Peppercorn Crusted Muscovy Duck With Blueberries Food

ROAST MUSCOVY DUCK

Steps:

• Preheat oven to 475 degrees.
• Cut off and reserve the wing tips and second wing joint of the duck. Leave the main wing bone intact. Remove the fat from inside the duck and rub it all over the duck.
• Sprinkle the duck, inside and out, with salt and pepper to taste. Brush the duck with the oil.
• Arrange the duck breast-side up in a roasting pan. Add the cutoff wing bones, gizzard and cavity fat. Bake 30 minutes and pour off the fat from the roasting pan. Return the duck to the oven and scatter the celery, onion, carrot, bay leaf, thyme and garlic around the duck. Bake 15 minutes longer if you wish the duck to be medium rare. Or bake it 30 minutes or longer if you wish your duck well done.
• Transfer the duck to a warm platter. Pour the fat from the roasting pan, leaving the vegetables in the pan. Place the pan on the stove and cook the vegetables briefly, stirring. Add the wine and let boil about one minute.
• Add the broth and accumulated cavity drippings from the duck and cook, stirring, about five minutes. Strain the broth and solids, pushing the solids with the back of a spoon to extract as much liquid as possible.
• Heat the butter in a small saucepan, swirling it around until it takes on a nice hazelnut color. Do not burn. Pour the butter over the duck. Carve and serve with the hot pan sauce.

SEARED MUSCOVY DUCK BREAST WITH BLACK PEPPER-SWEET MUSTARD SAUCE AND SOFT MASCARPONE POLENTA WITH ASPARAGUS AND LEEKS

Steps:

• For the Black Pepper-Sweet Mustard Sauce: Combine the mustards, honey, black pepper, thyme in a medium bowl and season with salt. Preheat oven to 375 degrees F. Heat a large ovenproof saute pan over high heat until smoking. Season each breast with salt and pepper to taste. Score the skin with a knife and sear the breast, skin-side down, until golden brown and fat has rendered, about 6 to 8 minutes. Remove most of the fat, turn the breasts over and place them in the oven and cook for 10 to 12 minutes for medium rare doneness, remove duck and brush liberally with the mustard glaze. Let duck rest for 10 minutes, slice each breast on the bias.
• For the Soft Mascarpone Polenta: Heat olive oil in a medium saucepan over medium heat. Add the leeks and cook until very soft, add the asparagus, season with salt and pepper and cook for 5 minutes. Place water in a large saucepan with 2 tablespoons of salt and bring to a boil. Slowly whisk in the polenta, cook for 25 to 30 minutes, stirring every few minutes with a wooden spoon.
• Remove polenta from heat, whisk in mascarpone, Manchego and leek/asparagus mixture, season with salt and pepper. Keep warm.

BOBBY FLAY SEARED MUSCOVY DUCK BREAST WITH SPICY BLACK GRAPE SAUCE

Steps:

• In a medium saucepan over medium-high heat, melt the butter and sweat the onion, garlic and jalapeno for about 5 minutes. Raise the heat to high, add the port, and reduce 10 minutes to 1 tablespoonful. Add the red wine and reduce another 10 minutes to 1 tablespoonful. Add the stock and the grape juice concentrate and reduce by two-thirds. Add the grape juice and reduce by half. Strain the sauce through a fine sieve, return it to the saucepan, and reduce heat to low. Add the grapes, cook for 5 minutes, and season to taste with salt and pepper. Preheat oven to 375 degrees F. Heat a large ovenproof saute pan over high heat until smoking. Season each breast with salt and pepper to taste. Score the skin with a knife and sear the breast, skin-side down, until golden brown and fat has rendered, about 6 to 8 minutes. Remove most of the fat, turn the breasts over and place them in the oven and cook for 10 to12 minutes for medium rare doneness, remove duck and brush liberally with the Spicy Black Grape Sauce. Let duck rest for 10 minutes, slice each breast on the bias. Serve with Black Pepper Spoon Bread.;
• Preheat the oven to 350 degrees F. In a small saucepan, over medium heat, bring the milk to a boil, reduce heat to a simmer and stir in cornmeal. Cook, stirring until cornmeal begins to thicken and remove from the heat. Continue to stir mixture off heat for approximately 5 minutes or until it is warm, not hot. Add the egg yolks, buttermilk, butter, baking soda, salt and sugar. Combine well Beat the egg whites until stiff. Fold the egg whites, half of the Parmesan and the pepper into the batter. Butter a 12 by12-inch casserole dish. Pour the batter into the casserole dish. Sprinkle the remaining cheese over the top. Bake for 40 to 45 minutes, or until the top is golden and the spoonbread is soft. Cut into squares and serve hot.;

ROAST DUCK WITH BLUEBERRY SAUCE

Steps:

• Prepare blueberry sauce: Peel, quarter and core apple. Place in a food processor with onion and finely chop. Place in a saucepan with blueberries, sugars, star anise, zests and vinegar.
• Place mixture over high heat to bring to a boil, then simmer until pulpy and beginning to thicken, about 30 minutes. (Mixture will be quite liquid after 20 minutes, but begins to thicken by 30 minutes, and will thicken more once cold.)
• If whole star anise were used, remove and discard them. Transfer sauce to a sterilized jar, cover and allow to cool. For best flavor, allow to rest one day before serving. (Makes 1 generous cup.)
• Prepare ducks: Heat oven to 325 degrees. Place ducks on a rack in a roasting pan. Cook, uncovered, for 3 hours, periodically draining off fat in pan. Raise heat to 400 degrees, and roast an additional 30 minutes to crisp skin.
• To serve, remove ducks from oven and place on a carving board. Cut each duck into four pieces. Cut away meat from rib cage, discarding rib bones. Arrange on a serving platter, crispy skin side up. Serve with blueberry sauce.

