Hazelnut Crusted Duck Breast Food

ROAST DUCK BREAST WITH DRIED CHERRIES AND PORT

Steps:

• Wrap each duck breast in plastic wrap and pound them with a meat mallet until each breast is about 1 inch thick. Place the duck on a plate, sprinkle both sides with a total of 4 teaspoons salt, cover with plastic wrap, and refrigerate for at least 6 hours or overnight.
• When ready to cook the duck, preheat the oven to 375 degrees F.
• Score the skin of the duck breasts with a sharp knife, making a crosshatch pattern but not cutting down to the meat.
• In a large (12-inch) heavy-bottomed, ovenproof skillet, heat the oil over medium heat. Place the duck breasts in the pan, skin side down. Cook uncovered over medium heat for 12 to 15 minutes, discarding the fat from the pan occasionally, until the skin is very browned. Turn the duck with tongs, place the skillet in the oven, and roast for 12 to 18 minutes, until the internal temperature of the duck is 120 degrees F for rare. Remove from the oven, cover the pan tightly with aluminum foil, and allow the duck to rest for 10 minutes.
• Meanwhile, make the sauce. Melt the butter over medium-high heat in a medium saucepan. Add the shallots and saute for 2 minutes, until tender. Add the vinegar and cook for one minute. Add the Port, chicken stock, cherries, 1 teaspoon salt, and 1/2 teaspoon pepper, bring to a boil, lower the heat, and simmer for 15 minutes. Stir in the crème fraîche, orange zest, and orange juice and keep warm over low heat.
• Transfer the duck to a cutting board and slice diagonally, fanning the slices out on 4 dinner plates. Spoon the sauce generously on top, sprinkle with salt, and serve hot with extra sauce on the side.

SEARED DUCK BREAST

Steps:

• With a sharp knife, score the fat of the duck breast in a crisscross pattern, being careful to not cut into the meat. Season the duck with salt and pepper. Warm a cast-iron or heavy-bottomed pan over medium-low heat and add enough oil to just coat the bottom of the pan.
• Place the duck breast fat-side down in the skillet to render off the fat, about 8 minutes. Once the fat has rendered out and the skin is golden brown and crisp, turn the duck breast over and add the butter, thyme and garlic. Turn up the heat to medium-high and, once the butter is foamy, begin basting the duck breast using a spoon. Continue basting until the duck breast reaches medium rare and measures 135 to 140 degrees F. on an instant-read thermometer, 2 to 3 minutes. Remove from the pan and let rest for 3 to 4 minutes before slicing.

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.

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 BALSAMIC VINEGAR GLAZE

Steps:

• Combine the balsamic vinegar, honey, currants and cayenne in a small pot. Bring to a boil, reduce to a simmer and reduce by half to form a thick, syrupy glaze. Remove from the heat and set aside.
• With the point of a knife, score the skin side of the duck breasts in a crosshatch pattern, being careful not to pierce the flesh.
• Season the duck breasts with the salt and pepper. Heat a saute pan over medium heat 2 minutes before adding the breasts, skin-side down. Cook over medium to low heat approximately 6 to 8 minutes to render the fat.
• Carefully remove the excess fat from the saute pan, then turn the breasts over and saute the flesh side 3 to 4 minutes before removing the duck breasts from the pan.
• The breasts should now be medium rare. Slice lengthwise or crosswise and arrange several slices on each plate. Reheat the balsamic vinegar glaze and drizzle some over each of the duck breasts. Sprinkle with toasted pine nuts and serve with Ginger Chestnut Stuffing

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.

DUCK BREAST IN A SALT CRUST

Steps:

• Cut the skin of the duck breasts in a criss cross pattern and fry for 2 minutes until golden brown.
• Remove the breasts and let drain.
• Cover the bottom of a small heat proof dish with a 1 cm layer of salt.
• Lay the duck breasts in the dish next to each other and sprinkle generously with salt and just a little water.
• Preheat the oven to 460 F/250°C.
• Cook for about 20-25 minutes so that the breasts are still pink inside.
• Remove from oven and leave to stand for another 5 minutes.
• Then remove the salt crust, cut the meat into slices and serve.