the finger test for doneness to determine how done the breasts are. Chances are with larger duck breasts and definitely with goose breasts, you'll need to finish them with the grill covered on the cool side of the grill for a few minutes. How long? It depends, so check, using the finger test, every 90 seconds or so.
• When the duck is ready, move it to a plate and let it rest uncovered, skin side up, for 5 minutes before slicing.

SPICE RUBBED GRILLED DUCK BREAST WITH GRILLED PEACH AND GOAT CHEESE SALAD

Steps:

• Heat grill to medium. Put orange juice in a medium saucepan and cook until reduced by half. Add the blackberries and cook for 2 minutes. Strain the mixture into a bowl. Place the blackberries in another bowl and set aside.
• Mix together all the spices and rub the skin side of the duck with some of the rub. Season breasts with salt and drizzle with oil. Grill, rub side down until a crust forms, 3 to 4 minutes. Turn the breasts over and continue cooking to medium doneness, brushing with some of the orange-blackberry glaze every minute or so. Transfer to a large platter.
• Brush the cut side of the peaches with oil and season with salt and pepper. Grill the peaches, cut side down until slightly charred about 2 minutes. Turn over and grill for another minute. Arrange cut side up around the duck, or on another platter. Spoon some goat cheese into the peach hollows, scatter the arugula and pecans over, and then some of the cooked blackberries. Serve the remaining berries with the duck and peaches, if desired.

GRILLED WILD DUCK BREAST

Steps:

• Stir together the Worcestershire sauce, olive oil, hot sauce, garlic, and pepper. Add the duck breasts, and toss well to coat. Cover, and marinate in the refrigerator for at least 30 minutes to overnight.
• Preheat a grill for medium-high heat.
• Grill the duck to desired doneness, about 5 minutes per side for medium-well, depending on the size of the breast, and the temperature of the grill.

SPICE RUBBED GRILLED DUCK BREAST

Steps:

• Combine the smoked paprika, garlic powder, cumin, chili powder, five spice powder, dry mustard and some salt and pepper in a bowl. Using a sharp knife, score the skin of the duck so it has a 1/4-inch diamond pattern. Rub the spice mixture all over the duck.
• Heat a grill to medium (make sure it's not too hot since the key is to cook duck slowly to render the fat) and wipe down the grates with an oiled towel. Place the duck skin-side down on the grate and cook until the skin is seared and the fat is rendered, 4 to 5 minutes. (If there are occasional flare-ups from the fat, move the duck around on the grill to a new spot away from the flame each time.) Flip the duck over and place on a cooler part of the grill. Cook for an additional 5 minutes for medium-rare. Let rest for 5 to 7 minutes before cutting against the grain into thick slices.

GRILLED DUCK BREAST WITH MINTED PEAS

Steps:

• Shell the peas and set aside. Chop the mint and blend into the butter. Pat the duck dry with kitchen paper and place on the oiled rack of a grill pan (or place a small cake rack in a roasting pan). Use a long sharp knife to score the skin of the duck in a diamond lattice pattern. Sprinkle the skin with salt and dried herbs. (If you wish, the duck, peas and mint butter can now be covered and set aside in a cool place for a couple of hours until ready to cook).
• Preheat the grill to very hot. Grill the duck breasts skin-side up for 10 minutes (watch carefully as you do this because the hot fat can splatter) until the skin is browning and has yielded most of its fat - carefully pour this off and reserve for roasting potatoes. Turn the duck over and grill on the flesh side for 5-10 minutes, depending on how rare you like the meat. Turn off the heat and allow the duck to rest while you prepare the peas.
• Cook the peas in boiling salted water for 3-5 minutes or until the peas are just tender and still bright green. Drain in a colander and return to the hot pan with the mint butter. Toss the peas until evenly coated with the butter.
• Serve the duck breasts whole or sliced with the minted peas, accompanied by buttered new potatoes.

GRILLED DUCK BREAST WITH PRICKLY PEAR BBQ SAUCE

Steps:

• Combine BBQ sauce ingredients; simmer for one hour. Cover and place in refrigerator until cold, about 2 hours. Reserve 1 cup of BBQ sauce for basting.
• Pour remaining BBQ sauce over duck breasts. Marinate covered in the refrigerator for 1/2 hour. Turn breasts over; marinate for 1/2 hour more. Remove breasts; discard marinade.
• Preheat grill. On a well oiled grill, cook duck, skin side down, 7 minutes. Flip breast over, cook 3 minutes. While grilling, baste with reserved sauce. If needed, finish cooking in a 350°F oven to bring internal temperature to 155°F.
• Let duck breast rest 2 minutes. Slice duck breast across the grain. Fan slices on plate. Serve with cilantro garlic potato puree and green chile black beans. Garnish with parsley and habaneros.