CRISPY DUCK BREASTS WITH PEAR AND GREEN PEPPERCORN SAUCE

Steps:

• Trim excess fat from duck breasts. Heat a 12-inch heavy skillet over high heat until very hot. Pat breasts dry and season with salt. Put breasts, skin sides down, in skillet and reduce heat to moderate. Cook breasts 20 minutes, or until skin is crisp and mahogany-colored, removing fat from skillet as it is rendered with a metal bulb baster (or very carefully pouring it off). Turn breasts and cook about 2 minutes for medium-rare or to desired doneness. Transfer breasts to a plate and keep warm, covered loosely.
• While duck breasts are cooking, peel pear and cut into 1/4-inch dice. Pour off all but about 1 tablespoon fat from skillet and sauté pear until lightly browned, about 1 minute. In a measuring cup stir together apple juice and cornstarch. To pear add Calvados or Armagnac. Stir in cornstarch mixture, peppercorns, demiglace or bouillon cube, and thyme and simmer, stirring, 2 minutes, or until slightly thickened.
• Serve duck breasts, sliced, with sauce spooned over them and garnish with thyme sprigs.

PAN-SEARED DUCK BREAST WITH BLUEBERRY SAUCE

Steps:

• Preheat oven to 375 degrees F (190 degrees C). In a small bowl mix together the salt, ground black pepper, thyme, and rosemary; set aside. This will be your spice blend for seasoning the roasted potatoes and the duck breasts.
• Place cubed potatoes into a 9x13 inch baking dish. Drizzle with olive oil and sprinkle 2 tablespoons of your spice blend over the top of the potatoes. Toss the potatoes in the pan until they are evenly coated with oil and seasonings. Spread into a single layer across the bottom of the baking dish and bake for 35 to 40 minutes in the preheated oven.
• While the potatoes are roasting, stir together the blueberries, water, apple juice, sugar, and jalapeno in a small saucepan. Bring to a boil over medium-high heat, then reduce heat to low, and simmer until the mixture has reduced to the consistency of syrup, about 10 minutes.
• Cook the pancetta in a large skillet over medium heat until crispy. Remove the pancetta to drain on a paper towel, leaving the drippings in the skillet. Add the shallots and the mushrooms to the hot skillet; stir and cook them until soft and just beginning to brown. Remove the shallots and mushrooms and set aside. Increase heat to medium-high and place the bok choy in the hot skillet. Stir and cook the bok choy until the leaves are wilted and the white stalk pieces are tender, about 5 minutes. Return the shallots, mushrooms, and pancetta to the skillet, turn off the heat and set aside.
• Rinse the duck breast halves and pat dry. Rub the remaining spice blend onto both sides of the duck breasts. Preheat a large skillet over medium-high heat, when the pan is hot put in the vegetable oil and butter. Immediately place the duck breasts in the pan, skin and fat side down. Do not move the duck breasts until the skin is deep brown, about 5 minutes. Turn the breasts and cook until the internal temperature of the thickest part is 160 degrees F (71 degrees C) for well done. Remove the duck from the pan and place on a plate, covered with foil to rest for 5 minutes. While the duck is resting, place the skillet with the bok choy mixture onto a burner over medium heat to warm through.
• Slice each duck breast diagonally into 1/2 inch strips. Divide the bok choy mixture among four plates and drizzle each serving with 1/2 tablespoon of aged balsamic vinegar. Arrange the sliced duck breasts on top of the bok choy mixture; ladle on blueberry sauce. Serve with oven-roasted potatoes on the side.

MUSCOVY DUCK BREASTS WITH POMEGRANATE-WINE SAUCE

Steps:

• Heat 2 tablespoons oil in heavy medium saucepan over medium heat. Add shallots; sauté until golden brown, about 18 minutes. Add garlic; sauté 3 minutes. Add 1 cup white wine and 3/4 cup red wine. Boil until most of liquid evaporates, about 10 minutes. Add both broths, orange juice, pomegranate molasses, 1 teaspoon marjoram, and bay leaf; boil until mixture is reduced to 2 cups, about 20 minutes. Discard bay leaf. (Sauce can be made 3 days ahead. Cover and chill.)
• Set rack at lowest position in oven; preheat to 450°F. Rub meat side of duck breasts with 1 tablespoon olive oil and 2 teaspoons marjoram. Sprinkle with salt and pepper. Working in batches, sear breasts, skin side down, in heavy large skillet over high heat until skin browns and fat is rendered, about 8 minutes.
• Transfer duck breasts, skin side down, to rimmed baking sheet. Drain all but 1 1/2 tablespoons fat from skillet; reserve skillet. Roast duck until thermometer inserted into thickest part registers 145°F for medium-rare, about 20 minutes.
• Meanwhile, bring sauce to simmer. Rewarm duck fat in reserved skillet over medium heat. Add flour; stir 1 minute. Gradually whisk in sauce.
• Transfer duck breasts to cutting board. Pour off all fat from baking sheet. Add 1/4 cup white wine to sheet and scrape up browned bits; add to sauce. Simmer sauce 3 minutes to blend flavors. Season with salt and pepper. Thinly slice duck breasts and divide among 8 plates. Drizzle with sauce.
• *Available at some supermarkets and Middle Eastern markets, and by mail at adrianascaravan.com.