with the Pan Seared Duck Breast.
We had a whole Peking duck in the freezer which we had bought locally from Highview Pastures in Farmington, MN so, Matt had to butcher it to get the boneless breasts. (We've set the thighs & legs aside to confit later this week.) The butchering was probably the hardest part of this whole dish. After that they get seasoned with salt, pepper, orange zest, nutmeg, thyme, bay & balsamic vinegar. Then they rest in the fridge for up to 12 hours. We let ours rest for about 7 hours, they were nice & dry for cooking.
When its time to cook they get cooked on low skin-side down for about 20 minutes until crisp. This renders quite a bit of the fat which we also saved for the confit. The meat-side just get 30 seconds of heat before the whole thing goes in a 400 F oven for 5 minutes. We ended up with some amazing tasting duck, it was tender & juicy. I was really surprised at how much the flavor of just a little orange zest came through.
We served this with the suggested fall/winter side dish, Butter Braised Brussels Sprouts, Kohlrabi & Radish.
A colorful winter dish with great flavor though I have to think I could get something just like it without using 3 pans. I'm not complaining about the way Keller has you cooks things separately & then bring them together in the final dish, I'm just saying for a quick weeknight dinner I'm betting I can get a similar result with less steps. I do have to say its a great way to use radishes & kohlrabi so I will be playing with it more.
On to Menu Planning Monday...
Potato & Chorizo Tacos - From Rick Bayless
Miso Glazed Salmon
Winter BLTs - Using our green tomato jam
Red Beans & Rice
Kale Ravioli
Rösti Casserole with Baked Eggs - From Cooking Light
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kat & Matt... Your dish looks like it could be served at a five-star restraurant anywhere in the world. The duck is cooked to perfection and the accompaning side dish has amazing color and flavors.
ReplyDeleteDo you two take reservations?
Juicy, pink and a dinner fit for a King. The bay leaves would add a wonderful aroma.
ReplyDeleteDuck seems to elegant and difficult, but is really quite easy to cook. Especially breasts.
ReplyDeleteAlthough, I'm sure Thomas Keller could complicate matters. How many times did he want you to strain the juices?
Just don't skip any steps or you will be graded down!
what an impressive plate of food! what do i find particularly enticing, you ask? that layer of fat on the duck. wowza.
ReplyDeleteWhat a nice meal you have here!
ReplyDeleteYour duck looks exquisite! I'm so impressed! I'm looking forward to seeing more AHAH dishes!
ReplyDeleteI think a lot of Julia Childs recipes are like that as well. Maybe I am wrong but I think you can get a similar effect with less steps as well.
ReplyDeleteWe just got the book and we love duck breast, so I guess we'll follow along with the book and your great-sounding suggestions! Thanks!
ReplyDeleteDelicious! But yeah - 3 pans?
ReplyDeleteOkay, you've convinced me I need to buy this book! I see it in bookstores but for some reason never pull the trigger. I love duck!
ReplyDeleteYum. I adore duck and though I've made it at home before, I haven't done so in a long time. Your post has caused an immediate duck craving!
ReplyDelete