GRILLED DUCK BREAST WITH MORELS

Steps:

• Skin the duck breasts (the skin can be fried over low heat and the fat used for frying potatoes on another occasion). Sprinkle the breasts with safflower oil and set aside. (If you have decided to render the duck skin, omit the safflower oil and sprinkle the breasts with a tablespoon of the hot duck fat before grilling them.)
• Clean the morels thoroughly under running water.
• Melt the butter in a skillet and soften the shallots.
• Preheat broiler.
• Add the morels to the skillet and saute for five minutes, stirring frequently. Meanwhile, broil the duck breasts for about three minutes on each side. They should be rare in the middle.
• Add the brandy to the morels, cook for a minute, then add the creme fraiche. Heat through, season to taste with salt and pepper. Spoon the mixture on two individual plates and add the duck breasts. Serve immediately.

GRILLED ASIAN DUCK BREASTS

Steps:

• preheat grill.
• trim fat from breasts to 1/4 inch.
• score in a diamond pattern, rub in salt and 5 spice powder.
• meanwhile make sauce ingredients and simmer
• put duck breasts on grill fat side down, grill for 10 minutes
• turn over and grill, then slice thinly and serve with sauce.

GRILLED DUCK BREASTS WITH CRèME FRAîCHE, ROASTED GRAPES, AND POTATO-BACON GRATIN

Steps:

• Pound the juniper berries in a mortar until coarsely ground. Score the skin of the duck breasts with a sharp knife, and season with the juniper berries and the thyme. Cover, and refrigerate at least 4 hours, preferably overnight.
• Light the grill 30 to 40 minutes before cooking, and remove the duck from the refrigerator and allow it to come to room temperature.
• Preheat the oven to 450°F.
• Using scissors, snip the grapes into six clusters. Toss the clusters gently with the olive oil, and season with salt and pepper. Roast the grapes on a baking sheet 12 to 15 minutes, until the skin is slightly crispy and starting to blister.
• When the coals are broken down, red, and glowing, push the embers to one side of the grill. Season the duck with salt and pepper. Place the duck breasts, skin side down, on the cooler half of the grill. As they cook, rotate the breasts in a quarter-turn pattern every 2 minutes or so, to allow the fat to render and the skin to crisp. Turn the breasts over, and cook a few more minutes, until the duck is medium-rare and still springy to the touch. Remove from the heat, and rest 5 minutes, on a wire rack set over a baking sheet.
• Scatter the greens onto a large warm platter. Slice the duck breasts, and place them over the greens. Spoon a little crème fraîche over each duck breast, and arrange the clusters of roasted grapes around the platter. Serve the potato-bacon gratin at the table.
• Potato-Bacon Gratin
• Preheat the oven to 350°F.
• Cut the bacon into 3/8-inch-thick slices, and stack them in two piles, then cut the bacon crosswise into 3/8-inch even-sided rectangular shapes, or lardons.
• Heat a large sauté pan or Dutch oven over medium-high heat for a minute. Swirl in the olive oil and add the bacon. Cook the bacon about 5 minutes, stirring often, until tender and lightly crisped. Remove to a plate with a slotted spoon, reserving the bacon fat in the pan.
• Add the onions, 2 teaspoons thyme, 1 teaspoon salt, and some pepper to the pan. Cook 15 minutes, stirring and scraping with a wooden spoon, until the onions start to caramelize. Turn the heat down to low, and continue to cook, about 10 minutes, stirring often, until the onions are a deep golden brown. Remove from the heat and set aside.
• Use a mandoline to slice the potatoes into 1/16-inch-thick rounds. Pour 1/2 cup cream evenly onto the bottom of a 9-by-9-inch (or equivalent) gratin dish. Place one layer of potatoes side by side, slightly overlapping, on the bottom of the dish. Spread a third of the onions over them and scatter a third of the bacon on top. Arrange a second layer of potatoes, drizzle a 1/4 cup cream over it, and season with 1/4 teaspoon salt, a healthy pinch of pepper, and 1 teaspoon thyme. Press the potatoes down with your fingers, letting the cream soak up through the layers. This will ensure that the cream is evenly distributed and coats the potatoes well.
• Arrange another layer of potatoes on top, followed by another third of the caramelized onions and the bacon. Drizzle over another 1/4 cup cream, and continue with two more layers of potatoes. Drizzle with 1/2 cup cream and season with 1/4 teaspoon salt and a pinch of pepper. Press the potatoes down with your fingers again. Scatter the rest of the onions and bacon over the potatoes, and drizzle with 1/3 cup cream. Season one last time with 1/4 teaspoon salt, 1 teaspoon thyme, and a pinch of pepper. The cream should cover the potatoes but not be "soupy." Add more cream if the gratin seems dry.
• Cover tightly with aluminum foil. Bake 1 1/2 hours, until the potatoes are tender when pierced. Remove from the oven, and carefully uncover. Turn the oven up to 425°F and return the gratin to the oven. Cook another 20 minutes or so, until the top is nice and golden brown (as in "gratinéed").
• Note
• Marinate the duck overnight and make the gratin in the morning, then reheat the gratin (giving it that beautiful gratinée color) while the ducks are on the grill.